HBO has just announced tentative plans to offer up Game of Thrones sets as tourist attractions in Northern Ireland.Weâre all patiently waiting (and some of us, not so patiently) for HBO to finally release the eighth and climatic season of Game of Thrones, the literal best show on television. While the next season isnât set for release until some tragically vague time in 2019, we might be able to get a first-hand look at the locations used for filming even sooner.HBO announced on Monday that theyâre currently in the exploratory process of opening old Game of Thrones sets as tourist attractions. This is great news for several reasons: first, it means that fans will get a chance to look at the real-life places where Game of Thrones was filmed, second itâll provide Northern Ireland with oodles of tourism, and third (and most importantly), it means that filming of season 8 must be done since otherwise they couldnât make the sets into tourist spots.Locations being considered are Winterfell (the home of the Starks), Castle Black (where The Nightâs Watch keep their vigil), and Kings Landing (where all manner of political intrigue went down). Besides converting the sets into something safe for tourists to tromp through, HBO also plans to include costumes, props, weapons, art files, models, and interactive digital displays with behind-the-scenes tidbits for the whole series.RELATED: AIRBnB OFFERS TO RENOVATE A ROOM IN A GAME OF THRONES CASTLE SO YOU CAN SPEND A NIGHT IN RIVERRUNThere will also be a formal tour of Linen Mill Studios, where much of the filming took place.
âHBO is thrilled to celebrate the work of the Game of Thrones creative team and crew by preserving these locations and inviting fans to visit Northern Ireland and explore Westeros in person,â said Jeff Peters, HBOâs Vice President of Licensing and Retail. âThe opportunity to celebrate Northern Irelandâs pivotal role in the life and legacy of the show and share its culture, beauty, and warmth is also a huge inspiration behind these Legacy projects.â
Currently, HBO has a tentative opening date of 2019, but that can change based on their findings of this exploratory period. HBO is also working with Tourism NI, the government of Northern Ireland's travel marketing arm to help bring this plan to fruition as it would mean a huge tourism boost to the country.
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