Spoiler Warning! This post and the accompanying video contain massive spoilers for last Sunday’s episode of Game of Thrones.
Last Sunday, on the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones’ seventh season, Jon Snow and some of his unlikely allies went beyond the Wall to collect an undead wight in the hopes that it would help them unite the warring factions of Westeros against the Night King and his army of the dead. The plan was successful…to a point, but there was a heavy cost that included the life of a dragon, and now the Night King has his own undead dragon.
From a visual standpoint, the Battle of the Frozen Lake was one of the most ambitious scenes in the history of the series. Now, HBO has posted an extended behind-the-scenes look at that sequence, while revealing how much of that was shot on location and what was left for the greenscreens.
Also: Watch the ‘Game of Thrones’ Comic-Con Trailer
The creative team behind this series has been filming in multiple countries from the very beginning, and many of the exterior shots from this episode were taken in Iceland. But to capture the scale of that frozen lake without killing anyone, a massive set was constructed in Ireland and it was carefully crafted to match the footage shot in Iceland as closely as possible. The video also explores the hidden wirework of the stunt performers as well as the creation of the zombie polar bear that gave the heroes the fight of their lives.
Game of Thrones season 7 will wrap up with an extended episode this Sunday, August 27.
What did you think about this behind-the-scenes video? Let us know in the comment section below!
