Game of Thrones filming budgets to hit $15m

Producers will be able to stage epic battle sequences as the series’ filming schedule once again sprawls across multiple countries over a period of months.

Game of Thrones is based in Belfast but films around the world, with regular past locations having included Iceland, Croatia and Spain.

The HBO fantasy is not alone as an expensive TV series, with streaming giants Netflix and Amazon having played their part in the proliferation of shows that cost millions to produce per screen hour.

Series Two of Netflix’s 80s throwback TV drama Stranger Things and Amazon’s American Gods were both priced at $8m an episode, while Netflix show The Crown is priced at $10m per episode.

Surging ratings are seen as part of the justification for increased expenditure on this scale.

Location filming challenges are also driving up production budgets, according to the Variety report.

Television shoots based in the major North American filming hubs are having to travel further away from the city centres to find space to shoot, due to the sheer number of production teams jostling for studio space and physical locations.

To see KFTV's Northern Ireland production guide click here.

Image: HBO