Filming battle scenes in the Game of Thrones universe is no small feat. But for the cast and crew of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the challenges extended beyond swords and shields. During the production of the pivotal Trial of Seven sequence, the Belfast set was overrun by an unexpected swarm of wasps. This turned an already demanding shoot into a buzzing nightmare.
Quick read:
• Finn Bennett talks about the wasp invasion
• Rotting fruits and fake sugar syrup blood attracted the wasps
• Ira Parker also remarked saying the wasps caused problems in post-production too
Image: HBO
The wasp invasion and how it affected the shoot
The occurrence of the incident was revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly by actor Finn Bennett, who plays Aerion Targaryen. The wasp attack stemmed from a simple oversight in set dressing. Fruit baskets used as props for the medieval tournament scene at Ashford Meadow were left unreplaced, allowing the contents to rot under the Irish summer sun. Combined with the sticky, sugary fake blood coating the actors and stunt performers, the setup became an attractant for local insects.
Bennett mentioned,
“We had these fruit baskets that were part of set dressing that, I guess, we didn’t replace. So we just had loads of rotting fruit around the set, and it seemed like every wasp in Belfast City traveled to our little patch. I just remember wasps flying around everywhere. And the fake blood is made with a sugary syrup.”
The actor, seen in black armor during the scene, spent days grappling with co-star Peter Claffey (Ser Duncan the Tall) in the dirt, all while dodging the persistent pests.
The post-production chaos
Showrunner and co-creator Ira Parker also commented upon this, highlighting how the wasps complicated not just the filming but post-production as well. He said,
“Not only on set, but in post[-production] too, when we had to f—ing remove them from people swatting at them… They’re just buzzing around everybody’s head. Plus you got stunt guys covered in fake sugar blood, which is attracting all the wasps.”
He added a touch of humor, joking,
“If only they had been bees, I would’ve said that could have been Humfrey Beesbury’s contribution to this fight.”
Credits: HBO
Shot over multiple days in Belfast’s unpredictable weather, the sequence demanded physical endurance from the team. Wind shifts disrupted mist effects, and the syrupy blood designed to look realistic on camera, only amplified the insect invasion. Despite the setbacks, the final product has wowed audiences, contributing to the show’s impressive viewership of over 24 million per episode globally.
