The eighth and final season of GAME OF THRONES, which filmed in Northern Ireland, Spain, Iceland and Canada, debuts SUNDAY, APRIL 14 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Did you know all of these wild facts?
GAME OF THRONES, which first aired on April 17, 2011, is broadcast in 207 countries and territories and simulcast in 194 countries and territories.
U.S. viewership (in millions) for each season was: season one – 9.3; season two – 11.6; season three – 14.4; season four – 19.1; season five – 20.2; season six – 25.7; season seven – 32.8.
With well over 100 licensees globally, GAME OF THRONES is most-licensed program in HBO history.
GAME OF THRONES, over the course of its eight seasons, has filmed in ten countries, including Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Morocco, Malta, Spain, Croatia, Iceland, United States, Canada and Scotland. There have been 50 locations in Ireland, including 49 in Northern Ireland and one in the Republic of Ireland.
Belfast, Northern Ireland is home to Titanic Studios, which has six shooting stages that housed the interiors of Winterfell, Castle Black, High Hall of the Eyrie, the Sky Cells in the Eyrie, the Hall of Faces, the House of Black and White, the Great Sept of Baelor, the Great Pyramid of Meereen Throne Room and the iconic King's Landing Throne Room.
The series has used 12,986 extras in Northern Ireland alone and 2,000 Northern Ireland crew members across the series' eight seasons.
Overall, the show totaled 105,846 days for extras across all seasons and countries.
The series has utilized a total of 40 VFX houses in 13 countries, including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Northern Ireland, Spain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, China, France, Sweden and India. There were 13,250 VFX shots in the first seven seasons of the series.
Weeks of post-production per season were: season one – 17; season two – 21; season three – 20; season four – 21; season five – 22; season six – 24; season seven – 30; season eight – 42.
During all eight seasons, and specific to production in Northern Ireland, 3,748 pounds of rubber and 1.5 tons of metal were used for armory, with 1,300 shields created. Additionally, production used: 52,000 bags of paper snow; 163 tons of propane; 3,000 pyrotechnic effects; 4,000 gallons of artificial blood; 20,907 candles; 25 miles of rope; 22,966 feet of waxed cotton fabric to make more than 330 tents; and 50 miles of fabric for costumes. The construction department used: 745 miles of repurposed timber; 60,000 sheets of plywood; 20,000,000 screws and bolts; 65,000 bags of plaster; 1,320 gallons of wood glue; 1,200 blocks of polystyrene; 1,000 sheets of fire board; more than 1,000 miles of cable; and 120 semi-truck loads of reclaimed beams from warehouses and barns from all over Europe.
Since season four, the SFX teams utilized 24,421 pounds of silicone (for prosthetics) and 1,102 pounds of Coffee Mate© (for pyrotechnics). The longest prosthetics applications were for the Children of the Forest and the Mountain, which took seven hours.
Over the course of eight seasons, GAME OF THRONES has used 12,137 wigs and hairpieces. Deanerys' wig color and style are the result of more than two months of testing and seven prototypes.
Also over the eight seasons, 19,722 travel documents have been issued, 68,143 hotel rooms booked, 1,749 call sheets issued and 243 shooting schedules issued over the eight seasons.
Primary unit photographer Helen Sloan has taken 1.4 million stills over all seasons.
Over the first seven seasons, GAME OF THRONES received: a total of 132 Emmy® nominations and 47 wins; seven Golden Globe nominations and one win; 18 SAG Award nominations and seven wins; 17 Critics' Choice Award nominations and one win; and seven AFI award wins.
