Game of Thrones Season 7 Filming Could Be Upset By Brexit

The big Brexit vote in underway today in the United Kingdom, as residents of that country are voting on whether or not to stay in the European Union. (Brexit=”British Exit.”) What does that have to do with the price of dragon glass knives in Westeros? Quite a bit, it turns out.

There are many, many reasons why the UK leaving the EU is a terrible idea. The self inflicted recession it will cause on their own country is only the beginning. The destabilization of the EU (which has kept the continent from starting WWIII for years now) would be another major factor, not to mention a failed attempt at trying to reverse globalization and the interconnectedness of the 21st century, like some kind of people who think they can go back to the 1890s. (Newsflash: time only goes forward, TARDIS owners notwithstanding.) I mean, if Trump is for something, that’s a pretty good indication that it’s a bad idea. If Cersei were ruling here on Earth, she would be totally pro-Brexit. That’s how bad the idea is.

But now, at the 11th hour, as residents are voting, comes yet more proof that they should all go to the polls and pull the lever for remain: If the UK leaves the EU, Game of Thrones‘ filming for the coming season is going to be totally screwed.

According to Foreign Policy Magazine:

…if the U.K. votes to leave the EU, it would take Northern Ireland with it, potentially robbing HBO of one of the show’s primary filming locations. It takes a lot of cash to depict Jon Snow and thousands of Stark loyalists defeating Ramsay Bolton’s forces to take back Winterfell, a scene shot there and aired this past Sunday.

That leaves HBO looking for partners to help pay for the show, and some of that money for it comes from the EU’s European Regional Development Fund, created to spur economic growth across the European Union. If the U.K. leaves, filmmakers might not be eligible to draw from that fund. This means that some of the cash used to bring big-budget productions to Northern Ireland could disappear.

And Game of Thrones isn’t the only show who would suddenly find that their subsidies are drying up. As many crossover fans know, Star Wars VIII is also filming in Ireland, and Croatia and many of the same locations that Game of Thrones has used. The Brexit could put an end to that as well.

HBO declined to comment on the article, but if the Brexit goes through, Westeros might start looking very different in last couple of seasons.

Via http://winteriscoming.net/2016/06/23/game-of-thrones-season-7-filming-could-be-upset-by-brexit/