The Spanish fans giving the ‘Game of Thrones’ game away
HBO moves several scenes to Northern Ireland after photos of shoot in Spain distributed online
As Game of Thrones approaches its last two series, there has been widespread speculation as to how the epic HBO saga will end. The Spanish locations used for the filming of the upcoming series could give a few pointers. Warning: possible spoiler alert!
The seventh season of the series, which follows the fortunes of the Starks, Lannisters and Targaryen in one of the most expensive television productions ever made, will unfold in a number of Spanish locations, including Seville, nearby Santiponce, Cáceres, and Almodóvar del Río in Cordoba, as well as the Basque Country.
Fans of the series may have seen photographs of Kit Harrington out and about in Bilbao
Online media and the social networks have been awash in recent weeks with photos and videos of location shooting in the Basque Country (which has now moved on to Seville). Using telephoto lenses, some fans have managed to capture images of some the ongoing shoot.
Peter Welter, the executive producer of Fresco Film, the production company that has been shooting some of the scenes in Spain, told Spanish Basque regional daily El Diario Vasco that what normally happens is that some kind of economic arrangement is reached with local people, who agree to keep away from where scenes are being shot. But in the case of Zumaia, a beach in the Basque Country, this wasn’t possible, and as a result, photographs of some scenes have been distributed online. In response, HBO has decided to move several locations planned for Spain to Northern Ireland.
Spain is attracting growing numbers of production companies to film on location: it has plenty of interesting locations, it’s cheaper than other European countries, has plenty of well-trained technicians, a great climate and good transport infrastructure.
Fans of the series may have seen photographs of Kit Harrington out and about in Bilbao, visiting the Guggenheim; they may also have seen photographs of scenes they would rather have waited to watch in context, but that have now given the game away, so to speak.
Not everybody agrees on what constitutes a spoiler: can a photograph of a scene being shot really say so much? Some fans prefer to know nothing about what might be coming up on their favorite series, while others can’t know too much. One thing is spreading the word that shooting is taking place here or there, and another is revealing details through photographs. Why don’t we let the makers of these series get on with their job in peace so that we in turn can sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labors?
English version by Nick Lyne.
