Back when Game of Thrones Season 8 was in production, one of the greatest journeys we took together as spoilerphiles was the prolonged construction of the King’s Landing set, which we initially took to be a castle until we realized it was an immense recreation of the streets of King’s Landing, from the city walls to the gates of the Red Keep.
During pre-production and filming, we reported on dozens of sneaky photos of the set, which you can find stored here, but the truth is nothing can quite compare with a coveted aerial shot… and now we have something even better than that! Before you see it below, we must warn that you may be slightly spoiled by the mere state of the city…
Apple Maps just updated their 3D recreation of the Belfast era, which means this wonderful technology covered the King’s Landing set on Titanic Studios (We would very much like to thank MK_sonofJacob for bringing this to our attention.) So, as long as you have an Apple device (hopefully Google Maps updates their 3D view of the area soon,) you can tour the streets of King’s Landing, post-battle and post-dragonfire!
Though we tried to give you the best possible look at the set with these screen captures, particularly the map, the truth is there is nothing quite like immersing yourself into the 3D environment, getting as close as you can to the buildings, and seeing not only the incredible craft on display but all the damage that the climactic battle will do to the city.
Search for “Paint Hall, Belfast” on Apple Maps and you’ll get to sightsee the capital too. It’s not quite like visiting Dubrovnik, but there’s more evidence of dragons here!
FIRST!
This set looks just stunning. And finally, a way to make use of that crappy map app (once I figure out how to find the set).
Has there been any word on whether they’re renovating it for tourists to view?
Stoked!
That’s the plan, last we heard. It’s certainly still standing.
Luka Nieto,
Thanks – I’m headed back in April, so hopefully it will be ready by then 🤞🏻
My guess is Dany/Jon forces try to storm KL head on and ends in failure due to their depleted forces post WF battle. In response we get to see Drogon’s handy work up close and the city is more or less destroyed with many people dead.
The series will definitely go out with a bang. Deb and her team truly top themselves.
Apollo,
How did you find it?
Just tap the search box and put the search term in… but, how to view in 3d?
WOW! And AAARGH, I don’t have an Apple device!!!
Google Maps for Android, Win10, I’m waiting…
That is one massive set, there must be hell of a lot of action going on in King’s Landing to justify the expense of building it all. Interesting. The burnt/breached city gates etc. The side alley… that would be perfect for a sneak like Arya…
BTW, Luka, I think you’ll find that Inga and I first called it, Kings Landing, city walls, city gates, city streets, when they were building these sets, when y’all at WOTW were still all over the place with speculation. HA! 😀
Sloane,
I found it by searching for Paint Hall, Belfast. “Titanic Studios” shows up as an office building somewhere else in the city.
Sloane,
Anon,
You just type Titanic studios, Belfast in the app and select the 3D option at the top. The set isn’t visible in 2D format (took me a while to figure it out).
Man! Some money spent there. Some of those sets look more than the usual ‘false front’.
Thanks.
I had to tap the (i) button then select ‘satellite’ then tap the ‘3d’ button… Now I need a nap.
I think there were some rumours/talk that some sets could be kept as a (temporary) tourist attraction.
I’m just wondering about how well they’d weather in the typical Northern Irish climate: mostly wet, maybe some freeze in the winter, then thaw, then freeze, then thaw. Rain, sleet, snow, rain. Mostly rain. Plywood dressed as stone is not going to last very long in that wringer.
Also, the sets are basically scaffolding with some faces made to look like real buildings (plywood and plaster). They pass the health and safety regulations for people actually working there (leccy teams, camera teams, sound teams, even wardrobe department, makeup and hair departments) , but perhaps not the stringent public safety regs required for public access… Oh, but I’m forgetting NI will also Brexit at the end of March, so there might not BE much safety regs. It’ll be like the good old times.
HBO and associated production companies might still want the site to be safe for tourists, just to avoid US law suits.
Anyway, I don’t envisage the set becoming a permanent tourist attraction in Belfast, likewise for the Castle Black set etc. They’re going to be there for a year or two, maybe you could go and see them before they rot and fall apart.
It’s fun, intriguing, to visit places that are familiar from movies or TV. Two years ago, we couldn’t put our sailboat into Ballintoy harbour (Lordsport in the Iron Islands) because the harbour was too shallow for out 1,80m draught single keel boat at low tide. We sailed past, and I had a chuckle at kind of sailing in the Iron Islands.
talvikorppi,
Thanks, winter raven:)
One interesting observation from these photos: it looks like the gate was burned and blown from within rather than from outside. Look at how the rubble lies outside the gates and also ath how the walls are burned: it looks like they got more fire from the inside, too.
Don’t know, what to make of it yet: Maybe, Dany (or Jon) will land inside the city walls and torch the attacking army of the dead or maybe it’s gonna be the Night King… We have seen Dany’s army (the Unsullied and the Dothraki) headding towards the city gate, but they had no ladders or other siege engines. I have assumed that somehow they have acquired the permission to come to King’s Landing and defend it (could have been realated to Jon’s meeting with Cersei). But what if at that moment the Night King simply lands and wrecks havoc? Might be interesting…
It’s been a while since we thoroughly discussed the set. Looking at it now makes me wonder if we can completely rule out any use of wildfire in KL… I understand much of that would be cgi but if so wouldn’t they need to show more damage to this set than what they did? I suppose it could still be used locally at cgi building elements that aren’t a part of this set though, such as the Red Keep…
Clob,
Does not look like wildfire to me either unless vrey small amounts were stored on the roof of some buildings. Dragon fire from the look of it….
I suppose we will find out soon enough.
So much blood in the street on picture 3!
Clob,
Yes, I think we can rule out wildfire. The same trick cannot play three times in a row. However, that doesn’t mean that Cersei won’t be planning to use it. It’s just the third time’s charm or as we say it in my country the third time doesn’t lie: this time Cersei’s plan won’t work.
It’s confirmed then. Danny going mad burning kl to the ground. Jon the savior will stop her with the help of queen cercei and the good guy night King. Who is only building an army to save kl from the dragon queen.
More serieusly. Wonder who will do this. And if it will be an evil by heart act (evil non the less even if its with good intentions) or dany being the hero.
And word of the year: spoilerphile. Thanks Luka.
Kevin1989,
The most interesting thing is that the gate has been blown from WITHIN!
Spontaneous combastion. The better question is. Who will explode.
Can still be a dragon. They can fly and fire from within.
Jaime Lannister to Brienne (season 3, episode 5) –
“Aerys saw traitors everywhere.
So he had his pyromancer place caches of wildfire all over the city– beneath the Sept of Baelor and the slums of Flea Bottom.
Under houses, stables, taverns.
Even beneath the Red Keep itself.”
Tyrion Lannister to Daenerys (season 6 episode 9) –
“He had caches of wildfire, hidden under the Red Keep. The Guildhalls, the Sept of Baelor.”
Thats two specific mentions of wildfire under the Red Keep.
There will be more wildfire.
talvikorppi,
Agreed- unless those sets get re-vamped substantially and given several coats of weather protection, they won’t last long. I snuck into the Moneyglass estate and saw the state the Winterfell set got into between seasons, a couple of years back. And in fact the new set has already seen some heavy wear and tear.
I think Viserion and the Night King will make it to KL after destroying the North as that’s where the survivors would flee to for shelter. I can’t see the fight ending in the North as that wouldn’t be as suspenseful. Given it’s population, NK would surely see Kings Landing as a way to treble his army and we know he’s smart given he had spears and chains handy when Dany arrived with her dragons. I also expect any remaining wildfire beneath the city would blow once Viserion starts getting torch happy. I expect to see a dance of dragons II when Dany has to confront the Night King. Unless something happens to her earlier on, she’s the only one that can really control Drogon.
BURN THE MALL!!!!!!!!!
(seriously, King’s Landing malls are THE worst. Always out of my size snowshoes.)
Lol! Thanks you clever girl!
There is not enough humor in the comments here.
Tyrion always lectures Dany about her father’s conduct in a way that I’ve never seen him lecture his brother and sister about their own.
Sure, the mad king loaded the wildfire gun, but it was Cersei Lannister who pulled the trigger. I don’t see either Tyrion or Varys wringing their hands about what Cersei might do next.
Mr. Calm-and-Measured and his sidekick, Concern Troll, just won’t get off the Dragon Queen’s back. It’s not as if she couldn’t mention that Tyrion strangled his lover and murdered his father and set the Blackwater ablaze – along with Stannis’ entire fleet.
Those two just need to fall the hell back.
Anon,
True:)
BTW, I’ve just noticed that in the second photo there are some huge redish objects scattered along the sreet. Can’t identify them: might be vehicles or tents or whatever. ut might be PIECES OF THE RED KEEP. It would be great, if someone could get a closer look.
Inga,
They’re heavy equipment vehicles.