With Game of Thrones season 7 wrapping up next week (nuts, right?!), our eyes are naturally looking ahead at the future, toward season 8. Thankfully, the show has jumped right into pre-production for the final season so there will be little lag time between the end of season 7, and the beginning of the filming of the next. The show’s first AD mentioned he’s already at work on season 8, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has confirmed filming will resume in October, which means that the hard-working crews of Fire and Blood Productions are already back at it in Northern Ireland, where most of Game of Thrones’ magic happens.
Today, WotW reader and N.I. local Catháir spotted crews at work in Moneyglass, at a familiar location.
Driving by the longtime exterior location used for Winterfell, he snapped a photo of the pre-production in progress. Catháir notes that “there appears to be construction work at Winterfell set. Second pic (today) shows front wall removed.”
@WatchersOTWall there appears to be construction work at Winterfell set. Second pic (today) shows front wall removed. pic.twitter.com/qIzXAoEPyg
— Catháir (@Cathair96) August 20, 2017
Just to get a closer look-
Before:
And the Moneyglass set as it stands today:
Thanks for providing the photo and info, Catháir!
Though it’s a bit grim that we’re nearing the end of season 7 already (damn you, shortened season!), it’s a nice pick-me-up that we’ll have an exciting filming season to look forward to, soon enough!
Hardhome
Knowing filming will commense shortly and seeing the set pictures above, is working wonders on my sadness about S7 already coming to and end in 8 days!
With production already on the move and confirmed filming in two months, could a man hope S8 will premiere fall 2018 and not 2019?
Dead Dane Walking,
that’s possible but it depends on lengths of the episodes, if they do more 70/80 episodes like 6 and 7 of this season, thats gonna take a lot longer + potential cgi can make the show lag behind as well
but it would be a nice thing to have the final season air at Winter
Characters will gather in Winterfell so maybe they want to enlarge the set.
Sometimes I think reading news about filming here is more interesting that the season itself 😀
Dead Dane Walking,
February 2019 is my guess. HBO is not going to put the final season up against the NFL in the States. This also allows for it to begin in Winter and end in Spring, which is fitting for ‘A Dream Of Spring.”
“Second pic (today) shows front wall removed.”
Oh shit….
*lights candles for my favorite characters*
Maybe…maybe they just want to make room for a dragon to land…maybe….
Agreed, it does a bit. The worst part of waiting is when little is happening for us to discuss.
Good to hear it’s underway
They’ve clearly been working for a while. After all, if they start filming in October, there needs to be a LOT of prep.
I read that it took 14 months to do the battle scene in Episode 4. That meant it was started in early 2016. I’ll bet the battle scenes for Season 8 have already been generally planned.
And that means directors have been chosen. You can’t work out a schedule for filming without knowing how many days it will take on each part. That means the directors are already looking at the scripts and chances are have already made their desires known.
You can bet people are already working on sets and costumes. Think of how many costumes Jon Snow and allies’ armies will need. Just because no one is talking doesn’t mean nothing is going on.
As for the dates, there are six episodes. They could run it next summer before Sunday Night Football resumes.
mau,
I on’t know about that but there is certainly a more friendly atmosphere and less toxicity.
Hopefully they knock down that balcony Sansa is standing on so we never have to see a shot of it again. It should have been listed in the opening credits as main cast this year. 😜
HAR!
In the opening MAP!
I am guessing almost all, maybe all? the main cast is back.
One wonders , was reported some while ago , seems there was even an update (can’t remember) that main players contracts had been negotiated for the extra innings … still going way back , before season 6?, or after 5?, nothing ever seems said about actors like , say Sofie or Maisie … what are they getting now? Same as the old line principals?
Just wondering.
Last season for a new face … that would be interesting… in S8 will stories left hanging in Essos be wrapped? Meereen, the IB and the FM still dangle.
It did not take 14 months to do a 15 minute scene.
LOL 😀 It sure has been a Westerosi location on it’s own… “The Balcony – Home of Mockingbird and Lady of Winterfell”!
Pigeon,
LOL.No wonder I’m a bit of a pigeon fancier. It reeks of confederate statues or Sansa’s last stand. 🙂
Interesting… they already expanded the Moneyglass set for S7 so I wonder what they’re doing this time?
I may head over to NI in October and sneak on the premises again 😝
Very likely – I even think, that was more or less confirmed somewhere in the discussions or in a clip with GoT-staff. Can’t remember where though…
Isn’t that a photo of Thomas Land at Drayton Manor?
Exactly! It was awfully quiet after filming ended for Season 7…
Oh shoot – I totally forgot about that!! 🙁 When does the NFL ’18 start up again?
September 7th
Jack Bauer 24,
That pretty much puts the lid on any hope of GoT airing in 2018 🙁 …The worldwide GoT-fan community should partition to postpone Sunday night football in ’18 😀
TWD airs their seasons against NFL, so I don’t see why HBO wouldn’t.
I still can’t believe it’s going to be over next season. I’m going to miss the pre-season excitement and pictures on this site too.
The Super Bowl for the 2018/2019 season is on February 3, 2019. I would think the season would premiere after that date. Easter is April 21 of that year. I suspect the season will commence in between those two dates.
Boojam,
What stories in Essos are left ? Essos is done,nothing there is important,nobody cares about Daario or what he is doing so i don’t know what you’re talking about,the endgame is clearly Westeros . I guess hey can reference it in a line of dialogue if it’s that much important to you,like a letter from Daario saying all is well or something .
Why not Fall 2018?
Aryamad,
I’m certainly going to miss the show,not sure about the fandom though,certainly not a more “vocal” part of it .
Jack Bauer 24,
Because it runs against Sunday Night Football and also TWD,which whatever you think of it still gets a lot of ratings and it also has the same type of audience that GOT has . But actually if i think about it,even if they premiere it in february it still runs against TWD because TWD has 16 episodes a season and is split in 2 halfs,one that runs from october to december and another from february to may .
I honestly don’t care about any Essos stories being wrapped. There’s no main characters there. I’m good with just a written description of what became of it at the end of the show and that’s it.
I would love Essos to be explored more in other spinoff. The Doom of Valerya would be a great story.
Jack Bauer 24,
I agree. And not everyone lives in US.
If AMC isn’t concerned with running against NFL then HBO won’t be.
Kris Logan,
GOT is the biggest show in the world. Why would they care for TWD?? That show lost many viewers in S7.
Almost true, but it’s does sound like we’re still in for a taste of the Golden Company from the Free Cities – depending on how much energy/screen time D&D choose to put into that story. That is of course only if Cersei and Qyburn are alive to convince them to fight against a Targ army with three airborne and fully grown fireguns! 😉
We only hear about the US ratings (now at 10-11 million), but it would actually be interesting to know the ballpark figures for international viewer ratings – does anyone know if those numbers are available – and if yes, where to find them?
None of those are “hanging” as it concerns the story unless they wanted to or have extra time to dig more into them, which isn’t necessary.
They ‘ended’ Meereen and Slaver’s Bay by defeating the Masters, eliminating their leaders, taking their fleet(s) and leaving Daario to make sure they stay in line. They tied it up as far as this story is concerned. Tyrion’s words to Yezzan on top of the pyramid were the knot on that arc.
What is the Iron Bank dangling with that anyone cares about?
They don’t have to do anything more with the FM if they don’t want. It’s only people that think there needs to be some sort of retribution for Arya leaving that believe that arc is unfinished. Personally I believe it’s done on the show. Jaqen had a relationship with Arya. If he was not going to allow her to leave and/or chase her he would have said something, but all he did was smile and nod approval. There’s not enough time left to make it a minor subplot when Arya could be doing much more important and exciting things. (Her book swing through the HoBaW looks to be shaping up quite differently, and with that I don’t think she goes home under the same circumstances for the tv arc to tie into like that.)
Removing a wall from Winterfel? Are they working on some kind of potential major damage happening maybe? :O
As for air date not going up against the NFL; does anybody even care about the NFL anymore? Lol.
Rabelais,
It is pretty easy to guess what is more than likely going to be a main story in Season 8, so I predict
The Season 8 premiere episode date will be Father’s Day Sunday June 17th 2018 –
There is only only six episodes in Season 8 – the episodes might be longer than an hour but they might not be too.
HBO are already working on up to 4 or 5 Game of Thrones spinoffs so I think Summer 2018 is the right time for Season 8 to start.
I just hope season 8 isn’t spoiled … for the first time I’m going to try and avoid every spoiler post cuz so far season 7 hasn’t surprised me even once … like I’ve still enjoyed every episode more than anything that’s come before … just not been surprised having read you know what
Also I can happily say I have NOT SPOILED anyone I know even though they’ve asked … 😝 Love giving people fake spoilers
Yeh dude Dany chips a nail and freaks the fuck out at Jon so he bends the knee
firstone,
So you’re saying that despite the fact that the show will be filming later and finishing later,it’s going to somehow premiere earlier than this year despite the amount of post production needed ? Your logic is somewhat lacking .
The way Sansa tramples all over that balcony is actually Arya’s main beef with her.
JerryT,
Yes, the NFL has the most watched “show” each week in Sunday Night Football. Ratings are usually in the 30 Million range IIRC. This doesn’t take into account the number of people who are watching at bars, or at the homes of others.
The NFL is massive. As for TWD, I don’t watch the show myself, but I thought GOT has gone against it in at least one prior season? GOT is going to beat TWD each time – especially in the last year. The problem with going against the NFL is the first run numbers. Fans of GOT know they can record an episode and watch their team play. If presented with the scenario, most casual viewers will watch the football game, then watch GOT. I know HBO cares about who is watching live, so it does actually matter. No one is recording a football game – at least 99% of fans aren’t anyway.
GoT tops NFL every time. Enough with football.
The Walking Dead has become garbage like literally bad since season 4. Many have noticed this and their ratings have been going down. I don’t think it’s competion for GoT in the fall. However, NFL playoffs kicks in late in the year and those Sunday night games gets lots of viewership.
I’d personally like for HBO to take their time to know which date will fit better to air and when it’s CGI will look more complete. No rush.
I really hope it’s not 6 episodes but rather 7
Also, my guess will be that the Premier will be an hour and a half and the series finale will be a good full Two hours.
I would have thought by now people realise how much of a global phenomenon GoT is and it not only viewed by people living in the US / Northern Hemisphere.
Here in Australia, July/August is Winter so seeing a comment “It would be nice to see S8 in winter/spring is funny, coz it’s the end of winter 2017 now. Also references to it clashing with American football assumes only US viewers matter, and I even saw a “Fathers Day” comment in reference to a date…a day that is not the same date the world over (it’s in 2 week’s time here in Australia).
GoT is a global event. I live for the days that the US portion of the viewers realise this and stop posting localised commentary…
How do you know when they are going start filming? How do know when they are going to be finished with filming? How do know how much post production season 8 will need? Where are getting these “facts” 😀
Tell me (you obviously know) when is the Season 8 premiere date?
Oh yes my favourite time of the year is coming.Filming season.Love it.
I live just down the road from Wolf Hill quarry (I was the one who took the photos last year of the ice lake set) and that set has stayed in place all year. The green screen is back so I guess they are planning more scenes there.
Great with some first hand knowledge! Thank you for sharing. As the behind the scenes showed us, the investments into this location must have been substantial, so using it again, isn’t the worst of ideas… Hope you’ll be able to “visit” the quarry again 🙂
Dead Dane Walking,
I’ve been up at it a few times in the past month or so, nothing happening at the moment but when I spot crew arriving I’ll try to get more info or photos.
Loganx0,
Sounds great!
MeeraReed,
Surely you are kidding right this is the biggest TV show in the world vs a sport only watched in one country. I know American football is popular over the pond but surely you don’t delay the biggest show in the world because the American football season is on? Also isn’t GOT on in the evening and American football presumably played in the day? (Excuse my ignorance I really don’t know too much about it).
Sansa’s Knight,
Yeah I am the same. I’m ok with casting news (doubt there will be many new faces) and set/location filming news but want to avoid any major plot spoilers.
King Stannis,
I also watched the Walking Dead for the first few seasons but it quickly went down hill and is no way comparable to GOT.
Jon Snowed,
There’s one game on each Sunday night during the season. Every other show competes with it during the Fall so I personally don’t think it’s a big deal. People watch it of course, but unless it’s (your) team I wouldn’t think that would keep anyone from watching their favorite show(s). I’d still watch GoT for an hour if my team was playing, or more likely, I’d have the game playing on my phone/tablet and watch Thrones on my tv.