Game of Thrones not returning to Girona for season 7, but still castle-hunting in Spain

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Though we’re still enjoying season 6, we’re already looking ahead to next year and we have some locations news today, thanks to our friends at Los Siete Reinos!

El Punt Avui reports this week that Game of Thrones will not be returning for season 7 filming to Girona, the city in Catalonia, Spain that served as a major location for season 6.

Girona City Council has not confirmed it but El Punt Avui‘s source seems to be confident that it’s not happening this year. It had been reported in April that Girona was in negotiations for Game of Thrones to come back for next season, but apparently those talks didn’t work out.

Girona provided the backdrop for many key scenes this season in Braavos and King’s Landing. The confrontation at the sept of Baelor, blind Arya begging, the scenes with the Braavos theatrical players, and an action sequence coming in next Sunday’s episode (spotted in the episode 8 trailer), among other scenes, were filmed in the city.

The show not returning to Girona seems to be more due to script reasons, according to El Punt Avui, which leads us to wonder what this means for next season’s plots. Arya’s not likely to spend much more time in Braavos, given that she’s been stabbed and is running from the Faceless Men, but what about King’s Landing? The capital city of Westeros has always been a central focus in filming, which leads us to wonder if Game of Thrones will be returning to Croatia.

In February, of this year while chatting on a podcast, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss discussed a scene they were currently writing, describing something  that had “happened today.”  They mention changing a particular scene from an interior, 4-character scene set in the throne room to a massive parade through King’s Landing, which would essentially become” a 3-day extravaganza” with a thousand extras in Dubrovnik. Was it an idle mention, as locations weren’t locked in back then, or is the show indeed headed back to Croatia? And if so, what is that small scene that may have become so large (unless the other producers smacked them on the hand and told them to scale it back)?

Los Siete Reinos has some very intriguing news regarding other locations being scouted. They report that Fresco Films (the production company for GoT in Spain) has been searching all over Spain, looking at locations containing “castles”. (Unfortunately we can’t narrow that down as Spain has a whole heaping lot of castles.) They’ve heard from sources that the seventh season of Game of Thrones “will have a significant number of battles in castles or next to them.” With that info in mind, it certainly makes sense GoT would be on the hunt for castle locations.

Fighting around castles- that makes me think war is coming to Westeros once more.

L7R also reports that Fresco Films has been visiting northern Spain, especially the region of Galicia, looking for locations. It’s not confirmed whether the Galicia sites are for GoT or for another production Fresco is working on. As L7R notes, it would be a little surprising (but not out of the question) for GoT to shoot there since the cooler climate and terrain are somewhat similar to Northern Ireland.

We’re still waiting to hear whether Game of Thrones will be officially filming in Canary Islands. Two weeks ago, reports from Spain told us that the islands were being considered for shooting this year, and apparently that location is still a possibility, despite the Girona news.

 

Thanks to Javi of Los Siete Reinos for his assistance with this piece!

Sue the Fury
Susan Miller, Editor in Chief of WatchersOnTheWall.com

134 Comments

  1. Of course they’re not returning to Girona 😛

    If popular theories and assumptions are correct, Arya leaves Braavos behind next week; King’s Landing becomes a pile of ashes in the season finale at Cersei’s hand; Dany and her people leave Meereen this season; and perhaps Euron sacks Oldtown, forcing Sam to flee. So there will not be a need for Girona. Any city, really, right?
  2. I hope the war against the White Walkers is amazing. And huge. Probably one of the reasons they’re shortening the next two seasons? The budget for the war against the WW could take a lot CGI and special effects.

    And it will be weird with no King’s Landing next year. Since we have seen it throughout the entire series.

  3. ” They mention changing a particular scene from an interior, 4-character scene set in the throne room to a massive parade through King’s Landing, which would essentially become” a 3-day extravaganza” with a thousand extras in Dubrovnik”

    Does this mean Kings Landing is in season 7, or were they talking about season 6?

  4. Luka Nieto,

    I’m actually starting to think they will leave Euron’s sacking of Oldtown for the next season. I believe they will end his story with him revealing the dragonhorn, if rumours are to be believed.

    Also, nice to see you Luka! Haven’t seen you in a while!

  5. Interesting. Bye Essos basically!! 😛

    So imo they’re either using the castles for Dany’s conquest, Euron sacking places, Jon going to war (maybe to free the Riverlands), or Jon vs WW.

    KL seems done. Maybe we’ll get Casterly Rock or Highgarden or Storm’s End. If Cersei torches the whole city, she has to hide somewhere. Or she’ll just torch part of it and stay in KL for a bit before she finishes the rest.

  6. Connor:
    And it will be weird with no King’s Landing next year. Since we have seen it throughout the entire series.

    Hopefully it will still be in the credits, like the ruined Winterfell back then.
    If it gets burned down, that is. But I also believe very strong in the theory. 😉

  7. Mihnea,

    Might be. I’d like to see Euron do something before the end of the season.

    As for why I’m not around a lot… Well, the off-season holds my interest more. The news, the speculation… 😉

  8. Mihnea,

    Presumably Dany will arrive to a burnt down King’s Landing in the middle of winter, if her vision at the House of the Undying (seen again in Bran’s visions) is to be believed.

  9. Luka Nieto,

    That’s what I was thinking. Dany and her army/dragons marching trough the burned city.

    Kinda agree, the off-season was amazing. I want to avoid spoilers for S7 this time….but I don’t think I will have the willpower..

  10. Mihnea,

    Its gonna be hard to stay away in the off season…

    Season 6 was kinda different…. We put together many plot points already based off of the 5 years of speculation we had from ADWD, but next year will be completely and utterly blind

    Btw, if Kings Landing is burning this season, I wonder if we would’ve heard of a massive fiery set piece like we did with the Dosh Khaleen temple? Maybe not…

  11. HelloThere,

    They were discussing a scene they were writing that day, and this was in February of this year. That implies they were writing a KL scene for season 7.

  12. Wow…so as may others have suggested, does this mean KL will no longer feature (at least in exterior shots)?

    I’m going to Cordoba and Seville for a 5 day break this evening…cant wait! 🙂

  13. When do we get confirmation on the directors and the start of the filming dates? Seems like this year it’s a bit later, since last year this time we already had casting notices and other stuff.

  14. HelloThere,

    Really doubt it. That was a small-ish hut. And it was normal fire.

    This, if it would happen will be Wildfire, my guess is that it’s CGI.

  15. Oh really interesting.Obviously considering david and dan’s comments there will be king’s landing in season 7 but I think we are done with the faith millitant so no Girona and that makes sense cause there will be no braavos eitherand that was primarly filmed in Girona too.The fighting around castles is so interesting I’m guessing it has to do with euron and dany.The off season does have a certain appeal to it.I love the feelinng of putting pieces together.

  16. Dee Stark,

    I will try LOL.

    Thank you for the support!

    As for the scene, well it’s just my speculation, I think they might have just wanted to show Dany inside, perhaps the throne room….but now they’ll show her marching trough the city…..?
    I’m grasping at straws I know, just brainstorming ideas..

  17. They will not wasting any time with Dany’s travels in Essos. I assume she will be in Westeros by ep1 next year.

    I wonder what battles we will see next season. Dany’s are almost a certainty. Euron? Maybe Jon, Sansa and Co. in the Riverlands?

  18. They will need King’s Landing in season 7 for Dany landing in Westeros! But it will be a burned city, there’s no need for Girona. Only CGI shots and studio. Maybe Dany will rename it Queen’s Landing?

    I’m really excited to know what will happen to Cersei. She’ll probably flee to Casterly Rock?

  19. Moka,

    They will film KL scenes in Dubrovnik again for S7. But they won’t need Great Sept of Baelor for S7. 😉

  20. Geralt of Rivia needs to be in Season 7. We needed him ever since this series began. No one messes with Geralt and lives to tell it.

    Geralt of Rivia, the White Wolf and the Butcher of Blaviken. Fucking shit up in Westoros.

  21. mau:
    Moka,

    They will film KL scenes in Dubrovnik again for S7. But they won’t need Great Sept of Baelor for S7.

    Do you think Cersei would burn only the Sept?

    That is a possibility, but it means the pyromancers would need basements just under the Sept?

  22. Connor,

    Don’t do this!!!
    Don’t you, freaking, dare hyping me!!

    I don’t have the time to play the expansion!! 🙁

  23. ghost of winterfell,

    I’d love it if we saw Storm’s End. Dany could easily take the castle. I doubt it’s heavily defended now.

    I hope Jon and Sansa head over to the Riverlands to wrap things up there. I hope they reunite with Bran too before that lol.

    I imagine Euron will sack some towns and castles too.

  24. I think their big scenes from S7 is Tommen’s funeral.

    So, if that theory is right and Cersei burns Sept this season, and Tommen dies somehow, as everyone expects, his funeral would be in the throne room.

    And D&D said that that scene was moved from the throne room to the streets of KL. I can’t see any other possibility.

  25. mau,

    That would be great.

    It also goes well with the Lannister tradition of having a funeral each season (since season 4). 😛

  26. Connor,

    I think they said, they will come to this world again.
    But I don’t think Geralt will be involved, or that will see it until Cyberpunk is out.

    My dream is a more open RPG, where we can create our own Witcher. Looks, personality..etc.

  27. Mihnea,

    Luka Nieto,

    Exactly …
    I am certain that it is dany speaking with tyrion.,daario.,jorah.,varys ( 4 men ) amidst a burnt down KL and dothraki .

    The tell is in when they changed the scene from throne room to a big scene.

  28. Mihnea,

    I am pumped for Cyberpunk 2077! If CD Projekt Red are making it, it’s going to be amazing. I hope they make a memorable and likeable character like Geralt!

  29. Connor,

    Yup, very excited for it!

    Also hope the new Mass Effect will be good, hoping they’ll show something at E3.

  30. Moka,

    Jamie specifically mentioned the Mad King stored Wild Fire beneath the sept

    “. Aerys saw traitors everywhere, so he had his pyromancer place caches of wildfire all over the city: beneath the Sept of Baelor, the slums of flea bottom, under houses, stables, taverns, even beneath the Red Keep itself.”

  31. This news makes me lean toward several things.
    A. Arya leaves Bravos this season
    B. Dany leaves Meereen this season
    C. Cersei goes total thermonuclear on Kings Landing this season
    D. All plot lines converging back to Westeros next season.
    E. Wall falls down this season e10
    F. Lots of White Walker battles next season

  32. Flayed Potatoes:
    Interesting. Bye Essos basically!!

    So imo they’re either using the castles for Dany’s conquest, Euron sacking places, Jon going to war (maybe to free the Riverlands), or Jon vs WW.

    KL seems done. Maybe we’ll get Casterly Rock or Highgarden or Storm’s End. If Cersei torches the whole city, she has to hide somewhere. Or she’ll just torch part of it and stay in KL for a bit before she finishes the rest.

    GRRM has said

    that we will see Casterly Rock in TWOW. The most logical POV to make that happen is Cersei, presumably after fleeing King’s Landing after all goes to hell there. Jaime might wind up there as well, but I think she’d be there first.
  33. Wow we are already going into S7 hype mode… going to be fun!

    I wonder how long the filming will last this time.. maybe it’ll still be 5 months even with the fewer eps..?

  34. HelloThere: Jamie specifically mentioned the Mad King stored Wild Fire beneath the sept

    “. Aerys saw traitors everywhere, so he had his pyromancer place caches of wildfire all over the city: beneath the Sept of Baelor, the slums of flea bottom, under houses, stables, taverns, even beneath the Red Keep itself.”

    I missed that, thanks! That is some impressive hanging gun!

  35. mau,

    This seems more likely than Dany’s arrival scene being changed from the throne room to a crowd filled scene.

    Flayed Potatoes,

    I don’t feel it’s likely, Dany going to Storm’s end. If she lands in Dorne , would she not directly head to KL?
    And yeah, I too want to see Jon get South!

  36. I know there is still three episodes to go but I was sure Cersei would burn Kings Landing this season rather than next.

    If it’s included who would be there, Dany maybe? Jon being appointed king perhaps but that feels too early if spoilers from this season are to be believed. Failing that maybe Jamie and the Lannister army returning?

    This summer is going to be really interesting as non of us have the books to guide us now and we still await the three pay off episodes of this season. I am going to assume Dany arrives and causes chaos in the South, Jon finds out his parentage and that he is the rightful heir to the thrown so uses that to rally the realm but perhaps has to defeat Dany first? Euron will also play a part in a battle I am sure, perhaps vs Dany.

  37. I know there is still three episodes to go but I was sure Cersei would burn Kings Landing this season rather than next.

    If it’s included who would be there, Dany maybe? Jon being appointed king perhaps but that feels too early if spoilers from this season are to be believed. Failing that maybe Jamie and the Lannister army returning?

    This summer is going to be really interesting as non of us have the books to guide us now and we still await the three pay off episodes of this season. I am going to assume Dany arrives and causes chaos in the South, Jon finds out his parentage and that he is the rightful heir to the thrown so uses that to rally the realm but perhaps has to defeat Dany first? Euron will also play a part in a battle I am sure, perhaps vs Dany.

  38. Mihnea,

    Same here, im also hopeful for some Elder Scrolls 6 news at E3 as well considering Bethesda is holding a presentation there again. Same with Red Dead 3.

  39. The shots of wildfire exploding in the crypts in Bran’s vision have got to be the future. Caused by Cersei no doubt. They wouldn’t have showed us that if it weren’t foreshadowing.

  40. Connor,

    Right, but is s6 just the Sept blowing up, or is it the whole city. That’s the question. One or both of those will happen this season.

    I still think the wall doesn’t come down until s7. Too much has to happen before the wall comes down. Bran and BenJen are headed to the wall to fight the ww. That can/should last a little while at least.

    If they have Bran fighting the NK/ww and the wall coming down, all squeezed into a couple of 10 minute segments this season, that will be a huge disappointment. There is a lot of story there that they can tell.

    Plus too many other storylines need to get resolved before the ww get south of the wall.

    I know everyone wants to see the wall come down, but I think we will have to wait longer. KL going up in flames might have to be our dose of mass destruction for this season.

    Just MHO.

  41. Mihnea:
    Dee Stark,

    I will try LOL.

    This is my first season watch after following this site during the last off season. It does reduce the surprises,
    But not the anticipation. I am still teetering back and forth if I should stop following during filming. But it was so much fun getting some snippets and folks guessing what it can be.
    Oh, who am I kidding…of course I will be here.
    Just.can’t. Stay.away.

  42. I think the wall has to come down fairly soon either the end of this season or the beginning of the next, with 13 episodes to go you have to assume there is time for Dany to invade, causing chaos, for Euron to clash, for the Lannisters to meet their end (assuming they are not end game players), for Jon to do what ever he does after regaining Winterfell.

  43. I wonder if the city tried to make a large cash grab now that the series is coming closer to the end? Sounds like they still wanted to use it but negotiations failed??

  44. Dee Stark:
    Apollo,

    Where are you from?
    Seville is amazing!

    Scotland but I live in London. I’ve been meaning to go for a long while (even before GOT was shot there), so I really can’t wait. 🙂

  45. ghost of winterfell,

    it would actually make sense for us to see Storms End..if as specualted Dorne allies with Dany she would just cross the Dornish Sea and take it or if she bypasses Dorne Storms End would be a logical landing point.
    of course she could really play it up and land at Dragonstone and pull an Aegon , sending out ravens proclaiming her rule then take Kings Landing

  46. So, season 7 will feature several battles, featuring some new castles, in a rather wintery environment. That was expected, but glad to have a confirmation.

    What castles do they mean? We havent seen Highgarden and Casterly Rock yet, what else? Im thinking maybe Oldtown or the Kings Landing ruins (effectively a new location).

  47. Is the landscape of Spain conducive for Westeros? I’ve never been and it seems its a lot of arid, southwest- style topography which is great for the exteriors of Esso. They shot KL city streets in Spain, but most of our vision of what Westeros landscapes look like come from Northern Ireland or Iceland.

  48. Ofcourse there’s no need for a Kings Landing location, Kings Landing is going to buuurrrnnnn.

  49. Connor:
    The shots of wildfire exploding in the crypts in Bran’s vision have got to be the future. Caused by Cersei no doubt. They wouldn’t have showed us that if it weren’t foreshadowing.

    But we also saw a dragon flying overhead of an intact King’s Landing. Either that’s the past (Balerion/Vhagar/Meraxes), or it doesn’t blow up entirely until Dany and her dragons hit.

    Boston Snow:
    Connor,
    Right, but is s6 just the Sept blowing up, or is it the whole city. That’s the question. One or both of those will happen this season.

    I still think the wall doesn’t come down until s7. Too much has to happen before the wall comes down. Bran and BenJen are headed to the wall to fight the ww. That can/should last a little while at least.

    If they have Bran fighting the NK/ww and the wall coming down, all squeezed into a couple of 10 minute segments this season, that will be a huge disappointment. There is a lot of story there that they can tell.

    Plus too many other storylines need to get resolved before the ww get south of the wall.

    I know everyone wants to see the wall come down, but I think we will have to wait longer. KL going up in flames might have to be our dose of mass destruction for this season.

    Just MHO.

    Or neither blow up, we have no way of knowing. The dragon flying overhead in the vision pretty much secures the city’s survival until Dany hits. I don’t think Cersei is currently thinking about the pots of wildfire. It’s definitely not hinted at in her storyline, yet. Aside from the common threat she makes “burn THEIR cities to the ground”.

    I agree about the Wall coming down. That can’t happen in the coming three episodes, even if they’re exceptionally long and even though we haven’t seen Bran for a while. In all honesty, I’d rather have Dany say goodbye to Meereen with a fiery bang, then the Wall coming down, to preferably they’d sync. Dany has a lot of things she can do in two seasons of being in Westeros (seeking alliances), while the White Walkers will become tiresome and aimless.

    So I doubt we’ll see the Wall fall, as aimless WW are boring.
    So I doubt we’ll see KL burn (entirely), as Cersei hasn’t been mentioning the WF at all.
    But unleashed dragons laying waste to Meereen while Dany+Unsullied+Dothraki set sail on Greyjoy-ships?

    That’s definitely a possibility I’d respect seeing. Heck, I’d take that over CleganeBowl to be honest.

    This season is doing a great job at letting characters move while offscreen. Such as that it is likely that Bran has been moving south and is close to the Wall when we next see him. Like how Ramsay has probably already set-up his battlements by the time we next see him, and how Tyrion is now just chilling after an absence of two episodes. I’m banking on Dany arriving at Meereen in 6×08 as well.

  50. I love how everyone is so convinced KL is going to burn. I do think it would be a fun plot twist to destroy the Iron Throne and all of KL before Dany even arrives, but I really don’t see it happening this season. Especially with D&D talking about how they’re writing a scene in KL right now, makes me think it’s safe for this year at least.

    However, maybe they will wait until Dany does arrive in KL with her dragons and army, and THEN the city is burned in order to stop her from claiming it. Or perhaps Drogon’s dragonfire during the attack will accidentally ignite the hidden wildfire, causing a chain reaction and Dany accidentally destroys the whole city. Oops.

  51. Ravyn:
    Is the landscape of Spain conducive for Westeros? I’ve never been and it seems its a lot of arid, southwest- style topography which is great for the exteriors of Esso. They shot KL city streets in Spain, but most of our vision of what Westeros landscapes look like come from Northern Ireland or Iceland.

    Do all landscapes of the United States look like the Grand Canyon?

  52. Cersei may just burn the Great Sept, not the whole city.

    Ravyn: Is the landscape of Spain conducive for Westeros? I’ve never been and it seems its a lot of arid, southwest- style topography which is great for the exteriors of Esso. They shot KL city streets in Spain, but most of our vision of what Westeros landscapes look like come from Northern Ireland or Iceland.

    No offense, but that’s like asking whether or not all of America looks like the Old West, the stereotypical American frontier. The North of Spain has more to do with Ireland than with the rest of Spain, in terms of the landscape.

  53. Newbietothegame,

    . But it was so much fun getting some snippets and folks guessing what it can be. Oh, who am I kidding…of course I will be here.
    Just.can’t. Stay.away.

    Hee, yes, exactly Besides its too hot here to want to go do anything outdoors; but like Nieto, I kinda enjoy the conversation and speculation off season. Plus Sue and co find ways to keep us from straying too far away 🙂

  54. Luka Nieto,

    Yeah most people think Arizona is just one big dust blown desert, I usually just smile and explain the size of the state and the multiple types of climes. If someone has never been,they don’t know. Its why they ask questions

  55. ash,

    I’m just not really that interested in the conversation here about the episodes. I love this community for its enthusiasm and the wonderful journey that is piecing together what may happen in the next season from the snippets we hear about —thanks to Sue, mostly. However, for the weekly critical conversation about the episodes, I’d rather listen to podcasts, and I do listen to quite a lot of them. Currently, these ones: A Cast of Kings, EW’s Game of Thrones Podcast, Baldmove’s Game of Thrones Podcast, Game of Owns, Nerdette Recaps Game of Thrones with Peter Sagal and the Guardian’s The Citadel. Most of these, even when they’re very critical of an episode or a storyline, have insightful things to say about it instead of just “It sucks”; and the same goes for when they love it —They have things to say about it. Some people here do too, but it mostly boils down to “I liked this, I didn’t like this”. That’s not very interesting to me, personally. The off-season speculation and filming leaks and casting calls and such? Oh, I love that!

  56. Luka Nieto,

    Yeah I get that. I also think that some of our conversations get repetitive (I tend to scroll passed the Sansa/Jon stuff now) but often even the repeated ones will generate some idea that no one thought of before. Thats where it gets fun (good example of that is the Arya stabbbing – so many interesting takes on it!) Thanks for the podcast info. I love hearing dif opinions, I’ll look for those (I do generally enjoy EWs articles and reviews, might start with that one)

  57. Mustangride,

    Or Arya could theoretically be in Westeros already.

    Per Bryan Cogman:

    The timelines between the various storylines don’t necessarily line up within a given episode. For instance, the ‘Northern Tour’ Jon and Sansa embark on would probably take a couple weeks, but Arya’s storyline over the past few episodes only spans a few days.

    So if they started at the same time, then time on Westeros is weeks ahead of time in Braavos and in Westerosi time Arya could already be in Westeros even though she’s still in Braavos in Braavosi time. And I thought Bran’s time loop was hard to understand. 🙂

  58. Darkrobin:
    Mustangride,

    Or Arya could theoretically be in Westeros already.

    Per Bryan Cogman:

    The timelines between the various storylines don’t necessarily line up within a given episode. For instance, the ‘Northern Tour’ Jon and Sansa embark on would probably take a couple weeks, but Arya’s storyline over the past few episodes only spans a few days.

    So if they started at the same time, then time on Westeros is weeks ahead of time in Braavos and in Westerosi time Arya could already be in Westeros even though she’s still in Braavos in Braavosi time.And I thought Bran’s time loop was hard to understand.

    Thanks for posting this. The jet-pack theory can finally be put to rest.

  59. HelloThere:
    ” They mention changing a particular scene from an interior, 4-character scene set in the throne room to a massive parade through King’s Landing, which would essentially become” a 3-day extravaganza” with a thousand extras in Dubrovnik”

    Does this mean Kings Landing is in season 7, or were they talking about season 6?

    I was unclear on that, as well. If Season 6, I’m thinking it is Mace Tyrell and the Flight of the Flamboyant Flamingo. And who could forget the Queen of Thornes’ Palanquin Parade?

  60. Ginevra: I was unclear on that, as well.If Season 6, I’m thinking it is Mace Tyrell and the Flight of the Flamboyant Flamingo.And who could forget the Queen of Thornes’ Palanquin Parade?

    Sue said they were writing it at the time of the interview at the beginning of this year, so it cannot be season 6.
    I am intrigued who those 4 folks in the throne room are supposed to be and why they changed it.

  61. Newbietothegame,

    D&D really need to release the deleted scenes of little finger riding for months on end on his carriage.

    Also, we need to see how theon negotiated his way onto that boat… thats really important

  62. Tywin of the Hill: Do all landscapes of the United States look like the Grand Canyon?

    The number of square miles in Spain is 5.12% of the number of square miles in the United States, so it seems only natural not to assume the two are the same. Ravyn’s question was phrased as a genuine question.

    Hopefully someone from Spain has answered, but in Googling Spain and vistas, I see lots of places with much green from trees, but not many places where lush grass, flowers, and other vegetation can be found, especially unwatered lush grass. Most of the pictures look really bright and sunny, as well, which would be the opposite of the climate in Northern Ireland.

  63. Newbietothegame: Sue said they were writing it at the time of the interview at the beginning of this year, so it cannot be season 6.
    I am intrigued who those 4 folks in the throne room are supposed to be and why they changed it.

    Yes, I saw that as I read down! Thank you. I have no idea, in the case of Season 7.

  64. Ginevra,
    Northern Spain is full of lush vegetation, constant rain and fog. The Basque Country is a great example of this, as is Galicia, which is where they’re looking for locations. Look those up in Google images with “landscape” attached to it 😉

  65. Luka Nieto,

    I remember. I was in Bilbao and then La Coruna/Santiago de Compostela a few years ago. Beautiful country, but I rained intermittently the time I was in the latter.

  66. Ive tried looking this up and am finding nothing specific, so thought I’d ask here – where is Riverrun filmed? That castle and landscape is gorgeous.

  67. ash:
    Ive tried looking this up and am findingnothing specific, so thought I’d ask here – where is Riverrun filmed? That castle and landscape is gorgeous.

    In Ireland, with a lot of green screen.
    Not sure if that castle with the waterfall exist in reality.

  68. ash,

    Google Riverrun set. You’ll see.
    I thought I was watching LOTR when I first saw it on TV.

  69. “They’ve heard from sources that the seventh season of Game of Thrones will have a significant number of battles in castles or next to them”

    Oh boy get HYPE already!

  70. Luka Nieto: I’m just not really that interested in the conversation here about the episodes.
    .
    .snip
    .
    The off-season speculation and filming leaks and casting calls and such? Oh, I love that!

    This is me, in a nutshell. 🙂 Especially this season, I’m finding the post-episode conversations to be of less and less interest. But spoilers and stuff? Yep, bring it on! For example, love the idea of many skirmishes around castles in Season 7!

  71. Halfman,

    Or just as likely 100,000 Dothraki screamers. They cannot climb castle walls as easily as the wights do. If they are hiding in castles, it’s likely from Dany. Unless the castle is imbued with magic like Dragonstone or Storms End (or even Winterfell perhaps), I don’t know if castles can stop wights which crawl on ceiling and down cliffs.

  72. KL stands. Sept goes boom. Bye Braavos.

    I REALLY want to see Highgarden. At this point it has built up in my mind like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

  73. Luka Nieto:

    Presumably Dany will arrive to a burnt down King’s Landing in the middle of winter, if her vision at the House of the Undying (seen again in Bran’s visions) is to be believed.

    This is my gut feeling too. And if this is true, I’ll be happy because we have seen way too many scenes of Daenerys in a set location already with a few men in her “throne” room.

    Jon Snowed: I am going to assume Dany arrives and causes chaos in the South,

    I am going to assume that all the Westerosi, North and South, cause their own chaos with their politicking and their incessant wars, and leave a continent that is in utter shambles when Daenerys lands in Westeros. If I were her, I would then take one look at it and decide to fly right back to Essos and leave the Westerosi to deal with their Northern neighbors, the WWs and Euron too. 🙂 Oh and grab Tyrion when I fly back. Surely Rhaegal will give him a ride.

  74. If Bran goes south of the wall, does that mean the Nights King can magically pass through the wall now? Does the weird mark he left on Brans arm act as the ultimate access all areas VIP pass, and can get him past any magically reinforced guest list in Westeros?

  75. Mihnea:
    HelloThere,

    Really doubt it. That was a small-ish hut. And it was normal fire.

    This, if it would happen will be Wildfire, my guess is that it’s CGI.

    Maybe thats why the negotiations were called off. D&D wanted to burn down the entire city with real effects. ^_^

  76. I think the vision that Dany seen in Season 2 is hinting at a burned down Red Keep (and probably the Sept as well) but not all of King’s Landing. King’s Landing is pretty damn big so unless there is shit loads of Wildfire as well as a person stupid (Cersei) or loyal (Qyburn) enough to die in their mission to light up the whole city, I just can’t see it happening.

    I doubt there will be too many exterior shots of the South once Winter has hit. Speaking of which is Sam gonna feature again in S6 does anyone know?

  77. newbietothegame:
    Eck,

    The writers have already name-dropped Oldtown as “The most beautiful city in Westeros” through Gilly this season, so yep, I expect we’re gonna see Oldtown at some point this season…

  78. Connor: And it will be weird with no King’s Landing next year. Since we have seen it throughout the entire series.

    Nothing is safe or guaranteed, even an entire city apparently

  79. Mihnea,

    For all we know the scene could be Dany’s arrival in a crisped King’s Landing, and instead of just showing her staring at an ashen throne room they have a big march around the city.

    That said, I definitely think that both the Wall falling and King’s Landing burning down are Season 7 material, and the same goes for anything meaningful happening in Oldtown.

    You all are way ahead of yourself IMO.

    My guess for season 7 (assuming it has 7 episodes) is something like this:

    1- Dany arrives at Westeros= last scene, she lands in Dorne, Sam learns mahic at Oldtown
    2-3- Dany gets the Dornish army and prepares to march, Euron sacks Oldtown after Sam learns something special
    5ish- the battle of Oldtown
    6- battle of Oldtown fallout (including Sam meeting Dany and explaining the White Walker threat), Cersei hears of Dany’s victory and burns King’s Landing, running for CRock and Jaime
    7- Dany arriving too late at a crisped King’s Landing, the Wall coming down

    This leaves 6 episodes for almost exclusively White Walker action, with the added Lannister family reunion to spice things up

    No idea what the Starks will be up to, though.

  80. Newbietothegame,

    Thanks, didn’t think of putting in ‘set’ That told me what I needed. And it looks like the facade of the castle was built but the rest was CGI

  81. George: I expect we’re gonna see Oldtown at some point this season…

    Can’t wait to see it on the model (diorama?) used during the opening credits! Fingers crossed.

  82. Interesting stuff

    My only guess is that some kind of interior 4 person IT scene turned outdoor parade relates to some kind of assassination attempt? Or the bit where one existing King claimant is killed in favour of another one

    Instead of getting them in the heart of the Red Keep, ambush them in the city

    The Dragon flying over KL in Brans vision plus the notion of there being a possible exterior scene seems to at least imply not all of KL will be burned…though I have a Wildfire Card theory that the Sept may be, Olenna made it quite clear to the audience Cersei has lost so the wounded Lion may lash out quite substantially

    The idea of heaps of Castles seem interesting, Spanish Castles seem to imply the South so I’d guess this would be Dany’s invasion?

    WW invasion of the North would presumably have UK or French or even German Castles in colder climates, or Riverrun-like Facades?

    Either way sounds all rather large so I can understand less episodes, eg there’s less drama and just getting right into it all after tying up so many loose ends this season

  83. Ginevra,

    Still, Israel is probably 0.01% of the US and we have everything from forests to greenlands to deserts to lakes and mountains and even snow in winter. Any country’s land can and will be versatile, unless you’re talking Vatican type mini-states. Which Spain certainly isn’t.

  84. Ghosts Lunch,

    Ellaria and Oberyn’s 3 bastard daughters are being chase through KL, LOL!!

    Joking aside, I am scratching my head trying to figure out who those four would be once we are done with this season’s fatalities. Maybe Tyrion, Dany, Varys and Daario?

  85. Fred:
    Chad Brick,

    Nope, we will see Casterly Rock in the prologue. From Jeyne Westerling’s POV probably.

    After Tommen’s death, Jaime realizes there are no heirs to further the Lannister name, so he marries Jeyne just to propagate Lannister heirs.

    Then he has to find working gold mines.

  86. Couple of things ..

    All of KL will burn .why?

    Cersei hates everyone in KL because of her WOS and how people reacted to it…remember the scene where she had that guy killed by mountain

    I always said the triggering point of cersei making decision to burning whole KL will be when she hears the news of Dany marching towrads KL taking what cersei hold dear( Power)..

    2- dragon vision over KL is either in past or future after the end of war of dawn ,.why??

    KL will be starting to covered in snow and winter would have hit Red Keep ..
    And the vision is bright sunny day which means either past or future when the season ends.

  87. I would like to mention that it is possible that the Sparrow movement has been inspired from the Zealots of Thessalonica movement in 1342 (until 1349). And it may has the same progress and ending as I analytically explain in the following article (may what will happen after Season Finale). Both Zealots and Sparrows were refugees from a destructive civil war between aristocrats and from foreign invasions (the sparrows from the war of five kings and the Zealots from the civil war between the “hand of the king” Katakoyzenos and “Queen Regent” Mary and from Turkish invasions). They were both foreigners from the City they took under their control (Kings Landing the Sparrows and Thessalonica the Zealots), they were both hating the nobility and aristocrats (and in the end they turned violently against them) and in favor of the poor, they were both fighting the official Church and didn’t recognize it’s authority, they both took power with violence and with the help of a Queen who wanted to fight her enemies (Cersei to fight Tyrells, Mary to fight the majority of aristocracy who was against her and so she decided to turn the poor’s against her enemies to take advantage), their first leader was killed by the imperial governor (who was in negotiations with the Crown enemies), the Zealots fled for a while, but when the governor tried to give the City to the Crown enemies, the enraged crowd (and from the death of their leader) revolted, arrested the governor and all aristocrats of the City, and executed them and took over their riches. They elected a new leader (who was a middle class merchant of sea trade) and they took over the City. When the civil war over with a compromise between the two main enemies (Katakoyzenos and “Queen Regent” Mary), the Zealots refused to return the City to Imperial command. At last their regime collapsed from economical problems, the oppression, and the embargo from the Capital and especially when some of them decided to give the City to a foreign invader (Serbs). Then their main leader fled the City, while the rest were arrested and was taken prisoners to Constantinopole.
    And in the Show it is being rumored that in the end of Season the High Sparrow and many of his followers will die (with Tyrells, Tommen, Kevan, Pycelle and others civilians and maybe a big part of the City with wildfire). Will it be the significant point that may start a revolution against Cersei regime (and a civil war as Kevan foretold, maybe from the enraged people and from the survived Sparrows that have left) as has happened with the murder of the first Zealot leader, and throw Cerseii from power, making her to flee the City or even die? And may this situation has as a result the election of a new (second) leader probably from the common people as has happened in the story of Zealots (what about Gendry?), until a new king or most probably Queen comes to take the City (maybe Dany)? Even Olenna Tyrell told Cersei that he has no friends, or allies in the aristocracy and the in the common people of the City, even her own family has abandoned her, and so at the end she will lose even if she kill many of her enemies. So is it possible that he show follows this (the original) course history? What do you think?

  88. Thoughts from my own household:

    I’m still holding out for some warging… wolves, ravens, gyrfalcons… yes? Please?

    As for the wildfire in KL:

    Didn’t Tyrion research and find out a whole awful lot about where and how much wildfire was hidden ’round about KL?

    And isn’t old wildfire extremely volatile – possibly even ignited simply by sunlight exposure?

    And since wildfire is maybe ‘magic’, will it be made stronger since the dragons are no longer gone from this world?

    Just thoughts. .. not sure if those thoughts should be covered or not our belong in this thread, but I covered (I hope I did it correctly) just in case. (Kinda new here.)

  89. Hodors Bastard: Can’t wait to see it on the model (diorama?) used during the opening credits! Fingers crossed.

    So many people are looking forward to the model shot of Oldtown (if they do it at all), but personally I’m much more excited to see the show’s rendition of Oldtown. An impressive cityscape, like we got with Braavos in seasons four and five. Maybe Sam’s story doesn’t warrant it, but I hope we see it.

  90. Whaaat? I’m from Galicia. I really hope they film here, it would be so surreal. LOL. The landscape is certainly more similar to Northern Ireland than people would imagine, only with better weather.

  91. It’s already been mentioned to Tyrion that Wildfire originates from pig-shit. Whoever has the most pigs in Westeros is sitting on goldmine but also potential massive powderkeg.

    As The Mad King had plans in place to burn KL, and as wildfire ages it becomes more volatile, it’s a matter of when disaster arrives. Cersei may only intend Baelor’s Sept to burn but, as wildfire rapidly goes out of control, most of KL becomes engulfed. That would include Red Keep, which most would go to thinking it safest building. Return to Tyrion – where was it he was shown with the massive supply of wildfire? Was that within Red Keep?
    You can see there’s a recipe for major disaster once wildfire ignites.

    With KL gone, doesn’t Dany’s mission change? She’ll hear of all that’s going on when she lands in Dorne (S07), most logical landing point from Essos. It releases Yara’s fleet to return for more forces.
    Something else – Why expect Dany to bring whole of her forces to Westeros? She’d have to leave some government behind, with appropriate force to keep peace. Only an idiot commits total force to all-out invasion. I’m figuring it becomes humanitarian in KL. Doesn’t that mirror certain current events? It definitely has many in history.

    Of course, there is the threat of Night King’s army. But that’s pure myth in the south. Sam’s brother gave good idea of this when Gilly mentions Sam killing a Walker. How do you convince Dany her true mission is at The Wall? She’ll be torn because of devastation she’s met with in KL.

    Remember – GRRM loves anything concerning “human heart in conflict with itself”. Nothing else is worth exploring or writing about.

    S06E10 closer – Not Wall collapse. Massive army behind Night King very close, lining up much like Mance’s army did, there’s your closer and major threat for S07 announced.

  92. Darkrobin:
    Mustangride,

    Or Arya could theoretically be in Westeros already.

    Per Bryan Cogman:

    The timelines between the various storylines don’t necessarily line up within a given episode. For instance, the ‘Northern Tour’ Jon and Sansa embark on would probably take a couple weeks, but Arya’s storyline over the past few episodes only spans a few days.

    So if they started at the same time, then time on Westeros is weeks ahead of time in Braavos and in Westerosi time Arya could already be in Westeros even though she’s still in Braavos in Braavosi time.And I thought Bran’s time loop was hard to understand.

    I don’t think Arya can be in Westeros yet.

    Arya has just overheard that the Iron Fleet is in Slavers Bay.

    Presuming this means Theon and Yara then Arya’s timeline is unlikely to be ahead of Sansa/Jon’s and might actually be quite a bit behind.

    Say for example that after splitting from Sansa Theon arrives at Pyke about the same time Sansa arrives at Castle Black.

    Theon and Yara then spend weeks sailing to Volantis while Sansa/Jon do their tour of the North.

    More time then has to pass for Theon/Yara to get to Slavers Bay and even more time (twice as long?) for the rumours of this to reach Braavos and Arya.

    So unless Sansa/Jon are taking a lot longer in their tour than it has taken the Iron Fleet to sail from Pyke to Slavers bay then the Sansa/Jon timeline has to be ahead of Arya’s.

  93. Dee Stark:
    newbietothegame,

    What about Theon and Yara?

    Okay, let’s put the tinfoil hats on. I believe the only reason they introduced Euron this late in the game is for Yara and Theon to flee, sail for Mereen and give Dany the ships that she needs. If Yara would be Queen she would not have to do this.
    I am hoping Euron will be offed eventually and Yara will return to the II as the ruler after bringing Dany and her army to Westeros.
    Of course this is GoT, so ….

  94. Darkrobin,

    That could be a possibility. I wonder how they will hold up against 3 dragons and Dany’s army.
    Well, the Dothraki will probably be puking, so I am not sure how much fight they will have in them. ?

  95. Tywin of the Hill: Do all landscapes of the United States look like the Grand Canyon?

    Just read this post – Nice one 🙂

    The south eastern regions of Spain are quite desert like, but not so much in the north or the western border with Portugal. The southern provincia of Andalucia is quite mountainous with the Sierra Nevada range running through it.

    Certainly a better climate than Northern Ireland and its not surprising the cast and crew enjoyed filming there 🙂

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