Westeros forum user BlueRose sat down with George R. R. Martin and Parris, Martin’s longtime girlfriend, and conversed about HBO and the Game of Thrones pilot. There were quite a few interesting tidbits to come out of the conversation. Here is BlueRose’s recount of what was said:
We got on the topic of the HBO pilot, and Parris told me that HBO is furious that the actor announcements keep getting leaked for the pilot. Apparently HBO really likes and wants to do its own big announcements, and they think they have an internal leak, or possibly two. They are hunting for the leaks, who will be fired and their names muddied in the industry for years. Parris said that it is also possible that it is someones partner/roommate/coworker who is announcing this stuff, either innocently or purposefully wanting to share it because they are a big fan. Whatever the case, HBO is angry. This is probably good news for us, because it means they care enough that they want to do good press about it.
George also confirmed to me (and again later at his reading) that Jaime and Theon are cast, and that Dany is down to 3 choices.
The other thing I learned was that when the True Blood HBO series came out, the book sales went up 2000%.
The editor of the True Blood books came by and chatted while we were there, and she said HBO is very enthusiastic about backing True Blood with a big line of merchandise and that George should expect the same treatment if the series gets picked up. I got the impression from George that he is fairly confident that he will get one season to start, although he didnt come right out and say it.
Relatedly, at his reading George said that the pilot is setting an HBO record for the highest number of series regulars hired, and that’s quite possibly not a good thing because they have to hold onto them all so they dont have to recast in the middle. He mentioned that Jaime Lannister is almost not present in aCoK at all, so the actors contract will have to be structured in a way so that he understands he will have season 2 off but will be back to full time in season 3.
Also at the reading, George said that the hardest role to cast is Bran. He’s he youngest main character, the most magical, and he is crippled, which is a pretty hard role for a 10 year old boy.
Winter Is Coming: I guess HBO trying to shut down the leaks explains why the rumors have really dried up for this round of casting. I haven’t heard anything about any possible actors this time around and every other major announcement (Dinklage, Bean, Ehle) I had heard a rumor or two prior to the announcement. It is encouraging to know that they care enough about the series to want to make sure the publicity is done right though. Although I find it humorous that they insist on shutting down leaks so they can make a “big announcement” – which consists of a short article posted on The Hollywood Reporter at 11 PM on a Sunday night!
Nice to hear George is confident of at least one season. It certainly seems that those who feel that HBO is going to give them that one year to see if the series can gain traction are correct.
A little disconcerting to hear that HBO is setting up the biggest regular cast in their history. HBO has had some large casts of series regulars in the past so this is quite a feat. It certainly means the budget is going to be big. The good news is that despite the large cast, they seem set on acquiring quality actors. Not just throwing up a bunch of no-names to keep the budget down. So again, HBO is showing their commitment to this project.
Lastly, the Bran role being the toughest cast makes sense. It seems, based on some of the reports we got on here, that they may have had to go back and do a second round of open auditions after they didn’t like who they got the first time around. This role is going to be very tough to fill. I just hope they can find that one special kid. I have faith in Nina Gold here.
UPDATE: BlueRose edited to add this info:
The current start date for filming of the pilot is October 12th, but George said that the date has been pushed back several times already so not to take that date as set in stone. The majority of the pilot will be filmed in Northern Ireland, and the Irish government has thrown themselves behind the project, which has resulted in many Irish technicians, staff, behind the scenes employees being hired.
Scenes for Dany will be filmed in Morocco.
Loading ...
84 Comments
Thanks, BlueRose, and thank, WiC! An interesting read :)
MarkoQuote Reply
Is the cast really bigger than the main cast of "The Wire?" That cast was really huge as well. If it is bigger, it can't be that much bigger.
BrudeQuote Reply
Some interesting news here. Glad to see that GRRM expects to get a season order from HBO.
BrandonQuote Reply
not the casting info we all wanted, but this does explain a lot. hopefully HBO doesn't take their sweet time getting us more information.
peteyQuote Reply
Honestly I am shocked HBO is doing this much for the stories. I guess they really belive in its potential. I guess they see LOTR meets T&A=Gold.
Now if HBO would make Cyteen a miniseries I could die happy.
GurgiQuote Reply
Really interesting stuff. Thanks BlueRose!
PlainJaneQuote Reply
Brude: Yeah, that is what I'm saying. For HBO to say this cast is big, means it is BIG. Maybe the biggest in TV history? Who knows.
Also, now that we know HBO's apparent fanaticism to keep news on this series under wraps prior to the official announcement, I wonder if Tom Payne really did screw up his chances at landing a role? Would suck for him, if that was the case.
And I guess their knowledge of the casting leaks means they must read my blog…
Hi HBO! Please don't be mad at me for posting the rumors I hear. I do it because I care! Just know that you already have a rabid and devoted fan base for this project, despite not even having shot a pilot yet. And if you want to use my site for any viral marketing, I'd be happy to help. Thanks HBO!
Love,
Winter
:)
WinterIsComingQuote Reply
Yeah, HBO, listen to good old WiC here.
AnonymousQuote Reply
Ned
Catelyn
Robb
Sansa
Arya
Bran
Rickon
Jon
Benjen
Theon
Roderick
Jory
Luwin
Hodor
Robert
Cersei
Joffrey
Myrcella
Tommen
Jaime
Tyrion
Blount
Trant
The Hound
Dany
Illyrio
Viserys
Drogo
Mormont
Thats just for the pilot. That number would easily double over the next few episodes.
svenQuote Reply
I bet the role of Jaime has been filled with a no-name, which is likely for the best. Signing a big name would put the series at risk of losing a star character if something came his way during season 2.
izakmoQuote Reply
I was just watching Deadwood, 20 names in the opening sequence, that was a big cast, this one is going to be BIG, as you said.
Cristiano BernardiniQuote Reply
@sven
Holy crap that's a lot of names.
You forgot one character who might make an appearance, if HBO really wants to cover their bases:
Mance Rayder!
izakmoQuote Reply
Ha — WIC, love the letter to HBO. Can I join??
Dear HBO,
Please please please pick up this show. It's going to be huge. I promise. Look at all of us rabid fans that want to know more about it already!
Hugs and kisses,
Plain Jane
PlainJaneQuote Reply
BlueRose edited her post, added a few things more:
EDIT: more things I remembered.
The current start date for filming of the pilot is October 12th, but George said that the date has been pushed back several times already so not to take that date as set in stone. The majority of the pilot will be filmed in Northern Ireland, and the Irish government has thrown themselves behind the project, which has resulted in many Irish technicians, staff, behind the scenes employees being hired.
Scenes for Dany will be filmed in Morocco.
Cristiano BernardiniQuote Reply
A big cast in deed, and I'm not sure Sven even got all of them. However, I do LOVE that the producers are thinking of things like casting an actor to play Jaime that is okay with taking season 2 off. This means that they are thinking in the direction of the series being successful and running for several years. And that they are committed to not having to recast roles part way through.
furreverQuote Reply
sven: Quite an impressive list, for sure. Though most of those characters wouldn't be considered series regulars.
WinterIsComingQuote Reply
@Cristiano Bernardini
Thanks for the update!
Not surprised at all that the date keeps getting pushed. I'd expect it may be November/December before they get started due to all the casting hurdles yet to get past. I'd rather see HBO take its time and do things right. It's hard to wait, but the series will be better off for it in the long run.
furreverQuote Reply
@izakmo
HAHA yeah it will be neat to see how they handle that. Just a quick little cut to some random guy in the throng that will turn out to be someone of great importance two seasons later.
svenQuote Reply
@sven
Wow, that really is a long list. Of course, some of them probably won't have much bigger role than an extra in the pilot, one or two lines, but still.
HBO shows, especially period pieces like the aforementioned Deadwood, Carnivále or Rome often have a great ensemble cast (one of the reasons I love them), but looks like this is gonna outbid all of them. The tournament episode is gonna be a b*tch.
Good to see HBO cares this much about the pilot, and I hope that GRRM's confidence in ordering the first season proves to be right. And while I love hearing the rumors and the casting news a little bit earlier than the official announcement, I'll force myself to be patient if it means HBO sticks to the show. :)
Bran is going to be a tough one, indeed. His is a hard, emotionally heavy and crucial role, especially for a child. Fingers crossed for finding the young actor who can pull it off.
GainesQuote Reply
@sven
That's quite a list. izakmo is right that Mance could appear too, but he doesn't have to- or we might just see an extra hidden behind a big cloak in the distance to cover that item for now.
Can I think of any to add to the list for the pilot? Obviously plenty of extras, the one off characters from the start but they're not main cast. Do Dany's handmaids count? The other Dothraki characters who become important later on might appear in the pilot too.
What about Maester Pycelle, does he count?
ShinyteapotQuote Reply
Guys like Blount and Trant probably don't have any lines at all. But they are always around so you still have to retain the same actors over a long period of time.
Jory is another one they could probably just write out of the story completely. But I think Ned and Jaime's meeting in Kings Landing will have more impact if at least one of Ned's men has a face we recognize.
svenQuote Reply
Casting the pilot is one thing, casting the series is even bigger, you've got to cast the court, with other major roles: Varys, Littlefinger, Pycelle… and the Nightswatch
Cristiano BernardiniQuote Reply
"Although I find it humorous that they insist on shutting down leaks so they can make a "big announcement" – which consists of a short article posted on The Hollywood Reporter at 11 PM on a Sunday night!"
I guess the only reason is that The HR pays them for the scoop, which to HBO is a nice piece of cash for doing nothing. Fair enough too, if it helps the project.
AnonymousQuote Reply
I'm afraid that the Bran and Arya storylines are going to be weak points for the series simply because it will be hard for child actors to carry the story.
I'm trying to think of a decent television drama where a ten-year-old kid played a true leading role. Nothing comes to mind.
izakmoQuote Reply
I say if HBO wants to keep all the announcements to themselves, then they need to be more punctual about making them. ¬__¬
Stingy bastahds.
(And I mean that in the best way. >_>;)
LaurenQuote Reply
If the cast tops The Wire's then I can't imagine it not being the largest in TV history.
Great news today though despite the lack of casting announcements. All this is just more strong evidence that HBO is really set on making AGOT something very special indeed.
I still can't believe it's actually happening though. It's just off-the-frickin-charts exciting!!
dholdsQuote Reply
From Pat's Fantasy Hotlist:
http://www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com/
"Then George seemed very happy to answer basically every question that popped inside my head. I got a few sideways glances, followed by a "We are still off the record, right?" Anyone who thinks that George — or any other SFF author, for that matter — confides secrets to me is crazy. So no, I don't know any more than you do about Jon, Arya, and the rest. But we did discuss the HBO TV series for quite some time, and yes for the time being I might be aware of a few details that will soon be announced. GRRM revealed that Jaime and Cersei are extremely difficult to cast. As twins, they must look alike. But every time they found a good Jaime, they couldn't find a good Cersei to go with him, and vice versa. But with the recent announcement that Jaime has been cast, I wonder if that means that they have given up on getting two actors that are nearly identical. The same thing goes for every Stark sibling. It's very hard to find good child actors, and Rob, Arya, Bran, and Sansa have important roles to play if the series is picked up."
Apparently he met with GRRM at Worldcon and had a good chat with him about stuff.
SilverstarQuote Reply
Hope he didn't make him plunk his magic twanger…
AnonymousQuote Reply
Well, it's 10 PM for me, I've gotta go clubbing, Richie Hawtin(!!!!!) is waiting for me.
Cristiano BernardiniQuote Reply
HBO must like the direction Martin and co are going int then to be as mad as Parris said.
BubbaQuote Reply
Silverstar, thanks for the info (also glad to have you back posting on here again!)
Interesting that they were concentrating so hard on getting actors that looked alike. I would have thought that from the beginning they would just go for talent and on-screen chemistry and get by with looks that are similar (blond hair, green eyes, etc.).
WinterIsComingQuote Reply
Does anyone know if it's normal for a show to be getting so much attention and buzz even before the pilot is done and the series given the go-ahead? Was it similar with the Sopranos, or Rome, or Deadwood for example? Just seems like there's an awful lot of interest/rumors/leaks for a series which may not even happen yet (though I'm pretty convinced it will).
AnonymousQuote Reply
"Silverstar, thanks for the info (also glad to have you back posting on here again!)"
Thanks :)
SilverstarQuote Reply
I love news! even if it is just news that no more news will be leaked anytime soon!
AnonymousQuote Reply
@sven
I don't think Trant, Blount or Hodor are mentioned in the pilot leaked script, though I think at least Trant should be. I'm sure they have no lines. Mance is definitely not in the leaked script.
You forgot Pycelle, Septa Mordane and the horse master (I forget his name).
Anyways, this is a HUGE casr for just the pilot. I counted 32 when I did my own check. BTW SPOILER 7 of those are going to be dead before the season is over… that's 20 percent.
amirmQuote Reply
I wonder what pieces information were leaks, I can only think of Sean Bean. Others I can think of are a few actor twitters, but I don't consider those 'leaks'.
In any case, I think HBO will have a lot of trouble keeping these facts in the bag for any extended period of time. I think it this is one of the most fan-anticipated HBO series ever, other than for instance Band of Brothers or the Pacific.
But enough tooting our own horns. I can certainly see HBOs side, where you don't want to have your announcements too early, and people forgetting again. But I still see 'omg Sean Bean cast' twitters every day.
When you do announce any titbit HBO, we'll make sure everyone hears of it and remembers it for many months to come. :)
SparqQuote Reply
PS I heard from a very reliable source that HBO needs a job and an education. If HBO puts out a season of GoT, I will be best friends with them 4ever and will ignore these and other past misgivings.
Mister Hanky the Christmas BeanQuote Reply
For those who will stay and wait for the news all night long…wish you a big announcement..and I hope, I will read it in the morning.
Waiting makes me crazy…
Good night..
…white rabbit.
AnonymousQuote Reply
Hard to believe that Jaime would be cast without HBO already knowing who/what Cersei looks like. Sometimes you gotta sign them in pairs.
Dante Inferno Almighty Fiery Caesar NeroQuote Reply
Pycell is in the leaked script. There is a scene where he talks with Cersei in King's Landing before she and Robert and the rest come north.
I guess the only reason is that The HR pays them for the scoop, which to HBO is a nice piece of cash for doing nothing. Fair enough too, if it helps the project.
THR doesn't pay for scoops. They, along with Variety, run a service basically, which everyone in the industry needs and uses to keep informed of what's going on, and so these same folks can promote their own successes and what their companies are doing. What they print is a kind of news, but it's all very industry friendly and comes from the PR departments of these companies. That's why they are called "trades," just like every other industry trade publication, they print what is going on so others in the biz can keep up.
The difference with these two and say, the trades for insurance companies (I worked in that industry too…::snore::), is that the media and public at large care more about what they do, so it gets more attention.
BrudeQuote Reply
Wic, that sucks that someone will get fired because of what you posted. Oh well
AnonymousQuote Reply
GREAT news, IMHO.
HBO seems to care a great deal about not only making the pilot extremely good, but planning for the future as well. This kind of foresight reminds me of Peter Jackson's LOTR.
If my memory serves, when New Line gave the green light to Jackson, they simultaneously invested record amounts of money in the project before a single actor had been cast, and well before any locations had been set in stone. They also gave Jackson the directorial latitude he needed to make the project sing–almost exclusive control over script, casting, effects, locales, editing, etc.
And, as we all know from our early 21st Century History classes, that kind of trust and investment in a project paid off handsomely for New Line. More than handsomely. XD
And, as an added bonus, New Line, Jackson, and Co., managed to make some of the most beautiful, stunning works of cinema to ever grace the screen.
Sounds like HBO wants to follow that pattern… They'd be fools to not want to.
ebvQuote Reply
Someone's going to get fired over Sean Bean leaked as Ned? Can you tell HBO that I can see into the future by way of *signs*, and that when I found a bean in my skivvies that fateful day, I knew then that Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, Lord Paramount of the North, and Warden of the North, was cast. I proceeded to tell the rabble from my soap box about the gift-in-my-pants, yet no one believed me. Then I decided to pretend I had insider info, all serious-like, and emailed WiC from a false yet astonishing alias, and that I had heard from a very reliable source that bla bla bla. And that ignited a fire I wrote home to my momma about, she was so proud.
TTFN
Mister Hanky the Christmas BeanQuote Reply
Well, LOTR had like 50 years of incubation and failed projects in its shadow. Huge popularity. It was bound to happen, it took the film industry a long long time to figure out how to pull it off. I don't think it can be compared to HBO's GoT, which will probably 'feel' more real than the LOTR trilogy.
lapsterQuote Reply
Fascinating stuff. I can't believe how ambitious HBO seems to be with this series. Very exciting.
Ser_not_appearingQuote Reply
I was wondering has anyone else here auditioned for sansa and have they heard anything?
AnonymousQuote Reply
Is it sure that the articles posted on THR for Bean and Ehle weren't "official announcements"? Maybe they were leaked to THR by someone before HBO was planning on making the official press release.
It seems like they wouldn't care too much that a relatively small group like this one posting that they MAY have heard something that MAY come true would get them that upset. If anything, the tidbits dropped here and there are actually really helping to build up this site and are creating more buzz than just an announcement would cause. People are foaming at the mouth, and staying up until 4am checking this and 3 other sites on a continuous cycle! That's not a bad thing for HBO. :)
ChrisQuote Reply
Dammit, EDIT**
Is it sure that the articles posted on THR for Bean and Ehle were, in fact, "official announcements?
** End EDIT
ChrisQuote Reply
Why don't the cast 90% from the Northern Ireland Actors Guild, make only the major roles made of big name actors.
Ned
Catelyn
Robert
Tyrion
Cersei
Jamie
Tywin
Jon
Rob
Danerys
Jorah
Illyrio
Viserys
and the rest from NI
ebleyesQuote Reply
I cracked the code!
"but George is a monster of inhuman cruelty"
GRRM will be playing the Mountain that Rides!
AnonymousQuote Reply
YAY!!!! I've been prayin in the Godswood nightly hoping that he'd get at least a cameo!!!! Parris MUST be a lady of the court at the very least as well!!!!!
JaimeeQuote Reply
Hodor needs to be there. He may have no lines in the pilot (maybe they can squeeze in just one…his only one come to think of it) but you need to have someone so distinctive in the background. Others I can think of who would eventually have some likely lines that should be in the banquet scene would be Old Nan and Vallon and Jeyne Poole. It would be a shame to cut Nan put completely as he fables color so much of the world as bran sees it. Vallon Poole might be cutable, but Jeyne will be important for later scenes int he Red Keep and might be very crucial seasons later depending on where Martin goes with Roose Bolton and his bastard. Beth Cassel is another household member that might need to be in there.
LordnedsheadQuote Reply
Can't we just cut Bran out altogether? Please? Really, he just drags the whole story down.
Only being half-serious…
AnonymousQuote Reply
Sorry for all the typos. Barely able to keep my eyes open. The rolls I've mentioned above would all be acceptable cuts for the pilot, but how much more realistic if you could precast (or postcast and reshoot elements of the banquet if the series gets picked up) them to be included in episode one. Then later after their roles are fleshed out more, people could go back to see them there from the beginning. I love the Mance Rayder idea, but without some very clever writing we as viewers wouldn't know it was him for sure until seasons later.
LordnedsheadQuote Reply
I got the impression that it's the 'pilot' with the biggest regular cast HBO have ever done, and even then I don't think it's a lot more than ROME or THE WIRE. In terms of actual castmembers, THE WIRE in Seasons 3 and 4 had an absolutely gigantic 'regular' (or at least recurring) cast, much bigger than what we are looking at for GoT's pilot. You had both the Barksdale and Stanfield gangs, Omar's team, the mayor's office and the police force, each with a dozen or more characters easily.
The other thing is that in the long term, the series will see a lot of 'regular' characters either dying or dropping down in importance, or rising in importance later on. Margaery is mentioned a lot in Books 2 and 3 (and appears in the latter) but I don't think she even talks until Book 4. I don't think GoT can even be categorised as having a regular cast, given that even major characters like Dany and Jon could well go several episodes at a time without appearing.
Adam WhiteheadQuote Reply
Lordnedshead,
You are right that some roles could await casting until after a series pick-up and be inserted later. Hodor doesn't need to be seen in any actual shots with other cast members, but could be added later as an insert, say during the practice session scene or when Catelyn is chiding Bran for climbing the walls:
Example: Cate yells at Bran, cut to Hodor looking over at them from across the bailey, "Hodor?" Cut to Cate and Bran dialogue.
It's an easy thing to fit him (or others) in the background of the pilot with some simple editing. It's even undesirable to make too much of him when so many other characters are being first introduced. Otherwise it's overload.
Sansa needs to be cast because she's seen so much in shots interacting with other kids and when the two families are meeting when Robert first arrives. Though she has no actual dialogue in the script that first episode, she might wind up having some words at the banquet where the kids are all supposed to be interacting (disruptively), and stuff.
BrudeQuote Reply
I didn't know Sansa had no lines in the pilot.
Being she's my least favourite character I find this a pleasant suprise.
LegionQuote Reply
Sometimes series re-film their pilot once they get picked up. I wonder if, despite production costs, they would consider doing that for several reasons – keeping the child characters looking consistent with the rest of the season (if it goes a little while between the pilot and episode 2, some of the youngest kids could age a bit or look a little different), adding cast members, etc.
AshliQuote Reply
Hollywoodreporter.com hasn't been working so well for the last half hour or so…
"This webpage is not available.
The webpage at http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ might be temporarily down or it may have moved permanently to a new web address.
More information on this error"
I hope us ASOIAF fans aren't making the site crash. lol
AnonymousQuote Reply
"Sometimes series re-film their pilot once they get picked up. I wonder if, despite production costs, they would consider doing that for several reasons – keeping the child characters looking consistent with the rest of the season (if it goes a little while between the pilot and episode 2, some of the youngest kids could age a bit or look a little different), adding cast members, etc."
They might refilm not the whole pilot, but only some scenes – e.g. only ones featuring child actors.
AusirQuote Reply
It's just gone back up.
No news.
Adam WhiteheadQuote Reply
boo-urns…
JillQuote Reply
Its been my hunch for a while, and GRRM's comments at Worldcon seem to give strength to be belief, that HBO would not be gathering up this large ensemble to begin with unless they were already committed to putting out at least the first season of the project.
I don't mean to read too much into what a second party reported that GRRM said, and I am definately still taking everything with a large grain of sea salt sent to me by the Damphair. Things are definately, cautiously looking up.
If that is in fact the case, hopefully Ashli's concerns about time gaps won't be much or any of a factor.
LordnedsheadQuote Reply
Site still won't load for me
AnonymousQuote Reply
The THR site has been redesigned, they must have been uploading the new graphics.
BrudeQuote Reply
Or maybe not…it looked different to me at first and a new icon was loading up next to the web address…but it mostly is the same…never mind.
Weird.
BrudeQuote Reply
Let's face it- the Stark kids have to grow up pretty quickly anyway. I don't think the time gap between shooting of the pilot and the more and more probable entirety of the 1st season will be problematic for casting these kids. Besides, for the emotional maturity needed when cast they'll probably be older than written in real life, then "younged" down in style and makeup. This also allows them to grow with the rolls as (to the old gods I pray) the series continues.
BrienneQuote Reply
Looks like no news tonight.
furreverQuote Reply
for those who don't think that LotR has laid the groundwork for the potential success of GoT on HBO, think again. without LotR, not only would we not likely have GRRM's series, we wouldn't have the 3 film canon which belongs in the AFI hall of fame. without this epic work of box office and cinematic superiority, there would be nobody at HBO who cared much to greenlight a more adult/visceral interpretation of this genre. and without that interest, there would be no winter-is-coming.blogspot.com for us to postulate and pontificate within.
so yeah, i'd say one begets the other, no?
also, i sure HOPE this has the largest cast in TV history, because geez, it's almost like this series is the LotR of all TV series. (in honestly though, The Wire will — at any given episode — still likely have more series regulars than GoT ever will. GoT is ironically a narrower series of character stories, with passerby and the occasional sidekicks. The Wire was a sprawling characterization of an entire city, and all of its gritty embodiments).
…ryan
Ryan DunnQuote Reply
I really need to watch the wire…
JillQuote Reply
what's the big deal? why can't they just release the info now?
AnonymousQuote Reply
@Jill
yes… you do… really. some of the best characters ever penned for the screen, imo. and i'm not the only one who thinks so. here is a collection of other renowned writers' opinions (including irvine welsh of trainspotting fame) on why the wire just might be the best tv show ever made…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/20/television.irvinewelsh
…ryan
Ryan DunnQuote Reply
@ryan
I've heard nothing but great things. I watched the first episode, then a friend took back his dvds lol
JillQuote Reply
The aging of kids between the pilot and the first regular episode can really look weird….just look at AJ from Sopranos. In the pilot he's so much younger then in Episode 2 that it looks really weird.
That's why I hope HBO would greenlit the first season already before the pilot finishes shooting so that they can go on filming without a break.
AnonymousQuote Reply
The pilot & the series will be maybe on a short period of time. I think that if the product has a good quality (im sure it will have) HBO will start the recording the regular first season as soon as possible, in order to show on the air maybe on June-September 2010.
Why? Because if there are not more delays on Dance, i think that GRRM will finish dance before the end of 2009, and it will be published on mid 2010, if the series are on the air, or near. Both product will be promoted and the sales of the books will increase a lot.
:)
ZeroQuote Reply
I think you'll have a long wait if you're expecting to hear who has been cast as Sansa, Bran, Arya etc. I don't think the under 16s will be announced officially at all (unless they do cast a major star in one of the roles like Dakota Blue Richards).
AnonymousQuote Reply
This is really exciting news …. I do believe that HBO is going to try for a 1st season, they've seen the success that LoTRs had, that the SyFy network is doing great with their programing, that Showtime has their own quality of programming (and that's saying alot, I remember when Showtime was second rate to HBO) look how successful the Tudors are, amongst others, … let alone the fan base for these books … believe me THEY KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR HANDS!!!! …. and they know its potential!!
LadyNYC74Quote Reply
As for the pickup question: The pilot for AGOT relies heavily on its presentation, much more than on script and premise. We will have to wait until HBO can judge the series by its actual execution before they will consider picking it up.
AnonymousQuote Reply
"sven: Quite an impressive list, for sure. Though most of those characters wouldn't be considered series regulars."
I assumed that by 'series regulars', they just meant 'will appear in more than one episode', therefore they'd need to cast someone who would be able to appear in subsequent episodes. There are very few characters that we really only see once or twice, so almost every character in the pilot, sans background extras, will be needed again somewhere down the line.
I imagine most other series tend to have quite a few 'one episode only' characters.
SilverstarQuote Reply
As for HBO being displeased, I agree with previous opinions that their announcements are really low-key. I guess they are mostly concerned with the future marketing of the series, and want to seal the leaks before that. For now, as I have mentioned before, my feeling is that HBO wants to time their announcements wisely, nothing else. The rumours and scoops so far haven't done any harm, in my opinion, probably quite the opposite.
The cast is indeed big, especially for the pilot. Partly because the story has been already written, so they need to consider the future developments starting from day one. On the other hand, as George said, the nature of the contracts will be quite specific, so that might balance the sheer numbers out a bit (which means less pressure on the budget, phew). Furtheremore, as others have already said, many roles – including major ones – are 'transient' in nature :) that should help. One way or the other, this is one hell of a great big production which we all hope will make history.
MarkoQuote Reply
Seeing this on-screen in June 2010 is unrealistic, I'm afraid. My guess is that they wouldn't re-mount shooting on S1, if commissioned, until spring/summer 2010. That puts a realistic air date in early 2011, and even that might be optimistic.
Adam WhiteheadQuote Reply
There's a year-year and a half difference between the shooting of pilot and the premiere date in case of HBO shows (that's what I understood from Wikipedia). So the earliest realistic date would be late 2010-early 2011.
With the "Winter is coming" tagline, it's reasonable to assume that the premiere will take place in autumn/winter.
AlexQuote Reply
I think Adam is likely right.
If this is filming in October, chances are it wont be seen until mid next year.
Depending then on how they shoot, it could be ready to go by next Winter….but I have the feeling it might even be later than that and if they go with the Winter is Coming tag line, they may even hold off until they can properly line it up in October/November 2011……!
LegionQuote Reply
I own http://www.gameofthrones.info – Is any one interested in developing it with me?
TopazQuote Reply