Game of Thrones is a show that raked in millions of dollars for its producers and made household names of dozens of unknown actors. But it also spun a healthy living for those able to cash in on locations where the most successful TV show of all time was filmed – including here in Malta.

But what happens now that it’s all over?

“I believe every project in life naturally runs its course,” says Malcolm Ellul, who is responsible for Malta Film Tours. He has been providing fans with an opportunity to see the locations across Malta where Season 1 was filmed. The tour is very popular, with some people doing it two or three times. But the idea to set up the company came about by accident. “I’ve been working within the film and TV industry for 25 years,” explains Malcolm. “I’ve done everything from working on film festivals to acting, as well as being a stunt double. But when I injured myself in 2015, I couldn’t go to the gym and I was bored. I decided to give this a go and it really took off.”

Locations on the tour include Maegor's Holdfast, a fortress used during the filming of the Battle of the Blackwater and Shadow Cliffs, as well as the desert-like terrain of Red Waste. They also bring visitors to Mdina Gate where Ned Stark said goodbye to his wife Catelyn before going off to be beheaded. (Pass the tissues!)

Uber fans!

Given that the show has aired in more than 170 countries, Malcolm has met some of the world’s biggest Game of Thrones fanatics. Some even struggle to separate fact from fantasy.

“We had one Swiss girl who got really upset when I told her that dragons don’t actually exist,” continues Malcolm. “Another time I had finished showing people the site where Daenerys emerges naked from the fire in Season 1. Everyone was back on the bus except for one couple. When I went to find them, I realised the woman in the couple had stripped off her clothes and her boyfriend was taking photos of her as they re-enacted the final scene!”

“Another member of the tour was a big fan of the Lannisters. He had three tattoos of the family on his body as well as the symbol of a lion which represents their house. But he also had another tattoo which read ‘Lannisters always pay their debts’. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the official motto of House Lannister is ‘Hear Me Roar’.”

And it’s that in-depth knowledge of the show and its characters that has kept Malcolm’s tours booked up right until the end of this summer. “I’m a big fan myself. I’ve read all the books and watched all of the seasons around ten times each. I’ve probably watched the first season around twenty times as it was filmed in Malta.”

The next chapter

So, what will happen next for his business? “It will naturally die after it ends and I’m OK with that. When I set up this business, I had a five-year plan and it’s been very successful. I will decide by July or August if I will continue it for another year, but for now I am happy to give it one more summer. Ideally ,it would have been great to have a permanent exhibition here, like the one that’s opened in Northern Ireland, but it’s unlikely that that will happen at this stage. The good news is that there are five prequels already planned by HBO which will be set thousands of years in the past – so you never know.”

At least we have that to look forward to!