5:15 p.m., February 12, 2022
Banbridge, Northern Ireland, a small town of 16,000 souls, thirty minutes by car from the center of Belfast. In the middle of the green hills on which sheep graze (the truth is sometimes as strong as the clichés) stands a building that may soon become an epicenter of pop culture. This is where fans of Jon Snow and Arya Stark can, since February 4, make their pilgrimage to discover the Game of Thrones Studio Tour (gameofthronesstudiotour.com). A permanent exhibition of sets, costumes and props, within one of the studios that hosted the filming of the star HBO series from 2011 to 2019. The same concept as the Studio Tour Harry Potter in the suburbs of London, also set up by Warner, the parent company of HBO.
Dragon skulls and throne room
Once through the doors (47 euros, 32 for children), visitors find themselves transported to Westeros, the world of cruel rulers and ferocious dragons imagined by George RR Martin. For nearly ninety minutes, we stroll through an immersive 9,000 square meter scenography with real portions of scenery, such as the great medieval hall of Winterfell (the residence of the Stark clan) or the interiors of Châteaunoir (Castle Black ).
Beyond the expected swords and armor, we discover relics such as the gigantic dragon skulls preserved in the basements of Winterfell, but also a mannequin with the effigy of the snow giant Wun Wun, the card room supposed to be carved in a cave, or even a patio with Arab-Andalusian architecture in the palace of Port-Réal (King’s Landing). Other sets, from Titanic Studios on the Belfast docks, have been moved and adapted to Banbridge, in particular the throne room, the highlight of the visit, just before the inevitable souvenir shop…
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The few interactive terminals scattered throughout the course remain anecdotal (archery on the white walkers, motion capture for special effects) but the immersions behind the scenes of production are very instructive, with the reconstruction of the offices of each department: sets, costumes, special effects, music, etc. We could spend hours admiring the preparatory models!
If the result is much more satisfying than the traveling exhibitions that have already passed through Paris, we regret not being able to visit the outdoor film set in the courtyard of the studio, where a huge boat once stood in front of a large green screen. From the car park, however, you can see a high stone fireplace overhanging the modern façade. Its name, “Linen Mill Studio”, betrayed its origin: it was a flax mill, built a century ago. “It became a studio at the start of the series, the only one to have been filmed here”explains Brad Kelly, the general manager of the site.
Spotlight on Ireland
Since the broadcast of the last episode, in May 2019, 40 million pounds sterling (around 47 million euros) have been invested to transform the studio into a museum. A colossal sum that lives up to the expectations of a region usually associated with civil war. “The installation of Game of Thrones remains the greatest gift ever given to this region! », enthuses actor Ian Beattie, the interpreter of the diabolical Meryn Trant and ardent defender of his native Ulster. He pulls out the calculator: “In 2018, 300,000 people came to Northern Ireland specifically because of GoT and spent nearly £50m. And now there is this permanent exhibition, it’s great! »
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The installation of Game of Thrones remains the greatest gift ever given to this region!
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According to the local tourist office, nearly one in six visitors have come to the region in recent years thanks to the series. Even before the museum, it was already possible to walk around certain filming sites, on your own or with one of the many tourist companies that offer a “Game of Thrones Tour”. Although several sequences were shot in Iceland, Spain or Croatia, Ireland has always been the epicenter of the series. The American creators of the series (David Benioff and DB Weiss) met on the benches of Trinity University in Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland. But it was above all the combination of generous tax credits and the many exteriors available that attracted production to the British island at the end of 2009.
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In the countryside, on the coast or on the edge of a loch, the most experienced will recognize emblematic places. At the end of a small lane is Inch Abbey, a ruined 12th-century building seen in the last episode of Season 1. Castle Ward Farm became the castle courtyard on screen of the Stark clan. The mysterious curved trees above the Dark Hedges road served as the setting for the Royal Road; when some were felled by a storm, HBO salvaged the trunks to make ten doors carved with the series’ emblem, scattered around pubs in the area. Stained glass windows (the “Glass of Thrones”) are also visible here and there in Belfast.
So many treasure hunts to continue to inspire fans to explore Ireland when the new spin-off series, House of the Dragon, is filmed in England, Cornwall and Devon. Expected this year on OCS, the plot centered on the Targaryen clan takes place two centuries before Game of Thrones. Specialist in special make-up, Sarah Gower apologizes for being unfaithful to Ireland while working on this production, the shooting of the first season of which has just ended: “Miguel Sapochnik, director of some of Game of Thrones’ biggest episodes, asked me to work with him again. Although our family is based in Belfast, it was nice to have the opportunity to recreate it all. »
