"Game of Thrones" producers were recently given permission to film a pivotal nude scene in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
The Church of St. Nicholas initially rejected the hit show's request to allow a castmember to walk the streets of King's Landing in the nude, but will allow the scene to be shot on a fake set.
Cersei, a lead character in the HBO series, is supposed to perform a "walk of penance" in the nude from a sanctuary and onto the streets, and filming was to take place on Stradun - a main street in Dubrovnik.Cersei, played by Lena Headey, was to walk from Dubrovnik Cathedral to Sponza Palace, but the local film commission deferred to the judgement of the church. The Church of St. Nicholas denied the production company's request, citing an aversion to public nudity.
Sources say the scene cannot be cut, as it is critical to the character arc of Cersei.
HBO and The Church of St. Nicholas came to a compromise last week, and the scene will appear in the upcoming season, the Daily Mail reports. Headey will not actually be in a church, but on a sound stage.
"Game of Thrones" is a television adaptation of the popular book series "Song of Fire and Ice" by George R. R. Martin. Much of the upcoming fifth season is derived from the novel "A Dance With Dragons", the fifth book in the series.
In a recent interview, Martin discussed the popularity of the series, and his resulting fame.
A few years ago I came to Edinburgh [with] my wife and we were able to listen to the street musicians and go to plays and comedy performances and the Military Tattoo," he told The Guardian. "And, in the whole week we were here, maybe three people recognised me, and I was happy to sign an autograph for them.
"Now, three or four people recognise me every block. I can't go out any more; I can't walk the streets. And it's great to have all these readers and fans who, for the most part, are very nice people, saying they love the books and the TV show."
"Game of Thrones" season five will begin in April 2015.
