Wildin’ in Westeros: A 'Game of Thrones' Sojourn in Northern Ireland

Westeros arrived (again) in Northern Ireland earlier this month as smartphone brand realme and Warner Bros. collaborated for a one-of-a-kind launch: a Game of Thrones-inspired custom phone. The event took place at the official Game of Thrones Studio Tour, located on the original filming location at Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, Northern Ireland, which is a short drive from Belfast.

From being greeted by the Night King himself at the entrance to being shown the way across the tour by Daenerys Targaryen, visitors were transported to the world of Westeros once again.

A grand launch debuted the realme 15 Pro Game of Thrones limited phone which comes in a gifting box with an exterior design of the Map of Westeros. It also introduced the world’s first colour-changing Design of Dragonfire technology – inspired by the rebirth of Daenerys Targaryen from fire – which transforms the back of the phone from black to red in 44°C water! (Khaleesi, here we come). The cross-over also delivered an immersive experience for users through its Westeros-inspired product design, a 3D-engraved Seal of Power of House Targaryen as the centerpiece, the three-dimensional Golden dragon claws frame, and a limited edition gifting box.

The show’s creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss also had a special video message for the guests ahead of the studio tour. The launch was followed by an up close and personal look into several of the costumes, set properties, iconic stages, technology and VFX used by the makers of HBO’s global smash-hit show, as everything from dragons to direwolves made surprise appearances. Different arenas recaptured the essence of memorable worlds such as King's Landing, Winterfell and Dragonstone to mention a few, while a fan favourite was observing the legendary weapons like Arya Stark’s Needle and Jon Snow’s Longclaw in fascinating detail.

Chase Xu, Vice President and CMO, realme, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter India about collaborating with a pop-cultural phenomenon like Game of Thrones – their Naruto and Aston Martin Formula One editions were huge hits – and what’s next in the offering.

“In terms of our selection for collaborations, there are mainly two considerations. First is whether that IP is globally well-known; we want it to be a blockbuster or a well-known brand that can resonate with young people across the globe because our collaboration is aimed at young people. The second consideration is about the spirit. We want to tell a story through our phones, and Game of Thrones is about young people’s grit and belief and their growth," he said, adding, "In the future, we would like to collaborate with such big IPs. Two more such collaborations are in the works in the next few years."

Who is his favourite Game of Thrones character and which house would he be part of in the fantasy universe? “Arya Stark! The reason is that she is a young but powerful girl and she has always been the demonstration of courage and a rebel! I’d be part of House Stark, naturally,” Xu shared.

The launch was followed by outdoor visits to check out popular shooting spots in Northern Ireland that were featured on the HBO show over multiple seasons. These included the Dark Hedges, a mysterious tree-lined archway that stood as The King’s Road traversed by several characters; the picturesque Dunluce Castle which doubled as a stronghold of House Greyjoy and inspired the seat of the Iron Islands’ rulers commanding their coastal domain; and most stunning of all, Giant’s Causeway, a volcanic relic made up of 40,000 interlocking basalt columns which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986.

The lovely Northern Ireland countryside provided an apt foil to the enjoyable experience and everyone was left chanting one more time, “Winter is coming!”