As filming wrapped up today in Zumaia and the entire Basque Country, the juggernaut that is the Game of Thrones production moves south to Seville, Córdoba and Cáceres. Many in the community have been asking questions about the relevant dates. In this report, we provide you with any and all information we have on these shoots, including a few new pieces of information, all gathered together for your convenience, and warm you up for filming in the sunny side of Spain, which takes off on Tuesday, November 1st.
There is a lot of overlap between location dates, but production doesn’t equal filming. Consequently, our best estimates as to where and when actual filming commences down there would be on November 1st, continuing for half a month in Andalusia alone. Extras will be needed there between the 1st and 12th, all of them men —That is, likely soldiers.
Taking only part of the weekend and Monday off to prepare, this coming Tuesday filming will likely begin in the amphitheater of Itálica, shown in all its glory at the top of the article. We are pretty sure of its purpose, which is something we cannot claim for any other location. In all likelihood, the remains of this almost 2000-year old gladiatorial arena will depict the ruins of the formerly great Dragonpit in King’s Landing. The Targaryen dragons lived here for many years —Until they all came to a horrific end.
These ancient ruins, near modern Santiponce, have been closed down for two weeks now and will remain shut until November 12th, and that is because preparations were extensive. So extensive, in fact, that there were more than 400 technical staff involved. Aside from the hundreds of props brought in to make the ruins look even more ruinous, the production built a platform over the wide central opening in the amphitheater, used in ancient times to harbor the “entertainers” before they ascended to the arena. The narrow channels that lead to this underground area remain open, though staircases have been put in place there leading to the new elevated central podium.
Adjunct to Itálica there will be a brief shoot in the nearby city of Seville, in particular at the “Atarazanas Reales” or Royal Shipyards, which will also perform as the Dragonpit.
So, what events should we expect in this famous King’s Landing ruin? We don’t know much about what will happen, but we are certain that many if not most of the main characters of Game of Thrones will be present in this fateful scene, including the likes of Dany, Missandei, Davos, and Brienne. We can confirm there will be many others.
Next up in Andalusia, we find the Almodóvar del Río Castle, in Córdoba, which will be closed from November 4th to the 16th, though filming will only take place for a week, possibly between the 9th and the 15th. This may be the most confusing location yet: The interior (which is where they will actually shoot) is quite cramped, and there is a mixture of architectural styles, some of them modern. Whatever this Muslim-built castle may end up being in the story, we suspect it may be a recurring location. Three directors visited the site: Jeremy Podeswa (director of the premiere and the finale), Mark Mylod (who directs episode two at least) and Matt Shakman (in charge of episode five.) Remember: This season will only have seven episodes directed by four men.
Production will travel west from Andalusia to Extremadura, to its Cáceres province. The initial casting call for extras required them to be available in Cáceres city, Trujillo or Malpartida from November 14th to December 15th. However, a newer call for extras sought people for the longer period between October 31st and December 12th. The discrepancy may exist because this month and a half of filming appears to apply to the entire province, while the shorter period may exclusively be about Malpartida. Interestingly, Cáceres is the only region asking for women too, which means we’ll see some civilians as well as soldiers in Cáceres city and perhaps Trujillo.
The Medieval Old Town of Cáceres doesn’t look unlike Malta, Dubrovnik or Girona, all of which depicted the capital. In all likelihood Cáceres City is King’s Landing. The locations are the Plaza de las Veletas and the Plaza Mayor, including its towers.
Game of Thrones will be at Trujillo Castle from the 7th to the 17th, though cameras will only roll for three days, at least according to an earlier report. Plans might have changed and the scene extended. The cast will shoot with 100 extras on the castle’s courtyard:
Now, let’s finish off with Malpartida, the most intriguing location of them all. It’s not only the last to be invaded by the series but it will also undergo the longest shoot. A municipality in the province of Cáceres, Malpartida is best known for its natural monument, Los Barruecos. The dreamlike lake will be involved, but to a lesser extent than previously thought. Los Siete Reinos retracted their report that a main character would fall into the water. Apparently, that was about a different show altogether.
In fact, the large majority of the one-month filming at Malpartida will actually take place in the nearby, privately-owned, much less visually striking land of Las Breñas:
Game of Thrones will put 450 extras to work in Malpartida, after undergoing military training for a whole week by two British Army instructors. This is only rivaled by the award-winning Battle of the Bastards, which also underwent a month-long production. There is a reason for the Las Breñas shoot to be the longest, despite it being just an empty field. Remember Saintfield, where the Battle of the Bastards was filmed? Expect the sequence at Las Breñas to be the equivalent large battle in season seven.
Are you hyped yet? If not, there is plenty more to learn. The battle will be an ambush. The aggressors seem to be the Targaryens —In particular, this attack will be led by Daenerys and at least one of her dragons, followed by her Dothraki horde, judging by the casting call and the search for horses. Considering where we left off the story last season, the army under attack have to be the Lannisters, and indeed we know one of them will be present, probably Jaime. The Lannisters will be returning home with wagons full of goods that they grabbed from a castle, which of course will be inserted in the background via the usual VFX magic. As for what stronghold this will be, that has not been confirmed yet, but the look of the area points to somewhere in Dorne or the Reach. Yesterday, Los Siete Reinos gave us an exclusive look at the rickety wagons:
When will we get to watch this impressive-sounding battle? Thankfully, Mark Mylod was spotted scouting the area. As well as the second episode, he may also be involved in either episode three or four, neither of which we have been able to attach a director to yet. So, unconventionally, this southern battle will take place in the mid-season.
If you have somehow survived this roundup of conflicting dates and weird-sounding names, congratulations! Just in case, here is a recap on the production dates:
Andalusia: November 1 – November 12 (for extras)
- Itálica: October 17 – November 12 (Filming only for a week.)
- Seville’s Royal Shipyards: Specific dates unknown.
- Almodóvar del Río Castle: November 4th – November 16th.
Cáceres: October 31st – December 12th (for extras)
- Old Town of Cáceres: Specific dates unknown.
- Trujillo Castle: November 7th – November 17th (Filming only for three days.)
- Malpartida: November 14th – December 15th.
Now, I am aware this report will welcome speculation and comparisons to possible leaks, but please limit yourselves to healthy speculation based on the spoilers reported on Watchers on the Wall and move any leak-related discussion to the forums.
Olenna Tyrell
Hodor
Cool.Well done Luka and for the hundredth time Spain is absolutely gorgeous.
So we get a Sea Battle I think, and a small ambush/Battle against the targaryens and Lannisters, all in one season ? or did I leave some other epic scene out ?
They are filming in Malpartida for an entire month?
Holy Cow! Can it be whenever season 7 starts right now. Sounds like it’s going to be massive.
Matthew The Dragon knight,
The ambush is not “small” 😉
As I explained, it involves 500 and a one-month shoot, just like the Battle of the Bastards. Of course, I didn’t mention the sea battle because that’s not shot in Spain, or on location for that matter.
Jack Bauer 24,
Yes.
So exciting! 😀 Thank you Luka; I am looking forward to your continued reporting!
Season 7, though it may have only 7 episodes, will be jam-packed; no time any longer for fluff at all!
Also, if the big battle/ambush is led by Daenerys, and it is mid-season (Mylod), I am very happy that she won’t be stuck at Dragonstone most of the season! Also good to know that the Targaryen fraction will be the aggressors and the Lannisters the ambushed; hopefully in addition to Jaime, Tyrion will be there too!
Luka Nieto,
Lord of light have mercy on my soul, I can’t handle all this epicness….
Thank you XD
I thought they were filming into February?
For the love of God PLEASE don’t be Mark directing the scenes that will be filmed in Malpartida.
Nice! So the ambush is as big as BotB?
So Kit will have a month long break soon, good for him.
So the big battle with 500 extras this year will be Dany VS Jaime? This is weird, because both of them are right and wrong at the same time and none of them can hold a sword.
I mean if Jaime is getting food from Highgarden to feed KL population, i can’t really say that’s bad, on the other hand Dany wants the throne and Jaime isn’t supporting her…
I don’t know. At least they are both good looking i guess.
This is fantastic, mommy’s excited. I can’t wait to see which actors show up in Seville.
Next week’s filming will make for some fine speculations !
Can it be Tuesday already ??
Thank you Luka !
Mylod directing the big ambush? It’ll be cringeworthy then. They’d have done such wonders with Sapochnik’s brilliance.
Kay,
I know right ? It will be sooo damn exciting watching Daenerys and the Targaryen army fight in Westeros for the first time !
You are awesome Luka! So very well organized with the dates, places and filming information! That was a great help! So exciting to know we have a month and a half of filming in Spain to look forward to! And hopefully more pics, they will help with all the speculation.
Having all of this information in one post will be incredibly helpful as production rolls on for the next two months! Thanks for pulling it all together, Luka! 🙂
Praying for the same too!?
Maggie,
If Jaime is leading the Lannister army, that means he’s fighting to keep Cersei on the throne.
I’m hoping that Almodóvar de Río will be the site of many scenes set at the Citadel. It would make sense for it to resemble a university campus, with both indoor and outdoor gathering spaces.
Whatever Sam will be discovering should take multiple scenes to unfold to be believable. The information he needs can’t just fall into his lap without effort. He needs to be as diligent in his research as Hermione Granger in the Hogwarts library!
Jack Bauer 24,
After Spain filming ends in mid-December, they will move on to Iceland, presumably. Also, they’ve still been filming in Northern Ireland all this time, and that will continue.
Jack Bauer 24,
We can’t know that for sure, of course. But a similar number of extras and filming time points to that being the case, wouldn’t you say? 🙂
Rella,
To be honest I did it as much for myself as for you guys. I needed to have a clearer idea of what filming will look like in Southern Spain if I’m gonna report on it properly.
Something here doesn’t add up. If Mylod’s directing the ambush, then Jon meets Daenerys for the first time in the same episode because he was seen on set when Jon came ashore and met Tyrion and Missandei. So that’d be likely episode 4. How can one episode contain all those first meetings, the big ambush and whatever’s going on in other locations? Unless the ambush sequence lasts for like 15 minutes or less. And if that’s episode 4 then
Could las Breñas be the bone way?
Sean C.,
I think Jaime is leading Lannister army now, Cersei or not, since he is not in Kingsguard anymore. He was going to fight Dany despite Cersei, i am pretty sure she is the only person in Westeros that wants him dead right now (he killed her father), and for him she is the daughter of Mad King. (Bran doesn’t remember)
I am just saying that according to the pictures and the spoilers it seems like he carries food (if he took something from Reach, it would have been food) and Dany attacks him, not that he attacks her to keep the throne.
So i can say that this will be interesting because both of them are justified and both of them are wrong at the same time.
That never even ocurred to me, as I was thinking of a major stronghold, but the Citadel at Oldtown is also a possibility. It would make a lot of sense, in fact!
Simon,
As I explained, Las Breñas is the field just outside of a major stronghold. Higharden or Sunspear, by the looks of the area.
dreamshade,
Mylod’s directing episode 2, and he could be directing another. Episodes 3 and Episode 4 are unaccounted for. If Jon meets Dany in episode 3, as you suggest, the battle can take place in Episode 4, which would mean Mylod directs that too. I see no problem here, no conflict whatsoever.
Luka Nieto,
If there is one thing I am looking forward, is this ambush:
Since yesterday someone posted this on 4chan.
[DELETED]
MOD EDIT: Discuss this kind of thing in the forums, not here.
Luka Nieto,
I’ll eat my hat if Mylod, The Mark Mylod aka the worst rated director on GOT, gets to direct 3 episodes of only 7-episode long season 7. Especially with Alan Taylor on board.
Priscila,
The books and the show are different in this respect. It’s been repeatedly shown and said that the Lannister army remains the largest in Westeros, with the Tyrells being behind them. If the castle the Lannisters apparently sack before Dany’s ambush is Higharden or Sunspear, which the evidence points to, this is entirely believable in the world of the show.
dreamshade,
I’m sorry, but this is the man responsible for directing “High Sparrow”, “Sons of the Harpy”, “The Broken Man” and “No One.” I think he can handle it. Please tell me a problem you have with any of these episodes that actually relates to the direction instead of the writing.
The filming spoilers bound to come from southern Spain will shed more light on the entire 7-episode director roster, I hope. We will know who’s doing 3 and 4.
dreamshade,
Can’t wait to see the bits from Trujillo on screen, I’ve been trying to get my other half to visit here with me for years,
I wonder what it will be
Thanks Luka this thread will be a lot useful for us
Well I still think that episode 4 will be directed by Alan Taylor and episode 6
Similar to Jeremy doing 1 and 7..
Or else whoever does ..I pray to God they do it right..
Maggie,
If he is taking something from Reach or dorne ..then it must mean he has defeated tyrells or dorne forces( which sounds ridiculous)… So the attack is actually a retaliation from Dany ..sending a message.
Luka Nieto,
That awfully directed fight in Sons of the Harpy says a lot. But there’s more issues with him, he really doesn’t get GOT or its characters.
And for me! Believe me.
dreamshade,
This isn’t a movie. He doesn’t need to thoroughly “get GoT or its characters”. That’s not his job. This is a TV show; the director isn’t in charge. The showrunners are. The showrunners, who are also the writers as with most of this kind of TV shows, are always there to overview filming.
Thanks for this detailed description of filming dates and locations Luka!
It’s all so exciting! All these filming titbits are making me more excited for season 7. I can’t wait to see how all these scenes play out and how they will impact upon the story.
You sound like mylod is bad. mylod is a awsome director. If You guys dont like a episode made by him its not because of his shots i can asure that. I can remember lot f gorgeus shots by him on s5 and s6.
Luka Nieto,
You’re making it sound like a director is in no way responsible for anything. They have a lot of input in what goes on during the process, how things are filmed etc With a good episode, the director gets some of the praise (sometimes even most of it) too, with a bad episode, it’s all on writing huh?
Aguero,
I think Mark was very good for the scene of The Hounds return. I just don’t like him being involved in action sequences when he was responsible for Arya’s chase scene and Barritan’s last scene.
Kargaryen,
dreamshade,
How’s that Mylod bad directing and not poor writing ?
Well, we don’t really know much about Mylod directing battle scenes in GOT. He did the fight between Jaime and Bronn and the dornish shore patrol, the Harpies ambush on Unsullied and Barristan in S05 and he did the chase scene in Braavos. All those scenes were fine. Not extraordinary, but fine.
But I can understand why people are worried. After Sapochnik, we don’t want “fine”, we want “awesome”.
Mylod is awesome with dialogue scenes, though.
OneDon,
That is a point. I think the writing didn’t help him. Though doesn’t seem like it could only be a coincidence that his episodes are among the lowest ranked on imdb…
dreamshade,
Kargaryen,
Fair enough 😉
Firannion,
Luka Nieto,
The Castillo at Almodovar del Rio is really small… with the scale of the Citadel from last season, I’d be surprised if this was what it’s being used for.
There are a few smaller courtyards (gatehouses I suppose) that could serve as KL or even Oldtown alleyways, other than that I imagine they’ll use the exterior for various shots and possibly Trujillo courtyard for the internal stuff, as they are fairly similar in architectural style.
Likely we will get an idea of which storyline relates to which characters when filming in the southern part of Spain commences, and we can see which actors are included in each sequence.
Maggie,
Put it on forums.
Is this legit? https://twitter.com/yeahclarke/status/792505225953349636
How much did BOB cost?
Dany meeting people, going to fight Lannisters. A lot of stuff going on. dreamshade might onto something.
Rhaenys Stark,
8-10 I think.
Geralt of Rivia,
Wow.
Kargaryen,
Arya’s chase scene had a good directing.
Rhaenys Stark,
No. Not that it’s fake, exactly. If you read the article that is actually from (god, I wish these Twitters and Instagrams would source these screencaps they take all the time), you’ll see they’re actually quoting an estimated guess or speculation taken from Javi of Los Siete Reinos. We all speculate, of course, nothing wrong with that. But no, this is not info from HBO or GoT.
Geralt of Rivia,
Average episode in season 6 cost north of 10M, BotB’s budget was way bigger. It had 600 crew members, 500 extras, 70 horses and 4 camera crews.
mau,
I didn’t like it. I think the actress who played the waif was over the tone. Arya doing parkour after being stabbed didn’t seem right too. But then this is more the writers’ fault.
Most of the ambush episode’s budget will go to CGI. You know the dragons. BotB had…Wun Wun for a couple of minutes.
They didn’t show the Citadel building last season. If you are talking about that large tower, that’s the Hightower. It has nothing to do with the Citadel, except for the fact that it’s in Oldtown too.
Geralt of Rivia,
little time? i don’t think so.
They have E3, 5, 6 and 7. Maybe even 4. We don’t know how much time this battle will take.
That’s 4 or 5 episodes.
Robb and Talisa had 4 episodes before their wedding, not first sex.
And S7 won’t have that many storylines, so that means that they will have much more screentime per episode.
Is that Miguel Sapochnik (behind the dude in the red shirt)?
http://i.imgur.com/OZX8B8p.jpg
Luka Nieto,
Wasn’t Sams last scene in the Citadel library though? That place was huge.
dreamshade,
I mean the guy in the grey shirt, front and centre of the photo
Rhaenys Stark,
The speculation that the fight would be 20 million may not be far off. This will involve massive amounts of CGI. If the BoB MINUS the Meereen sequence cost 8-10 million (the Meereen sequence had some wonderful CGI dragon action, though not too much and involving just a few people), then we can expect dragon action plus the massive amounts of extras being reported for this ambush fight, to be very, very expensive.
So it seems that Mylod is not a bad director after all, he’s just unlucky to have to crown the worst scripts of the season, maybe D&D hate him.
(I agree that he’s way better and capable without action scenes, as you can see in The Broken Man)
Apollo,
Oh sure. I thought you meant the exterior. Anyway, they could need a sort of courtyard as part of the Citadel’s many large facilities. Almodóvar could be that. It’s a nice theory Firannion came up with, I think. I still believe it’s more likely a new set for the King’s Landing gardens, Highgarden, or something like that. But still… Nice theory 😉
mau,
The directing was fine – even good, I suppose – but it was wrong for the character of Arya and wrong for GOT in which the action sequences had always before stayed within the bounds of what was realistic.
If I remember right, the script just said that there was an awesome chase so it was up to the director how to make that happen.
Podeswa has ep 1 and 7
Geralt of Rivia,
Apollo,
mau,
I disagree but the matter is subjective.
Ah sorry, I misunderstood. Well, I’m trying to close my eyes and ears to what may come to pass with them late in the season… will just have to hope not everything we heard is true ?
I just want to comment and thank Sue and Luka and everyone else involved in the running of this site. You guys are truly incredible with the amount of information you are able to gather and share with us, and I’m extremely grateful for all your hard work and dedication all year round <3
SciFiFantasyGirl,
It was quite exhausting to gather all this information and make it readable, so your appreciation is appreciated 🙂
Mylod is directing the ambush?
ay yay yay…..
If Dany is attacking the Lannisters… are we likely looking at the death of Jaime this season? It would be a pretty satisfying kill for Dany though I will definitely miss seeing Nicolaj.
But then I suppose, All Men Must Die :/
It takes only a 5 hours drive to go from where i live to Seville but i can’t go. I live in Morocco.
I can only imagine!
That’s actually an interesting idea. People speculated that it could be used for Highgarden, but personally, when I think of the Reach, I think of French Renaissance. Horn Hill looked as if it was situated in Tuscnany and it had those beautiful gothic windows and ornaments, so I can’t really picture Highgarden like a Moorish stronghold.
That’s how we like our GoT, dont we ? 😉
**Dammit, I totally screwed up my spoiler coding. I apologize. This migraine is giving my mind a beating. You guys can delete it if you deem it necessary.
SciFiFantasyGirl,
It’s fine. You didn’t do the spoiler-tagging correctly so I simply took it out. Speculation does not need any tagging 🙂
Luka Nieto,
Thanks Luka. I should go offline altogether. Medication and commenting don’t go well together, lol.
SciFiFantasyGirl,
Get well 🙂
Well said Luka… I agree entirely. I have watched numerous reruns of GoT (yet another currently being aired again on Sky Atlantic) and have no problem whatsoever regarding the directing or which director B&W have chosen for a particular episode. IMHO, they all do a good job.
Oh boy. (Shake head in dismay) Get ready to see the Dothraki doing 2 1/2 layout backflips off their horses.
Thanks Luka. I get them chronically, to varying degrees. But I still try to keep up with all these GOT updates!
I like Mylod’s directing, but I just don’t trust him doing big action scenes. His previous efforts has been… underwhelming. I wish Sapochnik could take care of this. 🙁
The only way to really stop white walkers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg6rrcQpbWA
Hahaha! I hope so too. Would love to see more of the Citadel. That library was a DREAM! There are a lot of ways that they can expand smaller spaces to look larger with camera angles and green screens. It’s the age and architecture that matters more. Look what they did with the bull ring in Osuna.
Thanks Luka and Company! This will be a very speculation-filled month! Squeee!
Is there any info on filming in Croata? In January D&D said they had just changed a 4-person scene to a huge parade through Dubrovnik, but since shooting started we haven’t heard anything indicating that will actually happen?
Mylod is definitely directing Ep. 2 and he is directing The Ambush. Given the info. so far, I think both The Ambush and Jon’s arrival at Dragonstone are in Episode 3, directed by Mylod. I think the timeline could be:
Ep. 1: At the very end, Daenerys arrives on Dragonstone.
Ep. 2: She sends ravens to various lords and Kings in Westeros. At Winterfell, Jon decides to go and meet with her, accompanied by Davos, and they set out.
Ep. 3: Daenerys hears about Jaime’s looting of The Reach/ Dorne, and goes off to lead The Ambush with Greyworm, leaving Tyrion and Missandei on Dragonstone. Jon/Davos arrive at DS, and are greeted by Tyrion, Missandei and some Dothraki. As they are climbing up the stairs, Daenerys arrives back on dragonback, causing Jon/Davos to fall, while Tyrion looks upwards.
Ep. 4, 5: Dragon petting scene, Theon’s arrival, Jorah’s arrival, Davos and Tyrion’s mission, back with Gendry, departure of the Northerners with Jorah on a boat.
Ep. 6?
Ep. 7: Parade; Dragonpit in KL with Brienne, Davos, Daenerys, Missandei, Jaime?
Wow these places are utterly beautiful, GOT crew picks some amazing places. Can’t wait to see them on screen.
I’m glad doing filming in such a range of places helps people open their eyes to new tourist places they would of never considered previously.
With SO much stuff going on I can’t believe that we will only have 7 episodes. Hopefully they’re long long long episodes!! ???
Kay,
I believed this ambush may happen in episode 4 …
But what you wrote is perfect I guess ..so yeah I completely see it’s going down the same way as you wrote for timeline..
<nvm
To me, this looks like..
..
Er, if I’ve broken any rules with above comment due to speculation of future plotlines etc, please delete as necessary.
Tobin,
That was still when they were writing the season. Location scouting hadn’t even started. I think Weiss said Dubrovnik because that’s been the main King’s Landing location. Considering what we know, that scene will probably end up being filmed in Cáceres, Spain.
LadyStark,
We shouldn’t expect the episodes to be longer. Hopefully they’ll be on the 57-65 spectrum of the longer episodes, but the average has been around 55 and I doubt that’ll change much.
However, that doesn’t mean there will be too much in very little time. We must consider there are fewer storylines now that so many characters are meeting and reuniting. There was a time when the show had to juggle a dozen distinct storylines; That’s not the case anymore. Bran, Arya, Sam, the Hound, Jorah, Melisandre and Euron are still alone as of the end of season six, but due to filming spoilers we know that will all resolve itself in the first half of the season (and, of these, I doubt we’ll follow anyone but Arya, Bran and Sam before they join a larger storyline.) By that point, the storylines in season seven are focused in just four locations: Winterfell, Dragonstone, King’s Landing and Oldtown.
Apocalyptic queen,
Speculation is not only permitted but encouraged! Only leaks of the whole season must be discussed in the forums. Other spoilers can be freely mentioned in this kind of spoiler article, and of course speculation too.
Thanks for all your hard work in providing these spoilers. Now THIS is what I have been waiting for since season 1! This sounds like the Game of Thrones I have watched for 6 seasons. Everyone has their own personal preferences, but for me, the Targaryen ambush is it. It makes perfect sense. Leading an ambush on Kings Landing has been her goal since day one. The Lannisters are her enemies. Jaime killed her father, even though we know the details. It makes sense that she would go up against him. And remember, the Targaryens, even the sane ones, are conquerors. It is in their blood. Bran’s visions show a dragon flying over Kings Landing in season 6. I can’t WAIT to see Cersei’s reaction to the Targaryen ambush. Remember her obsession with a younger more beautiful queen who takes everything she holds dear, her obsessions with Tyrion and then finding out he is Dany’s hand. And we are venturing into the unknown with Cersei. This worries me.
Some serious WF alterations going on at the Moneyglass set, refreshing the stone facades and a new structure on the battlements with window/arrow slit. Sansa’s ordered a refurb? ?
https://twitter.com/darrenmcelvogue/status/792364626046582784
Emilia, Kit and Nathalie 😀
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMLxvvUjUT_/?taken-by=emilia_clarke
Rhaenys Stark,
Lol, so they have just given up trying not to have Kit and Emilia seen in the same frame 🙂 .
I guess they realized it’s a lost cause.
Why? He will probably be filming interior scenes in Belfast.
Rhaenys Stark,
Why does Kit look like Jon in that picture lol
Apparently they didn’t film some scenes at the beach cause they knew they would get out And had to relocate them to Northern Ireland.It’s a pity but what can they do.They knew the place where the pics came from would be a weak spot so they tried to arrive to an agreement with the owners of the properties but couldn’t make one.They decided to go ahead anyway cause the place fitted all their requirements for shooting.
Jenny,
Where does this info come from?
Luka Nieto,
Interview to Peter Welter
https://twitter.com/Belategui/status/792708691866845184
Luka Nieto,
http://www.elcorreo.com/bizkaia/culturas/tv/201610/30/juego-tronos-hemos-dejado-20161030110230.html Sorry it came from here.I hope my Spanish was enough to understand the essentials lol.
H.Stark,
Jenny,
Thank you 🙂
Jenny,
This is really sad …
Now we don’t know what those scenes were supposed to be .
Jenny,
Scenes that could be more big-spoilery than Jon and Dany together? What could these scenes be hmmm
I NEED some leaks on Brienne and Tormund!!!
dragonbringer,
We will see next year better to leave some things as a surprise
Rhaenys Stark,
Well the scenes we got didn’t give much away really only characters meeting and they couldn’t keep that under wraps.I don’t know Jon and Dany kissing lol that would be something.
Jenny,
I know but We are talking about 8 months here ..
It would have been alright if we didn’t know about this information..now it is killing me what those scenes were supposed to be ..
I think those scenes were not mentioned in leaks.
Jenny,
I agree. I would like at least some things to remain a surprise lol.
Agreed. Personally, I like to be teased with spoilers, with room to speculate. The leaks make that more difficult, but honestly even the leaks are admitedly lacking in twists and revelations and most importantly CONTEXT.
Jenny,
Ohoohohoooh, that would be SOMETHING !! People would freak the f*ck out !! I know I would !
Did you guys see Emilia’s last Instagram post with Kit and Nathalie ?
They’re so cute I can’t even deal, ugh !!
I guess that photo that Sophie posted that people speculated was the writers plan to distract fans from the Jon and Dany spoilers we’ve been seeing wasn’t the case since Emilia clearly has no problem in posting photos of her and Kit !
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMLxvvUjUT_/?taken-by=emilia_clarke
I’m late to comment, but this is an awesome and detailed summary piece. Thanks, Luka!
asoiaf fan,
One of the things I find interesting … is that Dany said ‘she’s going to break the wheel’. But her family is a big cog in the wheel and they were no better than the Lannisters. To really break the wheel would be to remove herself, her dragons and anyone else who seeks to rule by force and replace it with a democracy. Neither women is a good ruler – without Tyrion and Jamie’s level headedness, the entire country would burn. The ideal ending would be both her and Cersei will be dead at the end of the series and that would signal ‘a promise of Spring’.
Tobin,
Ooh.. that sounds interesting! A parade through King’s Landing? Wonder what the occasion could be – propaganda, an execution or a peaceful protest?
I heard they were also scouting places in Sweden for filming. The proposed venue looked very Kings Landing-esque so maybe winter will start to make it’s way south.
kathy,
But Dany is not averse to democracy and the Will of the people. She has come a long way since season 2 where Barristan and Jorah have warned and taught her a lot about temperance and mercy. Now, Tyrion is also fulfilling that role.
She is allowing the leaders of Meereen to choose their own leaders (season 6 finale), and stated that all the states in Westeros were free to ask her for independence. She also understands hardship and poverty, and she is no Cersei.
Irina Stark,
Why she should have a problem of herself posting a photo with her co-actors? Everyone knows that they are filming in Spain together. There was a huge group photo yesterday with the whole cast and set team. Taken at the same location as they wear the same clothing and larnyards.
Luka Nieto,
And a lot of the details are pretty inconsistent and make little sense, so no way of ascertaining whether they are accurate and if they are, no way of knowing which details are correct.
kathy,
Tyrion and jamie level headed ..lol OK
And for what its worth dany included targs also…and if anyone who is going to be agent of such change is then it will be dany as it has been so far in the story ..remember tyrion was the one who was against yara asking for independence not dany ..
And please its not like dany is not capable of thinking and she needs tyrion for always ..she was doing fine by herself she knows when to constraint herself and she knows when forgive ..she is more compassionate than tyrion is ..
This!!! Particularly the bolded. I hope D&D remain true to this but from the looks of it, it seems like they always want to give Tyrion the moral high ground. I don’t mind if they show how ruthless Daenerys can be as long as show how compassionate she can be. Why not add a scene where Tyrion tries to talk Dany out of showing compassion? That would remain true to both of their characters
Hahaha……… He was so very, very, very level-headed (yes, he really was!) when he pushed Bran out of the window, because it was gonna expose his sex with the Queen (who also happened to be his twin!). 😉
Jay Targ,
Amen to that!
Tyrion knows very well that he was lucky being born as a Lannister, otherwise he could have ended up dead. I think he only now is seeing that rulers can actually be actors of change; up untill the point he met Dany, he was working hard to keep the status quo and he was only unhappy because he was not being given enough credit.
To Tyrion´s credit, I think that is what he meant when he said he ” believed” in Dany. People read that scene as Tyrion falling under ” Evil Dany´s spell” ; I read as Tyrion for the first time encountering someone that does not want power just for power itself, but for what can be achieved.
Of course, Dany is a Targ, and they are ruthless when they need to be. Yes, when something that she feels is injust happens, her first reaction is to kick some asses, but she is not only willing to listen, but to take advice. The scene where Yara asks for independence and Tyrion is the one against it, shows that Dany respects people who can stand up to her with good arguments.
Luka Nieto,
True. It’s premature to judge the season based on just these leaks, without understanding the context. Still, it does take a lot of fun out of the speculations, knowing how things are going to go. I am still very surprised that something like this happened in the first place, so early on in the season.
dragonbringer,
I agree with you.
In the books Hightower is the seat of House Hightower and not the Citadel. In the show however, in episode 6×10 when Sam and Gilly see Oldtown for the first time, hundreds of white ravens can be seen departing Hightower. Therefore, we have to conclude that in the show!verse Citadel is headquartered at the Hightower. The interior design of the Citadel, with endless library levels going up and up, seems to support this.
This does contradict info from Season 3 or 4 Blu-ray extras, but there you have it.
Jenny,
Either a death, or something between Jon and Dany other than just talking. This would be my guess.
https://twitter.com/Thunderst0rm__/status/792770854132260864 the cast is leaving Bilbao.
Myname,
I love that they all travel in that minibus lol.
orange,
Yeah a death or some kind of action sequence would be my guess too.Even though I’m sure something more will happen between Jon and Dany I was joking earlier.I’m sure whatever it is they had already scripted it in interiors.
Kit, Emilia and Nathalie with the Chemical Brothers. Kit smiling……somewhat 🙂 .https://www.instagram.com/p/BML1JPyhdo9
Mr Fixit,
I don’t know if this is where you got the idea, but the GoT wiki speculates the two buildings have been merged in the show. They’re wrong. The architecture is completely different. The top of the Citadel interior clearly had a dome. You may not be able to spot the dome itself, as it’s not shown in its entirety, but you can still clearly see the pendentives with which the dome distributes its weight unto the eight walls. Yes, eight. The shape of the building had more than four sides; It was octogonal. Meanwhile, the Hightower had no dome and only had four sides. In fact, technically you can see the Citadel in the cityscape when Sam and Gilly approach the city…. But there is no much detail, which is why I said they didn’t really show it and there was room for more buildings in the Citadel complex. Still, it’s there. It’s the only other large building. It has a dome. It’s also located in the proper place according to the books: deep into the city, on the west bank.
So, why did they show the white ravens coming out of the Hightower? Probably because it’s a tall building and it looks clearer and cooler. But the Citadel and the Hightower buildings remain separate entities in the canon of the show.
ghost of winterfell,
Emilia must be teaching him how to smile .
Hopefully their scenes will have scenes where their characters get to smile and laugh for once..
Kit got some scenes last season where jon smilied ..
Poor Emilia for someone who keeps her smile 24*7 the character she plays hardly get to smile .
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMMiLplDkcA/ Kit and Conleth Hill https://www.instagram.com/p/BMMdfsmj9AD/ Emilia
The cast all left in the minibus to the airport.
Myname,
All of them heading to Seville?
dragonbringer,
Judging by his pics, Kit seems to be very happy to be filming with Emilia, Peter and the others.
Yeah, I hope their characters have a scene where they can smile or laugh, but this being GOT I wouldn’t hold my breath for it 🙂 .
dragonbringer,
I would give everything for a scene where Jon and Dany laugh and smile.They deserve it so much.Give it to me Got before you turn doom and gloom lol.
Thank you soooo much for putting this together, Luka. I will probably consult this great post on a daily basis so I can get my GOT cast-filming-spoilers fix. Now I just have to hold on until Tuesday for our next round of spoilery goodness.
LOL, I opened the Kit link first and was not surprised to see his “serious face”. I then opened the Emilia link and got a chuckle at seeing her absolutely beaming at the camera, just as I expected.
I’m still smiling that it seems this particular group of actors will continue filming together.
ETA: Thank you too, Myname, for always finding and sharing pictures of filming and of the cast.
Luka Nieto,
Could be you’re right. Architectural evidence does seem to speak in your favor. Or it could be that the CGI guys who did Citadel interiors messed up. Still, I don’t think you can discount white ravens. They are clearly flying from the Hightower and not much later Sansa informs Jon that a white raven has arrived from the Citadel. I am not sure how this can be interpreted other than that the tower houses the Citadel.
As for the large building in the background, I always assumed that was the Starry Sept, the center of the Faith before the Targaryens.
I guess next year we’ll know for sure.
ghost of winterfell,
Yes, they’re going to Sevilla.
BTW Iain is already in Sevilla. There is a picture of him there. But I’ll not share the link because he is with his little daughter.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMMpjj2DaFR/ Nikolaj is in Sevilla.
kathy,
How GRRM gets the reader to have sympathy for someone who has incestuous relations with his sister then pushes a child to his death for the crime of witnessing this, is more proof of martins love of grey characters. But yes, i agree with alot of people’s opinions because these characters have done horrific things (some of them at least) and then i find myself rooting for theon? This guy burnt 2 farm boys and i am rooting for him? And i am crying for jaime? What is wrong with me? But basically i have been waiting for the Targaryen ambush since season one since i know it is just tv and not real.
As far as rumors go, we know nothing, yon show.
#Sansa&Robin4ever
Wonder what could be those “too revealing scenes” that they gonna shoot in NI instead of Zumaia and Spain. Any ideas?
Petting dragons or riding them?
Some Ironborn stuff?
Tyrion and Jaime?
Myname,
Looks like almost every major character, (other than the Starks?), is going to be there! We should get some Lena sightings too.
My first impression of the courtyard at Trujillo is Tourney at Harrenahl. If the shooting is only 3 days or so with 100 extras, that might make sense that if the show is including that event. Can’t see how they can avoid that flashback.
thats not true. MOre like all the characters have lost half of their brain lol
dreamshade,
Nothing wrong with you. It’s human to want to see the redemption of someone who was terrible change for the good. I’m end up rooting for the same, because we know their back story & motivations at the time. Theon in particular has suffered for his crimes, imho, and seemingly wants to redeem himself. If you think about it, both Theon & Jamie lost an appenditure that was their identity, thus, causing change.
taim,
taim,
In general it is.
cuddlycrow,
Why would they need a flashback to Harrenhal? I can’t see why they’d waste time on it.
Just want to add my name to the list of folks thanking Luka for his superb reporting 😀
There’s been so much stuff lately I haven’t been able to keep up with exactly what we know to be fact or rumour, or if we’ve worked out the sequence of events? But I can see people are discussing ambushes without spoiler covering them so I should be ok to remind them of the In Production teaser. This came out in July, I think before we’d heard any spoilers at all? I only saw it recently when Inga was praising its potential clues and she could well be on to something.
Suffering from info overload at the moment I fear. Feel like we’re trying to do a 10,000 piece jigsaw puzzle and don’t have the box with the picture on it! ?
cuddlycrow,
You know thats what i noticed about the characters too. How they lost the part of themselves that was part of their identity. Makes me worry for tyrion. Why? Tons of forshadowing where he is told by various people they will cut out his tongue. Then i remember euron in books cuts out peoples tongues and i am thinking please dont do that to tyrion. But i think i am overthinking things. Thats almost as bad as cersei teaming up with the night king. I should just stick with what i know for certain.
Firannion,
Indeed that’s an excellent idea. I hope too! And, as it seems that the Almodóvar de Río will recur as a setting (hey, three directors 🙂 ) it could well be…
Looking forward to it, anyway.
Lulus Mum,
You know, you guys are right. HBO has already given us some inside stuff already, and anything they have given us or they have let us see is information that we can probably predict on our own.
Jenny,
Spammer from reddit. Same handful of people posting under different screen names. Don’t waste your time. We all know where the forums are.
In relevant news, Alfie seems to be in Sevilla as well. This is shaping up to be quite the gathering.
Asoiaf fan,
I have to give the credit to Inga, she’s been saying all along that nothing in that video is random and if we go back after S7 we’ll see signs that were there all along (albeit some are probably very well hidden) 🙂
Lulus Mum,
Youve got that right!
Oh yes, thanks to Luka. There is a tremendous amount of information pouring out of Spain and wrangling it all is an enormous job.
Good going.
I predict a big barn dance.
why? everyone wants to see rheagar, it would be really important for some casual viewers who still dont get who jons parents are.
taim,
Wouldn’t be better wedding if they were married or some scene showing they loved each other? Tourney of Harrenhal was already adressed.
Geralt of Rivia,
I still think they should have shown him as early as S2 in the HOTU. And connect him to Dany as much as possible through visions and dreams just like George did in the books. It is through her POV that we learn that R+L is probably a story of love and it would’ve increased the impact of the revelation IMO.
But what’s done is done. I am curious what they show of Rhaegar (if they show him at all)
I agree that the crowning of Lyanna as Queen of Love and Beauty has already been addressed. If there is anything from the tourney that should be shown, it is Rhaegar unmasking Lyanna as the Knight of the Laughing Tree.
Realistically, however, I think we really only need to demonstrate that Rhaegar was Jon’s father and that Lyanna went with him willingly. Either their elopement or a marriage ceremony (if there was one) could do that.
taim,
We wouldn’t need to see a flashback of that. Bran will have to explain it at some point in the present.
Agreed. Though the Tourney at Harrenhal could be a spectacular scene, it would also be extraordinarily costly to mount. I can’t imagine them throwing that kind of money at a flashback that would take up 10 minutes of screentime at most – not when they’re this close to wrapping up the series. The critical information can be conveyed through verbal exposition. That’s Bran’s job.
Jay Targ,
I agree. Dany hrself said it was romantic or at least she thought so. But like you said, thy did it differently so it will be really curious how to cast and portray Rhaegar. Dude got some reputation. Wonder if they could go into him having locks like Kit. Where he got his hair.
Alba Stark,
I think wedding or simply scene of them together. Aisiling Franciosi was in Belfast so who knows. Robert Aramayo is probably not going to be in Game of Thrones as´he served his purpose.
I agree – we won’t see any more of Young Ned; I do believe there is a good chance we will see more of Lyanna. I think we do need to establish – aside from Rhaegar as Jon’s father – that Lyanna went with him willingly. We have had conflicting stories about Rhaegar, with people like Jorah and Barristan praising him and Bran and Sansa sticking to the Stark family line (and Robert’s version of events) that Lyanna was kidnapped by Rhaegar. It just doesn’t add up, and I think they need to clarify that Lyanna went with Rhaegar willingly.
I do think it will be interesting in the forthcoming season to see how his visions in season six impact upon Bran’s perception of his father. Is he bitter because of Ned’s lies, or does he accept that Ned had a valid reason for telling them?
Sue or anyone from moderators.
Can we do something in forum with reply feature because it ain’t working for some people. One time it does and than it doesn’t. Many thanks.
https://twitter.com/AinhoaDiazl/status/792861583089295364 The cast is still in Bilbao. Their flight was cancelled because of the foggy weather in Bilbao.
Alba Stark,
I agree. We need to see more of Lyanna and if it was willingly or not. Rhaegar would be adressed and Isaac alluded to it.
Bran had that look of disdain that his father is not that honorable and Howland Reed stabbed Arthur dayne in the back. But upon looking at whole picture, he’ll understand what Ned had to sacrifice for Jon to be safe. Also, what Jon will say if he’s not Stark, if he’s legitimate heir to Targaryens and son of Rhaegar and Lyanna. How it will impact his KitN status and what it means for him and his relationship with others.
NCW In Seville!!!
https://twitter.com/noeelialb/status/792848087085645828
Uh oh…delays and set backs are the last thing we want during filming.
This is a lot of work to put together. Thanks Luka!!
Dany and one of the dragons on this big battle..oh boy, another huge moment, i just can’t wait. I just want Miguel Sapochnik back again soon!!
Exciting stuff, to be sure! I’m especially thrilled to see that show watchers and all of you have been exposed to some of the most beautiful places in Spain. The GoT location team has found gems even I was unaware of (I’m not Spanish but have visited extensively and have several friends who are Spanish). Perhaps thanks to GoT tourists will take more time to explore further than Madrid, Barcelona, and other big cities.
Right now my own curiosity is focused on other units–is anyone filming in Belfast or the NI countryside? And what about snow? Is winter when most of the Westeros scenes will be shot?
In any case, Luka, mil gracias for your sterling reportage from Pais Vasco. You are a superb writer and I would never have guessed that English isn’t your first language.
Yes, please. The forums are getting a little wonky again.
Geralt of Rivia,
Arrrgh! I wanna see Rhaegar,dammit!!
Alba Stark,
They put it wrong in show, exact quote from book from Ned to Bran is: “The finest knight I ever saw was Ser Arthur Dayne, who fought with a blade called Dawn, forged from the heart of a fallen star. They called him the Sword of the Morning, and he would have killed me but for Howland Reed.” In the show Bran ask Jojen about his father and Bran said that Howland has saved Ned life. They have continuity problem.
Yes, they’re filming both at their Belfast Titanic Studios and in the Northern Irish countryside, where they’re using fake snow as always, to mimic winter. Thankfully, once they finish filming in Spain in mid-December they will also film scenes in Iceland, to give us the real winter experience.
Thank you very much! I was formally educated in (British) English for many years, but to be honest, I’ve picked up most of the language from the many years that I’ve been so immersed in the anglosphere online. As much as one can pick up “most” of a language, anyway —There’s always more to learn! Now, if you were to hear me speak, that’d be another story. My accent is horrendous.
Waiting for Season 7 has been one of the most hardest thing………..
It’s about time Dany finally
Good job hammering this one out, Luka and WotW team!
Jon seemed kinda upset that Tyrion was the only one to tell him what the Night’s Watch really is. Benjen only mentioned not fathering children, and Ned said nothing at all but some bull about it being an honourable order bla bla.
I don’t know the life expectancy at the Wall, but within 5 years, Jon was dead. I don’t think when Lyanna said to “protect” her baby, she meant for him to rot at the Wall.
I suppose Jon going to the Wall solved some problems for Ned, one being his wife. The other is the matter of inheritance. Still, Roose was able to offer acres and a holdfast to one of his grunts in exchange for finding Bran, so, I think Ned could have given Jon property when he was of age.
Ned knew Robert wouln’t live for ever, especially with his lifestyle. So why let Jon pledge to the Night’s Watch? He would have talked Robb out of it, for sure.
Alba Stark,
Yes, because the last thing Jon needs is to think he’s the product of abduction and rape!
How is Sam going to reconnect with Jon? It takes many years to become a Maester and all the ones I’ve seen are grey-haired. Sam and Jon have to reconnect during the planning stage of the WW resistance. Can Sam just waltz out of the Citadel grounds whenever he feels like it?
…I wonder if there’ll be a big time jump in the next 2 seasons.
Irina Stark,
Yea! I’m excited to see how the Dothraki handle the men in steel suits. Can the arakh beat the broadsword or pierce armor? Does speed beat size? Does armor slow you down?
The Dothraki are fearsome fighters and there’s a reason everyone on Essos is afraid of them!
Priscila,
..Except that Olenna is at war for revenge, mostly. She doesn’t want survival, just revenge. And, so are the sand snakes. Ellaria seemed perfectly happy until Oberyn was killed…she was even cordial to the Lannisters at Joffrey’s wedding.
Is Olenna a military genius? Are the Sand Snakes?
Guess what I’m saying is that it’s possible that they falter – even though they have generals and such – and they are the weak links in Dany’s alliance.
Agree. I do understand why Ned stuck to Robert’s version of history; it kept Jon safe and it prevented too many questions being asked (as well as protecting his sister’s name as she was portrayed as a victim of abduction rather than one running off with a married father of two). And Ned intended to return from King’s Landing, and I believe that he would one day have told Jon everything. He could not have predicted the events that unfolded from the moment he left Winterfell. That said, things did unfold as they did and they have left Jon in a position where he could find out his heritage without finding out the story behind it. I think the audience also has to have a clear idea on the circumstances surrounding Lyanna’s disappearance.
That’s an interesting point! That those who are in it only for revenge, can falter. Olenna’s motives were very clearly spelt out in Winds of Winter. Hmmm…. I wonder if this will be one of the endgame “messages”. If so, what about Arya? She’s the only other person who has been dead focused on just revenge.
Kay,
You’re right, it could very well be one of the ‘messages’ from the series. Oberyn was after revenge, which made him irrational during the fight which caused the mountain to get the better of him. Will Olenna act irrationally? Maybe, but I know the Sand Snakes will!
I think too, that Dany probably stood back a little to let Westerosi(Olenna/Dorne/Iron Isl.) rise up against their leaders – it’s her style of engagement. I wonder what she’d have done if the slaves in Mereen had faltered? I’m sure she’d have stepped in…with the dragons. She is a guarantor of the coup, and has to defend her allies, after all.
Jack Bauer 24,
🙁