What was the budget for the “Battle of the Bastards” episode of Game of Thrones? What was the budget for Game of Thrones season 6, episode 9? That’s what fans surprisingly want to know after watching Game of Thrones season 6, episode 9 “Battle of the Bastards” last week. The “Battle of the Bastards” budget was one of the most expensive Game of Thrones episodes so far since “Battle of the Bastards” cost HBO an estimated $10.0 million!
Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton’s armies finally faced each other in an epic battle that left Jon Snow the champion and Ramsay Bolton eaten alive, which he totally had coming to him. For most of the fight, Wildlings and Northmen cut each other to shreds leaving the ground soaked in blood. It was most likely the most gruesome and expensive fight sequence in television history, but fans shouldn’t be surprised since HBO gives Game of Thrones whatever they want at this point in the game.
Just when fans thought Jon’s army was losing, Sansa Stark sends reinforcements and helps crush Ramsay’s army. One of the most memorable casualties of the episode was when Rickon Stark (the youngest of the Stark children), who had been previously captured by Ramsay, was shot in the back with a series of arrows. It was especially sad because he was running towards his brother on the other side of the battle field. He wasn’t particularly an important character, but his death reminds fans of how unfortunate the Stark children have been since the show began. That family just never seems to be able to catch a break—but then again, no one’s family is safe from the wrath of George R.R. Martin and David Benioff!
The majority of the episodes would cost roughly $6.0 million to make and about eight to 12 days to shoot. But the TV creators have been able to increase the budget by $4.0 million (which was most notably due to “Battle of the Bastards”) per episode, leaving the battle sequence to take 25 days to shoot.
The penultimate episode employed the use of 600 crew members, plus 500 extras for both Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton’s armies, and the armies were trained separately to make the fight scene more authentic and competitive. After all, no one wants that boring predictable choreography. The best fight sequences have to look real and include just enough flare that you almost believe those stunts were possible in reality. Just don’t try them at home, because they can be extremely dangerous for the untrained. The episode also used 70 horses, 25 stuntmen, and a total of four camera crews. We wouldn’t be surprised if the epic battle sequence wins an Emmy nomination or an award altogether.
What did you think of the battle scene? Let us know in the comments section below!
