Game of Thrones season 8 cast tease Winterfell battle so huge they were left 'really miserable' by gruelling shoot
'It was the most unpleasant experience I’ve had on Thrones'
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
The cast of Game of Thrones have teased a huge season eight showdown that will take place at Winterfell.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, who were on set, Maisie Williams teased being "broken" by the intense, physical shoot required for the huge battle.
“I skip the battle every year, which is bizarre since Arya’s the one who’s been training the most,” Williams said. “This is my first taste of it. And I’ve been thrown in at the deep end.”
Iain Glen, who plays Ser Jorah Mormont on the show, concurred that the gruelling schedule for the battle left the cast feeling "miserable".
“It was the most unpleasant experience I’ve had on Thrones,” Glen said. “A real test, really miserable. You get to sleep at seven in the morning and when you wake in the midday you’re still so spent you can’t really do anything, and then you’re back. You have no life outside it. You have an absolute f**ked bunch of actors."
Even The Hound actor Rory McCann was struggling with the battle, which saw an unnamed actor collapse on set.
“Everybody prays they never have to do this again,” McCann said.
The report details how the battle was nicknamed "The Long Night" by the crew, who spent months building the gigantic Winterfell set. Davos actor Liam Cunningham added: "I heard the crew was getting 40,000 steps a day on their pedometers.”
Director Miguel Sapochnik, who previously helped bring the infamous "Battle of the Bastards" to screen, said they took inspiration from the huge Helms Deep battle in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
“The [Game of Thrones battles] I’ve done previously were generally from Jon’s perspective,” Sapochnik said. “Here I’ve got 20-some cast members and everyone would like it to be their scene. That’s complicated because I find the best battle sequences are when you have a strong point of view. I keep thinking: ‘Whose story am I telling right now?’”
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones reaches HBO and Sky Atlantic 14 April. Read everything we know about the final season here.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments