Battle scenes in Game of Thrones have always been a big thing, but the show’s eighth and final season is reportedly taking everything to the next level. According to UPROXX, the cast and crew are done filming an epic battle scene –the longest one to make in GoT history, which took a whopping 55 days!
Jonathan Quinlan, the series’ assistant director who has worked for Game of Thrones since its first season, reportedly posted a photo on Instagram showing a thank you card sent out to everyone involved in the massive battle scene. Unfortunately, Quinlan’s post has since been deleted, possibly to avoid Season 8 spoilers (you can see a screenshot of his post on the fan site Watchers of the Wall).
“This is for the Night Dragons,” the card reads, referring to the show’s amazing cast and crew.
“For enduring 55 straight nights. For enduring the cold, the snow, the rain, the mud, the sheep s**t of Toome and the winds of Magheramorne.”
The card was signed by “The Producer Types.” It went on to applaud the GoT staff who tirelessly gave their best for the final season.
“When tens of millions of people around the world watch this episode a year from now, they won’t know how hard you worked. They won’t care how tired you were or how tough it was to do your job in sub-freezing temperatures. They’ll just understand that they’re watching something that’s never been done before. And that’s because of you.”
While the thank you card did not exactly reveal spoilers about the said battle scene, it did state that the shoot was done in Northern Ireland, specifically in Toome and Magheramorne Quarry. According to Fansided, Winterfell is located in Moneyglass, Toome, while the set in Magheramorne Quarry has a giant green screen erected. It is believed that this epic battle for Season 8 will take place in the North, possibly with Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen at the helm.
As fans saw by the end of Season 7, Winterfell is poised to be at the center of a huge conflict with the Wall breaking down and the White Walkers marching south. Cersei Lannister is also preparing to wage war with her northern enemies, with her lover/war general Jaime Lannister abandoning her in King’s Landing to make his way towards Jon Snow and Daenerys.
With Game of Thrones giving much importance to the making of this particular battle scene, it is safe to say that this is another relevant highlight of the high-rating HBO series. For reference, Season 6’s “Battle of the Bastards” took only 30 days to complete. However, UPROXX claims that there is another “elaborate all-out war sequence” to be shot for the upcoming season.
Game of Thrones Season 8 is set to premiere in 2019 on HBO.