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Tag: Game of Thrones

Watch an Emotional ‘Game of Thrones’ Reunion Special Clip

HBO/YouTube

“Game of Thrones” was on TV for a long time, and a new clip from HBO’s reunion special offers a stark reminder.

The touching sneak peak shows the special’s host, Conan O’Brien, showing the cast footage from their time on the hit series, starting with the very early days. For the youngest cast members such as Maisie Williams (Arya) and Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran), there’s material from when they were half as old as they are now. Not only is it adorable, it provides a very visual representation of the show’s longevity.

Another fun facet of the clip is that it doesn’t just show scenes from the series; there is also behind-the-scenes footage of the actors from the many years of filming.

“It’s my first-ever filming of anything,” a very baby-faced Kit Harington says at one point.

Watch below and see how the show’s stars have changed.

The reunion special will be included in HBO’s Blu-ray release of “Game of Thrones: The Complete Collection,” which goes on sale Dec. 3.

June 27, 2019
‘Game of Thrones’ Prequel Begins Filming in Northern Ireland

HBO

Fans who were unsatisfied with last month’s “Game of Thrones” series finale have a fresh opportunity to explore the world of Westeros, thanks to a new prequel series that’s been ordered to pilot at HBO. And now comes word that that episode has finally started filming, in a location that should look plenty familiar to “Thrones” devotees.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the pilot for prequel “The Long Night” (the show’s current working title, which was also the name of an episode of the final season of “Thrones”) just began production in Northern Ireland. That’s the same country that served as home base for “Thrones” throughout the show’s entire eight-season run, and we can’t help but think that the creative team is planning on re-using some of the same locations for this new show.

Of course, if that happens, the setting won’t look completely the same: “The Long Night” takes place thousands of years before the events of “Game of Thrones,” in a version of Westeros that is “a different and older world,” according to “A Song of Ice and Fire” author George R.R. Martin. And there’s still the possibility that the series could shoot in other countries, too, though that has not yet been confirmed yet, EW reports.

“The Long Night,” created by Jane Goldman (“X-Men: First Class”) from a story by Martin, features headliner and Oscar nominee Naomi Watts, and a sprawling cast that includes Miranda Richardson in a key role, Josh Whitehouse, Naomi Ackie, Denise Gough, Jamie Campbell Bower, Sheila Atim, Ivanno Jeremiah, Georgie Henley, Alex Sharp, and Toby Regbo.

If ordered to series, the prequel is expected to debut on HBO sometime in late 2020 or early 2021. Stay tuned.

[via: Entertainment Weekly]

June 18, 2019
MTV Movie & TV Awards: The Complete Winners List

MTV

The MTV Movie & TV Awards honored the year’s biggest blockbusters and fan-favorite franchises lduring last night’s broadcast.

In particular, “Avengers: Endgame” was a big winner, taking home golden popcorn statuettes for best movie, best hero for Robert Downey Jr., and best villain for Josh Brolin.

On the TV side, “Game of Thrones” won best show. The Netflix teen romantic comedy “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” scooped up several awards, including best kiss and breakthrough performance for Noah Centineo.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson received the Generation Award, and Jada Pinkett Smith accepted the Trailblazer Award.

The ceremony was hosted by “Shazam!” star Zachary Levi and filmed on June 15.

BEST MOVIE
Avengers: Endgame

BEST SHOW
Game of Thrones

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MOVIE
Lady Gaga (Ally) – A Star is Born

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SHOW
Elisabeth Moss (June Osborne/Offred) – The Handmaid’s Tale

BEST HERO
Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man) – Avengers: Endgame

BEST VILLAIN
Josh Brolin (Thanos) – Avengers: Endgame

BEST KISS
Noah Centineo & Lana Condor (Peter Kavinsky & Lara Jean) – To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

REALITY ROYALTY
Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Noah Centineo (Peter Kavinsky) – To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

BEST FIGHT
Captain Marvel – Captain Marvel vs. Minn-Erva

BEST REAL–LIFE HERO
Ruth Bader Ginsburg – RBG

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE
Daniel Levy (David Rose) – Schitt’s Creek

MOST FRIGHTENED PERFORMANCE
Sandra Bullock (Malorie) – Bird Box

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Surviving R. Kelly

BEST HOST
Nick Cannon – Wild ‘n Out

MOST MEME-ABLE MOMENT
The Bachelor – Colton Underwood jumps the fence

BEST MUSICAL MOMENT
A Star is Born – “Shallow”

June 18, 2019
‘Game of Thrones’ Stars Expected to Attend Final Comic-Con

Helen Sloan/HBO

“Game of Thrones” has ended, but the cast members are not quite done with their duties. There may be one more return to Comic-Con Hall H for at least some of them, Deadline reports.

HBO is in talks with the San Diego Comic-Con organizers, according to Deadline’s sources. The event is expected to be attended by some of the main cast members, including Kit Harington (Jon Snow). Meanwhile, George R.R. Martin, the writer of the book series that inspired the TV show, is also expected to appear. HBO has not commented.

“Game of Thrones” was last at SDCC in 2017. That was the first time the show was there ahead of a season rather than at the end of one, The San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial Blog notes. This year, the show will once again appear having finished a season. However, given the mixed reaction to the show’s final chapter, it could be a somewhat different experience. Whatever the case, we suspect it won’t be without nostalgia.

SDCC 2019 takes place July 18 to 21, so we should be hearing more about the “Game of Thrones” event soon. We’re also waiting to hear about HBO’s plans for “Westworld” — namely, if it will finally return to Comic-Con. Ah, the suspense.

[via: Deadline]

June 10, 2019
Kit Harington Checked Into Rehab After Filming Bleak ‘Game of Thrones’ Finale

HBO

Filming the brutal ending of “Game of Thrones” has reportedly taken a toll on star Kit Harington, who checked into rehab for stress and alcohol use before the show’s series finale, Page Six reports.

The end of the show, especially [SPOILER] his character Jon Snow having to kill his lover, “really hit him hard,” multiple sources confirmed to the gossip page.

Wife Rose Leslie, who played previous love Ygritte on the HBO hit series, is being “extremely supportive,” according to the article. “Everyone close to him really wanted him to get some rest. Right now, he just needs peace and quiet.”

A rep for the actor told Page Six, “Kit has decided to utilize this break in his schedule as an opportunity to spend some time at a wellness retreat to work on some personal issues.”

Behind-the-scenes footage of the first table read for the finale showed Harington breaking down in tears and holding his hand over his mouth in horror as he learned his character would kill power-mad lover Daenerys (Emilia Clarke).

https://twitter.com/jorywea/status/1132819302980177925

He later told Jimmy Fallon, “I was very shocked and surprised … then I blubbed my eyes out. I cried.”

He recently told Variety he was very uncomfortable about becoming the focus of the show when Jon Snow was killed and then came back to life: “My darkest period was when the show seemed to become so much about Jon… When you become the cliffhanger of a TV show, and a TV show probably at the height of its power, the focus on you is f—–g terrifying.

“That was a time when I started therapy and started talking to people,” he said, “I had felt very unsafe, and I wasn’t talking to anyone.”

He also told Esquire in April that he had a “full-on breakdown” after filming his final scenes for “Game of Thrones” and that he felt he was” being skinned” after taking off his costume.

“My final day of shooting, I felt fine… then I went to do my last shots and started hyperventilating a bit …Then they called ‘wrap’ and I just f—-g broke down. It was this onslaught of relief and grief about not being able to do this again.”

We wish him all the best, of course.

Other “Games of Thrones” stars recently shared what an emotional toll filming the devastating Red Wedding scene took on them.

All the hugs, everyone.

May 28, 2019
‘Game of Thrones’ Writer Revealed Alternate Fate of Killed off Character

Helen Sloan/HBO

The great game could have ended differently for one “Game of Thrones” character who died in Season 8.

Fans always knew there were going to be a lot of deaths as the fantasy drama series sped to its end, but the writers originally thought to spare us one. There was a character they originally wanted to keep alive but couldn’t, writer Dave Hill told EW during a recent interview. He explained the dilemma and why the writers ultimately made the decision they did.

There are spoilers ahead if you haven’t already watched “Game of Thrones” Season 8.

The character in question was Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen). He died in the Battle of Winterfell, heroically defending his beloved queen, Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke). However, the writers envisioned a different fate for him when they started working on Season 8: Ser Jorah rejoining Jon Snow (Kit Harington) at The Wall.

“For a long time we wanted Ser Jorah to be there at The Wall in the end,” Hill said. “The three coming out of the tunnel would be Jon and Jorah and Tormund [Kristover Hivju].”

Alas, it didn’t happen because the writers didn’t think the logic worked. They couldn’t imagine Jorah leaving Daenerys’s side for him to get there, and ultimately, they thought his sacrifice for her was more fitting.

“Jorah should have the noble death he craves defending the woman he loves,” Hill told EW.

Jorah’s was one of the final season’s many major deaths, and Glen seemed to be at peace with it. The actor talked about the ending of “Game of Thrones” long before it ever aired, and Glen called it “brilliant.” He might not have made it to the very end, but he did make it long enough to earn a “Game of Thrones” tattoo.

[via: EW]

May 23, 2019
HBO President Responds to ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8 Criticism: ‘You Can’t Please Everybody’

Macall B. Polay/HBO

Critics of “Game of Thrones” Season 8 shouldn’t expect to find much sympathy from HBO President Casey Bloys. The exec responded to criticism during a recent Variety interview, and he said to “file this under you can’t please everybody.”

From a viewership standpoint, the final season was a wild success. The “Game of Thrones” series finale set an HBO ratings record. However, many of those fans weren’t happy with how the final season played out. A petition calling for a total remake of Season 8 has garnered nearly 1.5 million signatures at the the time of this writing. And yet, Bloys made it clear that he’s not worried about the divided response.

“I think to a certain extent it was expected that for a show this big, there’s no way you’re going to please everybody,” he told Variety. “It’s roughly split with some people loving it and some people disliking it. … You’re never going to make everybody happy, nor should that be the goal.”

Bloys commended “Game of Thrones” showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, saying that they “did a great job.” He also defended their decision to only include six episodes in Season 8, noting that they had a “very, very specific plan in their head for a long time.”

The HBO head isn’t the only one to defend Season 8. Multiple “Game of Thrones” stars have spoken out as well, including Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), who called the petition “disrespectful” and also chocked people’s disappointment up to the show not ending how they wanted it to. We don’t think it’s fair to discount all fan criticism, but the reaction from people involved with the show is understandable, too. They put a lot of hard work into the season, and we can’t imagine it feels good to hear it wasn’t good enough.

With the network and actors behind “Game of Thrones” Season 8, the chances of a remake seem to be all but zero. Fans, like the people of the Six Kingdoms, will just have to live with the decisions made by those in power.

[via: Variety]

May 22, 2019
HBO Boss Rules Out ‘Game of Thrones’ Sequels

HBO

What’s west of Westeros? If Arya Stark ever finds out the answer, “Game of Thrones” fans will never know.

HBO’s fantasy epic concluded earlier this week with a divisive series finale. Whether it was satisfying or not, the finale left quite a few characters facing open-ended futures, including Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) sailing on the open seas to uncharted territory. Sounds perfect for a sequel spinoff!

Unfortunately, it nor any other sequels will ever exist, as HBO programming president Casey Bloys told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview.

“Nope, nope, nope. No,” Bloys adamantly said of sequels.

“Part of it is, I do want this show — this ‘Game of Thrones,’ Dan [Weiss] and David [Benioff’s] show — to be its own thing. I don’t want to take characters from this world that they did beautifully and put them off into another world with someone else creating it. I want to let it be the artistic piece they’ve got.

“That’s one of the reasons why I’m not trying to do the same show over. George has a massive, massive world; there are so many ways in. That’s why we’re trying to do things that feel distinct — and to not try and redo the same show. That’s probably one of the reasons why, right now, a sequel or picking up any of the other characters doesn’t make sense for us.”

Instead, HBO is focused on one prequel spinoff set thousands of years before “Game of Thrones,” which is shooting its pilot this summer. There are also two other spinoffs in development.

Then again, Bloys did say “right now.” As Tyrion Lannister said in the finale, perhaps we should ask him again in 10 years.

May 22, 2019
Amazon’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ Series Just Hired This ‘Game of Thrones’ Writer/Producer

New Line

If you’re a diehard “Game of Thrones” fan, you already know Bryan Cogman, a writer and producer on the Emmy-winning series who’s penned some of the show’s favorite episodes.

Now Cogman has been officially hired to consult on Amazon’s upcoming “Lord of the Rings” television series. And he’s also writing a live-action remake of Disney classic “The Sword in the Stone” for Disney+. (Wild guess how many swords he owns in real life?)

Cogman got his start on “Thrones” as assistant to the show’s showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. He was credited as the screenwriter for 11 episodes, including “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” widely praised as one of the best “GoT” episodes ever.

He has three Emmys (along with the rest of the show’s producers) for “Game of Thrones’ three Best Drama Series wins.

No specific details or cast has yet been announced for the “Lord of the Rings,” series although Amazon has dismissed the rumor that it will be about young Aragorn (played by Viggo Mortensen in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy).

Best guess now is that the series will follow Sauron as he rises to power. So we’re expecting lots of battles and betrayals.

We also don’t have a production start date for the production, which is estimated to have a $1 billion budget.

[Via IndieWire, Variety]

May 21, 2019
Sophie Turner Slams ‘Disrespectful’ Fan Petition to Remake ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8

HBO

The dust is still settling in Westeros after the “Game of Thrones” series finale, and fans are continuing to furiously debate the merits of the show’s ending. One vocal faction wants to see the entirety of season eight remade — an idea that one of the show’s stars thinks is especially petty.

In an interview with The New York Times, Sophie Turner offered her thoughts on the “Thrones” swan song, and the final outcome for her character, Sansa Stark. While Turner said she personally was pleased with how the series wrapped, she told the Times she was “not surprised” by some of the more bitter fan reactions.

“People always have an idea in their heads of how they want a show to finish,” Turner said, “and so when it doesn’t go to their liking, they start to speak up about it and rebel.”

One way that’s happening is with a fan petition to remake the entire final season, with organizers stipulating that they want “competent writers” at the helm. More than 1.4 million people (and counting) have already signed.

Turner didn’t mince words when telling the Times what she thought of the petition, slamming it as “disrespectful” and bitter.

The actress said:

All of these petitions and things like that — I think it’s disrespectful to the crew, and the writers, and the filmmakers who have worked tirelessly over 10 years, and for 11 months shooting the last season. Like 50-something night shoots. So many people worked so, so hard on it, and for people to just rubbish it because it’s not what they want to see is just disrespectful.

It’s highly unlikely that HBO will be remaking season eight anytime soon, especially since this season — and the finale episode in particular — was such a huge ratings hit. But maybe someone will shoot a version based on George R.R. Martin‘s forthcoming final two books in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series — whenever they happen to get released. Just don’t expect that ending to be too different from the current version.

[via: The New York Times]

May 21, 2019