It was revealed earlier this month that the Game of Thrones Season 6 finale will be Wun Wun-sized, capping off with a total of 69-minute runtime. Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss already said that it will feature the largest battle sequence yet, but before that, we will witness another big battle in Episode 9, Battle of the Bastards.
In the episode's preview video as well as photos released a few days before, we were given a peek into how intense the battle will be, but we haven't really seen Jon Snow's passion for the battle, not until now.
HBO has released a photo of Jon Snow getting his fury ready for the clash, and he is angry.
Take a look:
Image Credit: Helen Sloan/HBO (via Entertainment Weekly)
The episode is directed by Miguel Sapochnik, who also helmed Hardhome last season, and in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sapochnik explained how his vision for the battle and how he treated it. He said:
Every battle onThronesis unique," Sapochnik tells us. "I think that's why [showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss] keep doing them. In the case of ‘Battle of the Bastards' – or ‘BOB' as we affectionately called it in production – David and Dan wanted to do a thing of spectacle, a strategic pitchfield battle they hadn't had the resources to do back in season 1 or 2. I was particularly interested in depicting both the horror of war and the role of luck in battle.
The stunning results – a whopping production number that involved 25 days of filming, with 500 extras, 600 crew members and 70 horses.
In case that wasn't enough, the horses were also hard to shoot, as Benioff revealed, saying that they are "not easy at all" to manage during a battle sequence.
The showrunner added:
Miguel did such a fantastic job with ‘Hardhome' last season, we thought we should bring him back, this time with horses. Some of the shots he's pulled off are some of the best on the show.
Weiss also teased more exciting details about the episode. He said:
Miguel's really outdone himself. Fully fleshed out medieval battles require a tremendous amount of resources and choreography to get them right. It feels like we're doing something fresh that you don't see on TV and movies very often.
Clearly, this battle is going to be one of the biggest in Westeros, so far at least. We certainly don't need any more descriptions from the last 2 episodes to know that they are going to be epic.
Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.
Read: Should Arya Have Died of Her Wounds on Game of Thrones? Medical Expert Explains An Answer
Read: Brienne of Tarth and Jaime Lannister Actors on Their Characters' Moving Reunion in ‘No One'
Read: Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams on Her Major Showdown in 'No One' – "She's Petrified of [Spoiler]"
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
Fandoms