According to an article in Entertainment Weekly, this upcoming season of G.O.T looks to be a real barn-burner with a record tally of unfortunate souls getting set on fire in myriad medieval ways. With so many people getting scorched, the production team behind the blockbuster fantasy series has allegedly set an official record for lighting the most people aflame in a given show or series.
“In one battle scene we set more stuntmen on fire than have ever been simultaneously set on fire,” said Thrones showrunner David Benioff. “Our stunt coordinator really wanted to get in the Guinness Book of World Records for this.” Unfortunately for the stunt coordinator (and the extra-crispy extras who likely won’t be returning for future episodes), Guinness doesn’t have a category for most characters being set ablaze during any given production.
Nevertheless, you’ve got to take your hat off to all those involved in the incendiary effort. Rowley Irlam, theshow’sEmmy-winning stunt coordinator, shared some numbers when describing the fiery carnage taking place on the set.
“One sequence has 73 fire burns, and that itself is a record,” Irlam proudly stated. “No film or TV show has ever done that in a whole show, let alone in one sequence. We also set 20 people on fire at one time, which is also a record. I think in Saving Private Ryan they had 13 on a beach, and on Braveheart they had 18 partial burns. Because of the nature of our attacking animals, we had the liberty to expand on that.”
Yes, nothing ups the sizzle count more than dragons, and there’s no shortage of the fire-breathing beasts on Game of Thrones. With all that heat raining down from the sky, Irlam was able to have a field day when it came time to incinerate the poor bastards below. While entertaining to see the final fiery result, setting each person on fire is no simple chore. Even with all the protective gear, the actions can still be extremely dangerous and stuntpeople must be highly trained with how to deal when becoming a human torch.
Check out the trailer below to experience some of the heat coming your way from Westeros this July.
