Game of Thrones

In what struck me as a surprising and left field piece of casting, HBO announced veteran UK actor Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister yesterday.

Charles Dance Cast as Tywin Lannister

Charles a fan of the books, has been the favourite within the production team for some months now, who approached him as he was filming for Your highness in the paint hall in Belfast

A very experienced Actor with a TV and Film career spanning over 36 years, he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare company for 5 years.  He is most renowned for his British TV work which includes The Jewel in the Crown, The Phantom of the Opera and Bleak house.

I always remember for his softer role in the Jewel in the Nile, but his wiki page starts with the line

Dance typically plays assertive bureaucrats or villains.

Which fits his chosen role and all stills I have seen of him recently show he acting in the harder style required for the role of Tywin Lannister

It looks like  Game of Thrones is going to be shown in the UK, and  that it is going to be shown on SKY TV .  As Sky have announced they have just signed a 5 year exclusivity deal with HBO.

I’ve got to say i’m gutted about that so far I have avoided giving that lowlife Rupert Murdoch any of my money, and hoped to continue not to.  I am tempted to wait for the box set and stick to my principles. Oh well time will tell.

I’m also not sure of the early talk that suggested that BBC money was involved in the funding of Game of Thrones the same as it was for HBO’s Rome, apparently this must not have been the case.

The good news is that it is on Sky’s list with the precise quote

Future HBO productions to be broadcast by Sky will also include Game of Thrones, the fantasy drama based on the series of books; A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin.

So it is now definitely on sky’s schedule, and it will be guaranteed that we can view Game of Thrones in the UK.

I have got to say that I am gutted that the BBC or Channel 4 didn’t get its act together for this. I am tempted to use some 4 letter words.

Anyway the full announcement on the sky site.

http://tv.sky.com/sky-signs-exclusive-deal-with-hbo

Yesterday principle filming started on the Game of Thrones series at the Paint Hall Belfast and in other key locations around  Northern ireland. Many members of the Game of Thrones cast have been in Northern Ireland this past week.

Little news has come out as to what is being shot to date with some sites suggesting some reshoots of the pilot have been made in the last week, before principle filming has started.

More casting news announced today is the not so suprising but much appluaded news that Aiden Gillen has been cast as Littlefinger. Aiden is came to fame for his lead role in  know for his role in TVs Queer as folk, but also well know for his work in ‘the wire’.

Also leaked by GRRM today is  that Jaime Sives has been signed on to play Jory Cassel, one of the more minor roles.

I am a little late on this but a number of weeks ago HBO showed the first trailer to next years game of Thrones series, as you can see Below.

Excited? You bet!

Whilst I have been taking a break things have been active in the pre oproduction stages of the Game of Thrones series. A number of new casting announcements have been made and the summary list is as follows

• Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Bran Stark
• Finn Jones as Loras Tyrell
• Kristian Nairn as Hodor
• Roy Dotrice as Grand Maester Pycelle
• John Bradley-West as Samwell Tarly
• Conan Stevens as Gregor Clegane
• Donald Sumpter as Maester Luwin
• Ian McNeice as Illyrio Mopatis
• Ron Donachie as RodrikCassel
• Jamie Campbell Bower as Waymar Royce
• Richard Ridings asGared
• Bronson Webb as Will
• Esmé Bianco as Ros (aka Red Headed Whore)
• Miltos Yerolemou as Syrio Forel
• Luke McEwan as Rast

Some fascinating names, some exciting names and some relatively unknown names. Many will be happy to see Esme back as Ros, for what reason I will never know .

However still some names to be added to the list.

Game of Thrones HBO

The above picture was released to the public at about the time that HBO first announced that Game of Thrones had been green lighted. It comes from one of the opening scenes in the Pilot, so expect to see it within 2 or 3 minutes of the first epidosde.

As many others before us have stated, the visuals look  amazing and if nothing else we know the series is going to look awesome.

Michelle Fairley to Replace Jennifer Ehle

The role of Catelyn Stark has been recast in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Well know and popular actress Jennifer Ehle has been replaced by Michelle Fairley inthe role for reasons as yet undisclosed by HBO.

Rumours generally suggest it was for reasons not related to the acting performance, but either prior commitments or a change in direction in the role. I am more confident it is the first. As I wrote in the cast Bio’s I was not convinced by the casting of Jennifer but was keen to be proved wrong. It now looks like we will never get to know.

A full Bio will come later, but Michelle Fairley is an established TV and stage actor in the UK, who will have probably her two most prominent film roles coming up as she appears in the final two Harry Potter films. One would think a lead role in the Game of Thrones is a big step up for her.

We have had strong hints that Tazmin Merchant may also we recast for the role of Danny. More information when we get it

Prior to the trip to the US the Northern Ireland first minister and Deputy First minister, Game of thrones received a mention. The First Minister Mr Robinson when talking about inward investment stated.

“In June, HBO will begin filming Game of Thrones in the Paint Hall, a nine part television series that could potentially be worth £20m to the local economy.”

This goes to underline what a big thing is for the Northern Irish economy, and the level of interest in this show that has been generated in the region.

It does also beg the question where is the other 30 Million being spent?

Read the full article on the Belfast Telegraph site.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/business-news/ministers-set-out-on-business-mission-14718205.html

HBO give green light to Game of Thrones

I can now write the post I was going to write last week !  HBO have now offically given a greenlight to the first series of Game of Thrones. The fanatasy series based on George RR Martins Song of Ice and Fire series of books will go ahead.

Cast so far includes such names as Sean Bean, Jason Momoa, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage and Mark Addy. Expect more big names to come.

Nine episodes in addition to the pilot have been ordered, which means ten episodes in all for the first series, filming is due to take place in June for a spring 2011 release (I am assuming stateside only).  Locations are similar to the pilot with the majority of the filming to be done in the Paint Hall in Belfast, and on location in Morocco and Scotland. Doune castle here we come!

Now news has yet been given about further casting has been given , but previous hints and statements and the  quality of the cast already assembeled would lead me to belive we may be in for some very pleasant suprises.

Anyway more detailed news later.