Northern Ireland Screen has confirmed that 'Game of Thrones' will be retuning to Northern Ireland to film its second series.
Production on the second series of HBO hit ‘Game of Thrones’ will begin on Monday July 25th. The HBO fantasy series is returning to shoot at Paint Hall Studio in Belfast and various locations around Northern Ireland that are still TBC.
Funding for the show was received from Northern Ireland Screen supported by Invest NI and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund. Richard Williams, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Screen commented on the return of the hugely popular series: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome back the HBO team to Northern Ireland. Today’s official announcement by HBO further cements our reputation as a leading centre for film and television production, as we continue driving global growth.”
The first 10 hour series had an estimated $60 million dollar budget and a 550-person crew with many hired locally. The UK and Irish premier of ‘Game of Thrones’ on Sky Atlantic averaged 743,000 viewers, with a peak of 823,000 when it first aired on Monday April 18th. This announcement helps secure Northern Ireland’s position as a top location to shoot having attracted other big name productions such as features ‘Your Highness’ and ‘City of Ember’ in recent years.
The final episode of the first series airs this Sunday, 19th June, on HBO in USA and on Monday 20th June on Sky Atlantic in UK and Ireland. Casting, Writer and Director for Series 2 are TBC.
