Production on Game of Thrones Season 7 may be winding down, but there’s still time enough left for the crew to get into a little regulatory hot water. Ríkisútvarpið, the National Icelandic Broadcasting Service, reports that the GoT production didn’t apply for the proper permits to film on the Black Sand Beach near the village of Vík, where it’s been shooting with a variety of cast members for the past week.
Specifically, the production didn’t apply to Iceland’s Environmental Agency for a permit to drive off-road. Off-road driving is frowned upon because of the potential dangers it poses to the environment, although film crews can still do it after making a case for why they won’t harm the environment. In the case of Game of Thrones Season 7, it looked like they were dealing with some heavy-duty vehicles.
Sand should recover fairly quickly from any activity, so hopefully the production didn’t do any lasting damage. The Environmental Agency and Pegasus Film Company, which is working with HBO in the area, will discuss how to avoid these kinds of problems in the future. That could be useful, as HBO has filmed parts of Game of Thrones in Iceland before. If it wants to be welcomed back, best to have a good relationship with the authorities, especially as more film production companies choose Iceland as a shooting location.