Moviefone Editorial

Tag: @tvprogram:237111

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 7 Has Caused Tourism Overload on Tiny Spanish Island

    What won’t “Game of Thrones” fans do to celebrate their favorite show? The HBO mega-hit series has inspired fans to buy dogs they probably shouldn’t, name said dogs after show characters, and now flock to a tiny island off the coast of Spain.

    Since “Game of Thrones” sent Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) back to her ancestral home, Dragonstone, in Season 7, tourists have been traveling in droves to the islet where the scenes were filmed. Called San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, the small island is off the Basque coast, and it has seen a huge spike in tourism this summer, according to the Spanish newspaper El Pais. In July alone, 75,000 tourists visited.

    Although the Targaryen castle doesn’t actually sit on the islet, fans can see the twisty stairs shown on “Game of Thrones.” (We can only imagine how many selfies have been taken there in recent months.) There is also a chapel on the islet that was already a tourist attraction. Numbers, however, have approximately doubled, one local business owner told El Pais, and she says it “has been a blessing.”

    There is one drawback to all of the visitors, though: The bell that tourists ring after climbing the 241 steps has been working overtime. Not surprisingly, not everyone likes the noise.

    We’ll see where else “Game of Thrones” inspires fans to travel to when Season 8 premieres in late 2018 or early 2019.

    [via: El Pais]

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 7 Was Pirated Over 1 Billion Times

    It’s no secret that “Game of Thrones” is popular, with the show setting new viewership records just about every week this season. But those numbers are nothing compared to how many people are watching the series illegally.

    According to piracy news blog Torrent Freak, new data released by MUSO, a company that monitors piracy trends, reveals that installments from the seventh season of the hit HBO series were watched a total of more than one billion times — an average of roughly 140 million times per episode. That’s a staggering number, especially considering that HBO has been touting the show’s record-breaking (legal) viewership, which topped out at 16.5 million same-day viewers for the season seven finale.

    While 16.5 million views on traditional (and we stress, legal) platforms is certainly nothing to sneeze at, 140 million views per episode is insane, and once again speaks to the enduring popularity of “Thrones.” According to MUSO, HBO’s ongoing problem with leaks and hacks is the obvious source of this jaw-dropping data, and we have to imagine that the premium cable outlet isn’t exactly pleased with this new information.

    “Thrones” is winding down its run, with its eighth and final season is expected to debut sometime in either late 2018 or early 2019. It seems safe to say that the show will remain a prime target for hackers and pirates until the very end.

    [via: Torrent Freak]

  • Ed Sheeran Knows You Hated His ‘Game of Thrones’ Cameo: ‘No One Wants to See Me Come Back’

    Game of Thrones.” The musician recently commented on his cameo from the season seven premiere of the hit HBO series, and it seems he’s well aware of the backlash he inspired.

    In an interview with MTV News, Sheeran spoke about his time in Westeros, and the inspiration behind his appearance (star Maisie Williams, who shared a scene with the singer, is a huge fan). As he explained, Sheeran said “a very easy yes” when approached to take the role of a singing Lannister soldier.

    Sheeran went on to say that he thought his character was probably due for an early death, and according to the actor, that was for the best.

    “No one wants to see me come back,” Sheeran told MTV. “I wanted to be a cameo in it, and I’ve done the cameo. I’m cool with it, though.”

    While the singer added that he “enjoyed” his experience, the first part of his comment certainly suggests he’s well aware of how divisive his appearance was. Fan complaints about the cameo were so loud that director Jeremy Podeswa had to come to Sheeran’s defense, and the singer briefly deleted his Twitter account.

    We probably needn’t feel too bad for Sheeran, though: He’s still a rich and famous musician, and at least now he’s got some good fodder for a hit song dragging his “GOT” detractors.

    [via: MTV News]

  • ‘Game of Thrones’: Gwendoline Christie Wasn’t Prepared for Tormund’s Laser Eyes of Love

    A favorite “Game of Thrones” ship is even more intense than it looks.

    Season 7 really “Late Night with Seth Meyers” that Hivju continues using his potent stare on her even after the cameras stop rolling.

    “He likes to continue being in character even off set,” Christie told Meyers of her co-star.

    She described his behavior as “terrifying,” and pulled out a hilarious anecdote as proof. It seems even the simplest of activities, like eating a sandwich, can become seductive moves when Hivju does them.

    “He will start, you know, chewing a sandwich wildly at me. … Really kind of making love to that sandwich as he eyeballs me,” she said. “So strong. Eyes like lasers boring right in.”

    Those laser eyes present a unique challenge, because it is hard for her not to laugh. The classically trained actress admits it is “possibly the one time” that she can’t help but “dissolve.” The problem, she revealed, is that she wasn’t prepared for Hivju’s lustful gaze, least of all its intensity.

    “No one told me that this was going to happen,” she said of the improvised look that kicked off their budding romance. “I was not expecting the power, the magnitude of … intense sexual intention to pour out of a man’s eyes and cover me.”

    We just hope we’ll get to see more of it in Season 8.

    Watch Christie’s hysterical descriptions below.

    “Late Night with Seth Meyer” airs weeknights at 12:35 a.m. ET/PT on NBC.

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Star Sophie Turner Adopted an Adorable Direwolf Sibling

    Premiere Of HBO's 'Game Of Thrones' Season 7 - Red CarpetMany summers past, Sophie Turner Game of Thrones.” The actress recently introduced a new member of her pack, the impossibly cute Porky Basquiat.

    Porky, of course, already has his own Instagram account with more than 44,000 followers. “His” posts have cute captions about the jet-set life, and hanging out with mum’s boyfriend, Joe Jonas, and his DNCE band.

    Here’s mum’s intro post, followed by some of Porky’s own shots:

    Meet the newest addition to the krew @porkybasquiat ????

    A post shared by Sophie Turner (@sophiet) on

    Ugh. Jet life ????

    A post shared by Porky Basquiat (@porkybasquiat) on

    What is dnce anyway?

    A post shared by Porky Basquiat (@porkybasquiat) on

    Tired of these fakes ????

    A post shared by Porky Basquiat (@porkybasquiat) on

    Face goalz amirite

    A post shared by Porky Basquiat (@porkybasquiat) on

    So cute!

    Peter Dinklage recently joined PETA to ask GoT fans not to buy dogs (especially huskies) just because they look like direwolves, since the dogs often end up abandoned. But he wasn’t saying not to adopt animals, just suggesting people think seriously about the hard work that goes into taking care of a dog, instead of buying one on impulse. He also steered fans toward adopting rescue dogs at shelters.

    It certainly seems like Turner knows what it takes to care for a dog in true A-list style, and we’re looking forward to seeing more of Porky’s jet-set adventures.

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  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Fan Argues Hot Pie Is to Blame for Season 7 Carnage

    Poor Hot Pie is in hot water with “Game of Thrones” fans who have decided he’s at fault for the sorry state of Westeros by the end of Season 7.

    It seems like a strange stand to take, but one fan on Reddit got the ball rolling with this argument (Season 7 SPOILERS, obviously):

    Why HotPie should be the most hated Character in GoT

    Yes, Hot pie is the reason behind All of this.
    Its all because of him , If he didn’t tell Arya that Winterfell is under Stark’s control,Cersei could [be] dead now Jon and his company won’t get a white a walker They won’t go beyond the wall , Visereon would be alive,The wall won’t fall
    And all Westeros would be united against the Night King .
    YES ! It’s Hotpie’s fault

    That post currently has nearly 4,000 upvotes, with more than 200 comments adding still more (tongue-in-cheek) theories, like these two:

    • How did everyone miss the AMAZING foreshadowing in season 3 by Thoros?
    Half the country’s starving and look at this one
    Maybe he’s the reason half the country’s starving?
    What if Hot Pie is in league with the Night King and is going to eat all the food in Westeros to weaken them before the invasion?

    • Of course he’s a secret Targaryen and wants the throne for himself.

    Arya Stark was headed to King’s Landing to kill Queen Cersei Lannister when she had a surprise reunion with Hot Pie that sent her up to Winterfell instead. The saddest thing is that Arya went home in part because Hot Pie said Jon Snow was the King in the North, and she STILL hasn’t reunited with him. But she did get to reunite with Brienne, who got to tell The Hound she’s alive. And Arya reunited with Sansa and Bran, and even bonded with them to take out Littlefinger. So there’s a lot to thank Hot Pie for as well. But yeah. He is probably a secret Targaryen working with The Night King, who is also Bran Stark.

    [via: Mashable]

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  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Bran Actor Responds to The Night King Theory

    Actor “Game of Thrones” theory about The Night King.

    You’ve read the theory by now, yes? It’s one of the many great tinfoil hat fan theories out there, arguing that Bran Stark and The Night King are one and the same. Read the details over here, if you haven’t already.

    Hempstead Wright plays Bran/The Three-Eyed Raven, and broke down GoT Season in a recent interview with Vulture. He called this “the golden period” since Season 7 has finished airing but they haven’t gotten their scripts yet for Season 8 yet. “I can properly theorize and chat, because I don’t know anything that’s going to happen.”

    So his take on Bran and The Night King is just about as good as anyone’s. And he’s read the theory. The Vulture reporter argued against the idea, saying, “Whether or not you buy that, which I personally don’t, there is a resemblance there between them. It’s all eyes on the prize.”

    Here’s Hempstead Wright’s response, and his big picture perspective on the Three-Eyed Raven and The Night King.

    “Maybe. I think it’s less that they’re the same person and more that they’re two of the ancient beings of Westeros. The Three-Eyed Raven has been around for God knows how long, and White Walkers have been reported since the beginning of time. As we’ve seen, they were created by the Children of the Forest, so we can’t get much more ancient than that. Perhaps we can think of it as these are two characters with a huge amount of power, but one is a Frankenstein’s monster who is driven by nothing but hatred and violence. Then there’s Bran, who uses his powers for good. I want to find out why the Night King is so obsessed with destroying mankind. We’ll see whether they have any kind of explanations in the next season. Hopefully we’ll find out cool stuff about both of those characters.”

    Yes, here’s hoping. But, for Sansa’s sake, we can’t quite say he always uses his powers for good, since his big reunion with her included an awkward mention that he pictured her wedding to Ramsay Bolton. He could’ve kept that bit to himself. In his defense, though, he has been very helpful with information since then, including telling Sansa the truth about Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish and now having the full picture of Jon Snow’s heritage. It’s true that we don’t know much about The Night King’s motivations. Will we ever?

    There are only six episodes left to the entire series, but if all six are as long as the 80-minute GoT Season 7 finale, maybe there will be time for more major character revelations.

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  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Fans Want Arya Stark to Get Her Own Spinoff 

    A Girl would make a perfect “Game of Thrones” spinoff lead.

    “Seinfeld” already did a show about nothing, but how about a show about No One? Sure, the GoT spinoffs HBO has in development are all reportedly prequels, but there are also reportedly *five* of them. Can’t at least one of them be an actual “spinoff” spinning off an existing character into her own series?

    Who wouldn’t watch assassin Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) having adventures beyond Winterfell? She could have guest appearances from her new semi-adoptive parents, Brienne and The Hound, and maybe spend more time with Gendry. (Fans have a lot of ideas when it comes to her supporting cast. See below.)

    “Game of Thrones” Season 7 just ended, and there are only six episodes left in total. It’s unclear how much Arya we can expect in Season 8. She at least needs to reunite with Jon Snow. At least.

    Season 7 started with Arya ending House Frey in an epic cold open, and the finale saved room for Arya the Assassin to get in one last key kill. All season long, fans have tweeted their awe for Arya, and hope to see more of the serial slayer in one of the upcoming spinoffs:

    What say you? HBO, author George R.R. Martin, and actress Maisie Williams may have no interest in an Arya spinoff, but if the fans demand it … would they dare say no?

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  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Prophecy Makes Cersei ‘Envious’ of Daenerys, Says Lena Headey

    “Game of Thrones” Season 5 seems so far away now, but one flashback scene it revealed seems especially important now.

    Lena Headey (Cersei) brought up the scene during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. (Season 7 finale spoiler ahead!) While offering her character’s take on Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), whom she met in Episode 7, “The Dragon and the Wolf,” Headey reminded us of the prophecy Cersei heard as a teen and explained that the meeting likely brought the memory “the forefront of her mind.”

    The prophecy, which was revealed in a Season 5 flashback, came from a witch and fortune teller named Maggy (Jodhi May) after teenage Cersei demanded information about her future. The witch complied, and what she said now seems extremely prescient.

    “You’ll be queen … for a time,” she said. “Then comes another — younger, more beautiful — to cast you down and take all you hold dear.”

    Yes, that sounds bad for Cersei, so we can’t blame Headey for thinking her character would be bothered by her rival.

    “I think she’s immediately envious because Daenerys is more beautiful and younger than she is,” the actress said, “and the prophecy says somebody younger and more beautiful will take her place.”

    While Cersei has already lost much of what she holds dear, she still has power, and she has proven she is willing to fight for it. The possibility of losing it gives Cersei a lot to fear, especially since other parts of what Maggy said proved to be true. Not only did the witch predict Cersei’s marriage to a king, Maggy also said she would have — and lose — three children, which is currently true. Depending on whether or not Cersei is actually pregnant and delivers a baby, we’ll know how much weight to give the prophecy.

    “Game of Thrones” Season 8 is due in late 2018 or as late as 2019.

    [via: EW]

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Wisely Cut a Finale Scene That Would’ve Spoiled Sansa’s Surprise

    Spoilers ahead from the “Game of Thrones” Season 7 finale.

    That great “Game of Thrones” Season 7 finale plot twist almost had an awkward extra scene. Sure, it would’ve explained things a bit more, as HuffPost pointed out, but it also would’ve ruined Sansa Stark’s mic drop trial twist. It also might’ve made her look worse — like she really was considering killing her sister Arya Stark instead of purely reading Littlefinger for filth.

    Petyr Baelish’s (“humiliating”) death scene was the result of all three Starks working together, and Bran actor Isaac Hempstead Wright revealed to HuffPost that Bran’s role initially included a scene with Sansa using his vision powers to fact-check:

    “Funny enough, we did actually shoot a scene that didn’t make it into that episode where Sansa knocks on Bran’s door, and I don’t know whether they actually want to change the story, but as I understand it, Sansa came to Bran and goes, ‘Can you just look some of this up before I kill my sister?’ That kind of sentiment. Sansa just checking that fact.”

    It’s a bit disappointing to think Sansa actually thought of killing Arya before Littlefinger. Better that they cut the scene completely to preserve Sansa’s ambush of Lord Baelish. If we had known at that point that Sansa had already approached Bran for background, we’d know that Bran would tell her the truth about Baelish, and the trial scene would’ve been slightly less surprising. Still awesome, but less of a plot twist for the audience as well as Littlefinger.

    Maybe that scene will be among the deleted scenes of the GoT Season 7 release, when it arrives on Blu-ray/DVD/Digital. Or they could just kill it with fire. We don’t need it.

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