▁picked ▁up ▁the ▁series ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁After ▁attempts ▁to ▁film ▁in ▁China ▁failed , ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁released ▁back ▁to ▁The ▁Wein stein ▁Company . ▁Net fli x ▁then ▁picked ▁up ▁the ▁series ▁for ▁a ▁ 1 0 - ep is ode ▁season , ▁for ▁approximately ▁$ 9 0 ▁million , ▁making ▁it ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁expensive ▁TV ▁shows ▁in ▁the ▁world , ▁second ▁to ▁Game ▁of ▁Th ron es . ▁The ▁project ▁was ▁officially ▁announced ▁at ▁Net fli x ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁Jo achim ▁R ø n ning ▁and ▁Esp en ▁Sand berg ▁serve ▁as ▁executive ▁produ cers ▁and ▁directed ▁the ▁pilot ▁and ▁second ▁episodes , ▁" The ▁Way far er " ▁and ▁" The ▁Wolf ▁and ▁the ▁De er ", ▁respectively . ▁The ▁series ▁was ▁fil med ▁in ▁Kaz akh stan , ▁Italy , ▁and ▁at ▁P ine wood ▁Studios ▁in ▁Malays ia , ▁not ▁to ▁mention ▁at ▁out door ▁locations ▁in ▁Malays ia , ▁particularly ▁tropical ▁w ilder ness , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Slov ak ia ▁and ▁Hung ary . ▁Kaz akh stan ▁double d ▁as ▁the ▁ste pp es ▁of ▁Mong olia , ▁Malays ia ▁was ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁operations ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁serving ▁as ▁a ▁location , ▁Hung ary ▁provided ▁a ▁setting ▁for ▁Renaissance ▁Rome , ▁and ▁Slov ak ia ▁provided ▁some ▁mountain ▁settings ▁for ▁Season ▁ 2 . ▁ ▁St unt man ▁Ju ▁Kun ▁was ▁working ▁on ▁the ▁show ▁alongside ▁fight ▁ch ore ograph er