First image released of new Game of Thrones spin-off as shooting gets underway in north

Actor Peter Claffey as Duncan the Tall on the set of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. PICTURE: HBO/X

Filming has begun in the north for a new Game of Thrones prequel show, almost six years since shooting of the original series wrapped in the region.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is set a century before the events of Game of Thrones, is now being filmed at locations across Northern Ireland, with Belfast once again the base for the crew of a major HBO show set in the fantasy world imagined by author George RR Martin.

Shooting of the new series got underway as another Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, returned to screens for its second season this month.

HBO decided against filming House of the Dragon in Northern Ireland, which was home to the original show for eight seasons, and switched instead to England.

This was a disappointment to both fans of the show, and to the tourist industry which still heavily promotes the north’s link to Game of Thrones.

Speculation had mounted since the beginning of the year that Belfast and the north would be where the bulk of the new show is shot, and this was confirmed in May by Martin, who revealed in a blog post he planned to visit the Belfast set once cameras began rolling.

Game of Thrones is an adaptation of his epic five-book saga A song of Ice and Fire, while A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on three novellas set in the same continent of Westeros, featuring would-be knight Duncan the Tall and his squire, nicknamed Egg.

The official Game of Thrones X (formerly Twitter) account posted the first image of the new show on Wednesday, showing Co Galway-born rugby player-turned actor Peter Claffey as Duncan.

The show is due to hit TV screens in 2025.