If you’ve already started counting down the days until July 16, you’re not alone. Yes, we’ve considered rewatching all six seasons in the next 60 days; and yes, we understand season seven will go by faster than hot, green wildfire sweeping through King’s Landing. So when you need more than just teasers to satisfy your unquenchable GoT thirst, we’ve got you covered. Here, 12 interesting facts to tide you over until winter July finally comes.
Ever fantasized about having your own dire wolf to protect you from, like, creepy exes? Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) adopted the dog that plays hers (named Lady) in the show.
That giant wall of ice ain’t cheap. Each episode of Game of Thrones reportedly costs about $10 million to make. All for the love of Westeros.
Most expensive episode to date? The massive “Battle of the Bastards,” episode nine, in season six. Remember Jon Snow almost getting trampled to death by his own army? Well, it reportedly took 600 crew members, 500 extras and 25 days of filming to pull off the epic clash.
HBO seriously considered not bringing the show to series because David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’s freshman pilot was so bad. In fact, the original pilot never saw the light of day. What kind of world would we live in without the incestuous relationship between the Lannister siblings?
Class is in session: David Peterson, the creator of the Dothraki and High Valyrian languages, will teach a class at UC Berkeley this summer on how to create a written and spoken language. Where do we sign up?
Most of the show is filmed in Northern Ireland, Spain and Croatia. (Summer vacay plans…check.)
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In 2015, the series set the Emmys record for winning the most awards in a single year. (It scored 12 victories out of 24 nominations.) SNL is the only other series to win more overall Emmys.
Remember that time you cried your eyes out about Robb Stark? The infamous Red Wedding is actually based on two (very bloody) historical events, the Black Dinner and the Massacre of Glencoe. They both took place in Scotland, in the 15th and 17th centuries.
HBO announced it will explore four different GoT spin-offs after the series ends. (Here’s hoping at least one of the spin-offs hearts Brienne and Jaime as hard as we do.)
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Showrunners Benioff and Weiss tried for years to get Ed Sheeran to come to the GoT set to surprise lovable cast member Maisie Williams (Arya Stark), a self-professed Sheeran groupie. Finally, the singer will make his eagerly awaited cameo in season seven and even has a scene alongside his number one fan, Williams. We’re totes fangirling with you, Maisie.
Ready for the spinning astrolabe-sun-map title sequence to grace your TV once again? Same. And here’s a little something to fulfill your GoT cravings until July 16: That beautifully orchestrated opening animation, that looks like it could be the inside of a very fancy clock or a difficult level in Monument Valley, changes with each new episode, depending on what characters and places are most prominent.