"The Big Tree"

TL;DR: New information seems to confirm that the title "The Big Tree" that we saw on a sheet back in September does not refer to a certain episode, but might be the project title for the upcoming season 7 of Game of Thrones as a whole.

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Back in September, in one of the pictures shot by paparazzo PAP4U at the Linen Mill Studios in Corbet we could see a sheet containing supposed information on the shooting:



The Big Tree - Director: Jeremy Podeswa - WOLF CREW
Episodes: 704/7xx or 701/7xx - Saturday, 24th September 

While the numbers of the episodes were hard to read and therefore disputed, most of the information was self-explaining: Director, shooting crew, date.

One thing though was not clear - the title "The Big Tree" at the top of the sheet. First idea was of course that this could be the name of the episode shot that day - but usually episode names are not chosen this early in production. So it might just have been some preliminary working title; but as there are clearly two episodes referenced on that sheet, that didn't sound too convincing neither.

Now, two pieces of information have shown up that might shed some light on "The Big Tree".

First, reddit user u/conordmcmahon posted a couple of answers he claims to have gotten from  reddit leaker u/awayforthelads a while ago. While we can not verify this at all, the information he presented is well aligned with the leaks u/awayforthelads gave us before. In fact, there's not even a lot of new information at all.

But one remark is very interesting because it directly adresses the title "The Big Tree" in said sheet:

"All of the scripts have The Big Tree written at the start. It's not an episode title, it's a project title for this season - think 'Blue Harvest' for Star Wars back in the day. Take it from that - the episodes don't actually have titles yet, Just episode numbers."

Does this make any sense at all? We haven't heard of any project titles or code names for complete GoT seasons before, and it's unclear what the advantage of talking about "The Big Tree" instead of GoT season 7 would be. One idea might be that sheets / scripts with the title "The Big Tree" instead of "Game of Thrones Season 7" on the first page would not attract so much interest from people accidentally seeing them. Other reasons? No idea.

On the other hand, there was an image posted by Twitter user ‏@IpsyGypsy a month ago that immediately came into my mind when reading u/conordmcmahon's post. It shows a name badge belonging to storyboard artist Jane Wu, and it goes very well along with the claim that "The Big Tree" is the project title for this season:


It could be pure coincidence that the picture of Bran arriving at the big weirwood tree in S04E10 was selected as background for the badge of season 7 crew members. But my guess is that this selection rather confirms that "The Big Tree" has importance as a symbol and / or project name for this season.

Plus, it gives me hope that Bran's storyline in S07 will be more important than we know right now... ;-)

Update on Trujillo Castle shooting

TL;DR: New photos show that director Jeremy Podeswa directed scenes with Bronn, Jaime and his new sword "Widow's Wail" on the walls of Trujillo Castle. Clues indicate they might have been filming Jaime leaving KL towards the North after his breakup with Cersei in episode 7.

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Yesterday both the Daily Mail and JustJared published new, unseen pictures from the shooting in Trujillo that took place one week ago.

Besides Jaime's new sword "Widow's Wail" (which was detected by Twitter user Adrián Alonso from Bilbao) there was another detail in those photographs worth reporting - in one of the pictures we can clearly see director Jeremy Podeswa together with Bronn on the walls of the castle:

(Photo by JustJared.com)

As Podeswa is known to direct episodes 1 and 7, this has direct implications for our understanding of the season 7 storyline. It means that at least some scenes with Jaime and Bronn have no connection to Highgarden (which will be focused in episodes 2-4), and probably also not to Casterly Rock (the rumours about CR and the leaks seem to imply it will not be focused in episodes 1 or 7).

So if we have to speculate, the most fitting location where we could find Jaime and Bronn in episode 1 or 7 would be King's Landing. We do not know at this moment if we see KL in episode 1, but in the last episode we will have the big meeting of main characters when Jon Snow and his allies bring the captured wight into the capital.

Unfortunately we have no context around these photos at all, so all we can do is speculating some more: These scenes could be Jaime and Bronn watching the delegations arrive at KL; or Jaime just before his departure towards the North after being informed about Cersei's planned treason.

Then, this is the first time we see Jaime with the Valyrian steel sword "Widow's Wail" - how and why did he get it? It was originally reforged from Ned Stark's sword Ice and given as a wedding gift to King Joffrey by his grandfather Tywin Lannister. After Joffrey's death it was last seen at his funeral in the Great Sept of Baelor.

A gift for King Joffrey (S04E02)	The dead king with his sword (S04E03)

We have no idea what happened with it afterwards. Jaime did not wear or use it up to now - he was always seen with a plain standard Lannister sword:

Jaime with his usual sword (S06E10)	Jaime with "Widow's Wail"

So this detail could have some importance. Maybe the reason for him wearing "Widow's Wail" is his imminent departure to the North, after having witnessed the wight at KL and having learned about the usefullness of Valyrian steel weapons against the Wight Walkers. Plus, he obviously takes a step away from Cersei after she tells him that she does not intend to keep the promise she made to Daenerys and Jon, and she will not send troops to fight the White Walkers.

And how will he get hold of "Widow's Wail"? Either Cersei gives it to him after the death of Tommen, in a symbolic gesture or in another attempt to tie him back to herself. Or Jaime goes Sam Tarly-style and simply snatches the sword from the Red Keep's wall before leaving KL.

But remember: most of this is speculation. Only thing we know for sure is that the Jaime / Bronn scene on the Trujillo castle walls was directed by Jeremy Podeswa and thus should appear in episode 1 or episode 7.

Jaime, Bronn and the Tarlys on the battlefield

Thanks to twitter user @RickZornow who spent his vacation in Spain visiting GoT locations and providing excellent pictures in PAP4U style, we have new photos from Los Barruecos showing some known characters for the first time on set!

First, there's obviously Jaime Lannister and Bronn:

Jaime and Bronn at Los Barruecos	Jaime and Bronn in season 6

By closely examining the other pictures, you can make out other interesting details.

There are some pictures with two riders - one of them is definitively Randyll Tarly, riding the dapple grey horse we've seen him on before. The second, bigger one might be his son Dickon, played by actor Tom Hopper in season 7:

Riders at Los Barruecos	James Faulkner taking riding lessons

And finally, we can make out a new flag besides the ubiquitous Lannister banner. It's hard to make out any details, but given the fact that it is green and we have Tarlys on location, it probably is their banner:

Green banners at Los Barruecos	Tarly soldiers and banners in season 6

You can check out many more pictures on Twitter - again, many thanks to @RickZornow for his great photos (and his talent evading the Guardia Civil ;-) )!

Almodovar: Highgarden, Casterly Rock or both?

Many theories were floating around about the identity of Almodovar Castle in GoT season 7, but finally we got some nice visual clues - just look at the banners:

Say hello to Highgarden, everyone!

Doesn't exclude the castle being also used for Casterly Rock, of course... ;-)

A new GoT location in Iceland?

Picture by WotW

Today WotW reported about a possible new filming location in Iceland and published several photos of a user who claimed they showed "a set in the works" near a hydroelectric dam, and mentioned that "a local shopkeeper" confirmed this was a GoT location.

Additionally, the article proposes "there is a fake icy-stone alley being constructed". Though the pics look intriguing, this unfortunately is not the case.

Some detective work via Google showed that there has not been any kind of special setup or preparation - this is what the site always looks like. Well, at least in the last few months.

It's a construction site at Búrfell Power Station which is being enhanced until 2018, and those walls look like this because they have been prepared during the excavation process (I'm not an engineer, but it seems to be kind of a shotcreting construction); but certainly not for GoT or another production. The following pics are official ones published by the constructing companies in July / August 2016:



You can even watch a nice aerial video of the whole area here (well, they obviously had drones there! ;-)):

Búrfell 11.07.2016

That being said, the location could theoretically be used for GoT production anyway, but there simply is not the slightest clue hinting at it at the moment... besides that mysterious "local shopkeeper" of course ;-).

Well, I guess that "shopkeeper" (if he exists) is just having a very funny time, quietly giggling to himself. And we will have to continue looking for GoT locations in Iceland...

Speculative season 7 roadmap

Combining the list of directors / episodes published by WotW, the set photos and information we got from shootings in the Basque region and Northern Ireland up to now, and the extensive "leaks" published by u/awayforthelads and beautifully put together by u/maureencreates, I tried to compose an extended preliminary roadmap for season 7.

NOTE: Up to now there is no real discrepancy between the "leaks" and the photos / information we received via other channels. This can change any time when new information gets available - but everything we know at this moment can be combined into one coherent picture.

And this is what it could look like:

Episode 1 / Jeremy Podeswa

• Opening scene: The army of the dead is marching towards the wall
• Bran and Meera reach the Wall, they meet Dolorous Edd
• Jon, Sansa and Lyanna discuss how to deal with the Northern lords who betrayed the Starks
• Last scene: Dany's fleet lands at Dragonstone, Dany & Tyrion enter the castle and occupy Stannis' old battle room

  
Episode 2 / Mark Mylod

• Dany summons all lords of Westeros to pledge allegiance to her
• Jon and Davos decide to follow this call to Dragonstone (partially because of the need for dragonglass), Sansa (as Lady of Winterfell) and Ghost stay back in Winterfell
• *Arya kills the Frey sons using Walder's face (or Episode 1)
• * Euron destroys Yara's fleet and captures her, Theon can escape (or Episode 3)
• *Euron kills Ellaria and sandsnake (or Episode 3)
• *Lannister armies sack Highgarden, Olenna drinks poison in front of Jaime (or Episode 3)

  
Episode 3 / Mark Mylod

• Jon and Davos arrive at Dragonstone and are received by Tyrion, Missandei and Dothraki
  + Photos from Zumaia 24.10. including Mark Mylod
• Jon and Davos have their first encounter with a dragon
  + Photos from Gaztelugatxe 22.10.
• Jon and Dany meet in the Throne Room and discuss bending the knee and the white walker threat
• Bran and Meera arrive at Winterfell, Meera leaves to return home
• Arya meets Nymeria on her way North
• *Lannister army returns with gold / food from Highgarden, is ambushed on the way and destroyed by Dany's forces of Dothraki and dragons, the big battle includes Jaime and Bronn (or Episode 4)
  (+ Mark Mylod was seen scouting the Malpartida area)(+ Photos from Cáceres 17.11. including Mark Mylod)

  
Episode 4 / Matt Shakman

• *Lannister army returns with gold / food from Highgarden, is ambushed on the way and destroyed by Dany's forces of Dothraki and dragons, the big battle includes Jaime and Bronn (or Episode 3)
  (+ Photos from Trujillo 15.11. including Matt Shakman)
  + L7R reports the scene being from Ep. 4 and directed by Shakman
• Arya arrives at Winterfell
• *Brienne and Arya are sparring (or Episode 5)
• Theon arrives in Dragonstone and meets Jon (or Episode 3)
  + Photos from Zumaia 25.10.
• *Jon pets Drogon on Dany's return from the battle (or Episode 5)
  (+ Photos from Zumaia 27.10. including Matt Shakman MAY show this)
• *Dany lets Drogon burn some lords who survived the battle, including the Tarly's (or Episode 5)

  
Episode 5 / Matt Shakman

• Davos smuggles Tyrion into King's Landing where he has a secret meeting with Jaime / Bronn
• Davos finds Gendry in Kíng's Landing
• Davos, Tyrion and Gendry leave KL by boat
  + Photos from Muriola 19./20.10.
  + L7R reported Mark Shakman and Ep. 5 for this scene
• Sam, Gilly and baby leave Oldtown for Winterfell
• Jorah returns to Dragonstone and meets Dany
  + Photos from Zumaia 28.10.
• Jon receives news of Bran and Arya having returned to Winterfell
• *Jon, Jorah, Gendry leave Dragonstone by boat towards Eastwatch-by-the-Sea
  + Photos from Zumaia 26.10. including Matt Shakman

  
Episode 6 / Alan Taylor

• Jon, Jorah, Gendry arrive in Eastwatch-by-the-Sea
• Wight-hunting party with Jon, Jorah, Gendry, Tormund, Beric, Thoros, The Hound travels north of the wall
• Big fight with the army of the dead: A wight is caught, Thoros is killed by an ice bear, Dany shows up with her dragons and saves most of the party
• Jon stays back and is saved by Benjen who gives him his horse, Vyserion is killed
• Jon and Dany meet back in Dragonstone, where Jon pledges to Dany in a private meeting
• Last scene: Vyserion gets reanimated

  
Episode 7 / Jeremy Podeswa

• Sansa sentences Littlefinger to death, Arya kills him
• Bran vision: Flashback to marriage Rhaegar - Lyanna
• Sam and Bran figure out Jon's heritage (Sam remembers what Gilly read at the citadel)
• * Theon lands at Dragonstone with several Ironborn rowboats, a fight breaks out
  + Photos from Zumaia 29.10. including Jeremy Podeswa
• Big meeting at the dragonpit with the captured wight (Cersei, Tyrion, Dany, Jon, Jorah, Varys, Missandei, Qyburn, Mountain, Hound). Cersei promises support in the fight against the Night's King
• 
  Jon, Dany and the Unsullied leave by fleet towards Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.
• Jaime leaves North after hearing that Cersei won't hold her promise
• Cersei awakens in a bed soaked with blood (her last scene)
• Jon and Dany have sex while still on the boat
• Last scene: The Night's King attacks the Wall riding an undead Vyserion who breathes blue fire, a big chunk of the wall falls down

Most scenes / episode correlations follow the u/awayforthelads leaks. Additionally
* means episode number not known exactly, assumed on fact-based speculation
+ means information from shootings, leaked photos or inside information (L7R or WotW)
 

Season 7: Directors and episodes

As reports and pics from shootings pour in and our favourite sites Los Siete Reinos and Watchers on the Wall publish information from different sources, it's time to try to put the pieces of the puzzle together to find out which director will direct which episode(s) in GoT season 7.This is what we have come to know up to now:

ALAN TAYLOR

• 28.10. Zumaia: L7R claims that the guy in the following picture is supposed to be Alan Taylor. Relation to scenes is unclear (L7R 29.10.).
A facebook conversation with Podeswa from the same day suggests Taylor is not in Spain at the moment though. So maybe the guy in the photo is another person - for example Peter Welter, Executive Producer from Spanish HBO partner Fresco Film:

JEREMY PODESWA

• Visited Almodóvar Castle (L7R 23.10.) as well as Cáceres, Cordoba, Sevilla and more (WotW 19.08.)
    
• On one picture shot by PAP4U at the Linen Mill Studios in Corbet a sheet is visible containing supposed information on the shooting:
  The Big Tree - Director: Jeremy Podeswa - WOLF CREW
  Episodes: 704/7xx or 701/7xx - Saturday, 24th September
We have absolutely no information about the scene(s) and episode(s) that were shot here - it might have been one big reunion scene, another of Bran's visions or several different scenes (possibly even from different episodes). 

• 25.10. Mourne Mountains: Scenes with unknown actors in a snowy landscape. Podeswa made a Facebook post on 26.10. saying "Yesterday/Today: mourne mountains, n Ireland /Bilbao". If the Mourne Mts. were indeed directed by Taylor, they probably either show the BwoB riding North towards the wall, or the wight-hunting party.

• 28.10. Zumaia: Scene with Dany, Tyrion, Varys, Missandei, Greyworm and Unsullied
  Reported to be on location at shooting in Zumaia (WotW 28.10.)

• 29.10. Zumaia: Scene with Theon fighting with one Ironborn:

MARK MYLOD

• visited Almodóvar Castle (L7R 23.10.) as well as Malpartida and Cáceres (L7R 19.08.)
    
• 24.10. Zumaia: Scene with Jon and Davos arriving at Dragonstone
  According to the u/awayforthelads leaks this might be from Episode 3:

MATT SHAKMAN

• Visited Almodóvar Castle (L7R 23.10.)
    
• 18.-20.10. Muriola: Scene with Davos, Tyrion and Gendry leaving King's Landing by boat after some conflict with 2 Gold cloaks had director Matt Shakman on set, according to L7R (21.10.). According to L7R information and the u/awayforthelads leaks this scene is supposed to belong to Episode 5
    
• 21.10. Bilbao: Shakman visited the Guggenheim Museum together with the GoT crew:

• 22.10. Gaztelugatxe: Scene with Dany and other characters walking up the stairs at Dragonstone:

• 25.10. Zumaia: Scene with Dany, Missandei and Jon walking at the beach:

• 26.10. Zumaia: Scene with Jon, Davos, Gendry, Jorah leaving DS by boat: Shakman.
  According to the u/awayforthelads leaks this might be from Episode 6 (or ending of Episode 5):

• 27.10. Zumaia: Scene with Davos, Tyrion, Dany, Jon and some dragon heads:

UPDATE: On Oct 27th WotW reported their sources having confirmed some of the episode / director correlations:

• 1 - Jeremy Podeswa
• 2 - Mark Mylod
• 5 - Matt Shakman
• 6 - Alan Taylor
• 7 - Jeremy Podeswa

UPDATE 2: On Oct 31st WotW reported their sources having confirmed the final episode / director correlations:

• 1 - Jeremy Podeswa
• 2 / 3 - Mark Mylod
• 4 / 5 - Matt Shakman
• 6 - Alan Taylor
• 7 - Jeremy Podeswa