Winter has already came and with it news of the DVD release for season 2 of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” Similarly to last year, the second season DVD will be available for purchase one month before the premiere of season 3. Both the Blu-ray and DVD versions of the season will hit store shelves on February 13, 2013.
While the DVD and Blu-ray offering is expensive, sitting at roughly $59.99 and 79.99 respectively, the collections are both beautifully presented and chock full of extras. However, it is wise to note that Amazon currently lists the DVD and Blu-ray for $41.99 and $55.99, respectively.
Both the DVD and Blu-ray will contain audio commentaries for all 10 of season 2′s episodes, featuring observations from the stars, producers, and even A Song of Ice and Fire scribe George R.R. Martin. A half-hour featurette on the effort that went into creating the series-defining Battle of Blackwater Bay will also be included on both versions.
Also, the Blu-ray edition will have a bit more to it when compared to the DVD. Shipping under the HBO Select logo, the Blu-ray of Game of Thrones season 2 will feature an option for in-episode informational pop-ups, an animated history lesson about the continents of Westeros and Essos, a massive battle map tracking the movements of the five armies vying for the Iron Throne, and an apparent plethora of Easter eggs.
The complete list of special features for Game of Thrones season 2 is as follows:
DVD and Blu-Ray Features
Creating the Battle of Blackwater Bay: A 30-minute documentary on the trials and tribulations of putting together one of Game of Throne‘s most intense episodes.
The Religions of Westeros: George R.R. Martin, author of the novels that inspired Game of Thrones, presides over an explanation of the various faiths that move behind the scenes of the show.
Game of Thrones: Inner Circle: Primary Game of Thrones actors participate in a roundtable discussion of what it was like to shoot season 2. Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss moderate.
Audio Commentaries: All episodes will have an accompanying commentary track by stars such as Peter Dinklage and Emilia Clarke, producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and George R.R. Martin.
Blu-ray Exclusive Features:
War of the Five Kings: An interactive guide to Westeros’s fog of war. Lists the accomplishments, failures, tactics, and key players of the fiver would-be Kings struggling for the soul of the continent.
Histories and Lore: A series of animated history lessons that will reveal the great events that have shaped Westeros and the lands beyond the Narrow Sea. Expect detailed explanations of the Nine Free Cities, the Andals and the First Men, and the dragon-riding Freehold of Valyria. Features llustrations from “Game of Thrones” storyboard artist Will Simpson.
In-Episode Guide: An option for pop-up information and resources during viewing.
Hidden Dragon Eggs: Hidden Easter eggs lead to even more bonus content.
Game of Thrones‘ season 2 will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray on February 13, 2013.
Season 3 of “Game of Thrones” is still several months away but fans now have a date to mark on their calendars for the premiere of the highly anticipated new season. Releasing the info in poster form, we will see the return of the series on March 31st, 2013.
“Game of Thrones” season 3 will be based on one half of the third book of the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. The novel, called “A Storm of Swords” features a whole slew of new cast members as well as a pivotal scene that changes everything. Season 4 will feature the second half of the third novel.
Like the previous season, several new cast members are introduced most of which were announced at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con. They include:
Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane, a Wildling raider
Thomas Sangster as Jojen Reed and Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed, two young Crannogman siblings, children of Howland Reed, a Stark bannerman
Tobias Menzies as Edmure Tully, Catelyn Stark’s brother
Clive Russell as Brynden Tully, the “Blackfish”, Catelyn’s uncle
Tara Fitzgerald as Selyse (Florent) Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon’s wife
Kerry Ingram as Shireen Baratheon, their daughter
Diana Rigg as Olenna (Redwyne) Tyrell, the “Queen of Thorns”, Margaery and Loras Tyrell’s grandmother
Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion, the leader of the “Brotherhood Without Banners”
Paul Kaye as Thoros of Myr, a red priest with the Brotherhood
Philip McGinley as Anguy, an archer with the Brotherhood
Mackenzie Crook as Orell Skinchanger, a Wildling
Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei, a Naathi servant of Daenerys Targaryen
Anton Lesser as Qyburn, a former maester of the Citadel
Iwan Rheon as “Boy”
Ciarán Hinds as Mance Rayder, the Wildling “King-Beyond-The-Wall”.
Ed Skrein as Daario Naharis, a Tyroshi mercenary captain
Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm, a eunuch soldier, captain of the ‘Unsullied’
Dan Hildebrand as Kraznys mo Naklaz, a wealthy slaver of the Ghiscari city of Astapor.
Ramon Tikaram as Prendahl ze Ghezn, a captain of a notorious company of sellswords known as the ‘Stormcrows’
Other new characters will include Vargo Hoat, the leader of the mercenary group “Bloody Mummers”. The musicians Will Champion of Coldplay and Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol will make cameo appearances.
Game of Thrones season 3 premieres March 31, 2013 on HBO.
Season 3 of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” is still months away (unfortunately) and with that news is on the upcoming season is still slow going. However, Entertainment Weekly has reported that Coldplay drummer, Will Champion is set to have a cameo as, unsurprisingly, a drummer in the upcoming new season.
Champion isn’t the first musician to cameo on the series, with Snow Patrol lead singer Gary Lightbody also having a small role in season 3.
There is no word yet on when we can expect to see Champion in the new series but with time, more information will be released.
Season 3 of the hit series is based on the third book, A Storm of Swords, in the A Song Of Ice and Fire trilogy written by George R.R. Martin. The season will focus on the first half the novel with season 4 concluding the third book adaptation. Like previous seasons, several new cast members have also been added along side Champion and Lightbody.
New cast members, most of which were announced at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con include:
Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane, a Wildling raider
Thomas Sangster as Jojen Reed and Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed, two young Crannogman siblings, children of Howland Reed, a Stark bannerman
Tobias Menzies as Edmure Tully, Catelyn Stark’s brother
Clive Russell as Brynden Tully, the “Blackfish”, Catelyn’s uncle
Tara Fitzgerald as Selyse (Florent) Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon’s wife (the character, played by an unnamed extra, briefly appeared in the second season’s episode “The North Remembers”)
Kerry Ingram as Shireen Baratheon, their daughter
Diana Rigg as Olenna (Redwyne) Tyrell, the “Queen of Thorns”, Margaery and Loras Tyrell’s grandmother
Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion, the leader of the “Brotherhood Without Banners”(the character, played by David Michael Scott, briefly appeared in the first season’s episode “A Golden Crown”)
Paul Kaye as Thoros of Myr, a red priest with the Brotherhood
Philip McGinley as Anguy, an archer with the Brotherhood
Mackenzie Crook as Orell Skinchanger, a Wildling
Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei, a Naathi servant of Daenerys Targaryen
Anton Lesser as Qyburn, a former maester of the Citadel
Iwan Rheon as “Boy”
Ciarán Hinds as Mance Rayder, the Wildling “King-Beyond-The-Wall”.
Ed Skrein as Daario Naharis, a Tyroshi mercenary captain
Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm, a eunuch soldier, captain of the ‘Unsullied’
Dan Hildebrand as Kraznys mo Naklaz, a wealthy slaver of the Ghiscari city of Astapor.
Ramon Tikaram as Prendahl ze Ghezn, a captain of a notorious company of sellswords known as the ‘Stormcrows’
Other new characters will include Vargo Hoat, the leader of the mercenary group “Bloody Mummers”.
“Game of Thrones” returns with its highly anticipated third season on March 31, 2013.
For fantasy fans, their one true love, the best fantasy series on television, is returning. What can we expect from Game of Thrones, season three? Well, Peter Dinklage’s character, Tyrion Lannister, still bears a scar from his season two exploits. Rumor has it Daenerys may encounter new love. Now that has certainly perked my interest! Brynden Tully; Messandei, acted by the beautiful Nathalie Emmanuel; Orell, acted by Pirates of the Caribbean actor Mackenzie Crook; Jojen and Meera Reed and The Queen of Thorns are all new characters you’ll see on the set. Also, Ciarán Hinds of Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, The Debt, and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance won the role of Mance Rayder, the Wildling “King-Beyond-The-Wall”. I’m really happy about that. Speaking of the set, we’d like to take you there now!
Dubrovnik in Croatia is where Game of Thrones, season three has been filming for over 90 days now. Members of the press were invited out to what passes for King’s Landing thanks to the wizards at HBO. That means we have photos. It’s always lovely to see characters in costume for the series, but what is especially interesting about this batch of images is that the scene being captured doesn’t come directly from any of George R.R. Martin’s books. HBO’s Game of Thrones is usually pretty faithful to the print series of novels. There must be good reason for the addition of something a bit original.
In the scene in question we witness Littlefinger, acted by Aidan Gillen, along with Sophie Turner’s Sansa Stark, Ros, acted by Esme Bianco, and Shae, portrayed by Sibel Kekilli, meeting at King’s Landing.
This particular scene aside, season three of Game of Thrones will follow the third book in the series, A Storm of Swords. It hits HBO on March 31, 2013. I know that seems ages from now, but you don’t get the kind of production quality and action-packed story lines as Game of Thrones is famous for simply overnight. If the wait is killing you, look into playing the RPG from Cyanide and Atius. It’s available for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
But speaking of costumes, aren’t they as lovely as ever? I particularly like the teal and red gown. The sea also looks inviting in Croatia.
When last we encountered the world of Thrones, our dearest Jon was grappling with some killing he was practically forced into executing. He also sees where the wildings are amassing. Meanwhile, White Walkers are on the march and Tyrion has been told some unsettling things about his sister.
Not yet a fan of Game of Thrones? Now’s the time to get on board. Season two saw over 8 million viewers and 12 Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
Many would say creativity and fantasy work go hand in hand. HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones certainly proved as much last Saturday at the creative arts Emmy Awards.
The addictive series based on the works of George R. R. Martin lead the pack, receiving a total of six statuettes at the weekend ceremony. Somewhere, several dire wolves are howling with joy. This was more trophies than any other winning show took home. If you’re a fan, I know you’re not really surprised. These awards, by the way, were designed to recognize technical achievements and give honor in categories not mentioned in more main stream awards programs.
The biggest winner of the night; however, was the Game of Thrones network, HBO, which earned a whopping 17 creative arts Emmys. How did the other networks fare? Well, CBS garnered 13 wins, PBS gathered 11, Discovery won six times, NBC earned five, and ABC and the Cartoon Network both took home four trophies each. Fox won twice.
A few of those categories Game of Thrones was recognized for were best special visual effects, outstanding costumes for a series, outstanding sound editing for a series, and outstanding art direction for a single-camera series. In that last category, Thrones actually tied Boardwalk Empire, but I suppose that was okay since both series belong to HBO.
Game of Thrones will being a drool-worthy third season beginning March 31st, 2013.
If you are wondering about the Emmys we are more familiar with, the telecast with 26 categories, which include acting, writing and directing, will air live on ABC at 8 p.m. EDT next Sunday. It’ll be the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards and Jimmy Kimmel is hosting.
As for the creative arts ceremony, there was at least one major upset of the night. It happened when actor Jeremy Davies won for his guest appearance on the gun-slinging FX series, Justified. Davies plays Dickie Bennett, who is a rival for main character, Deputy Marshall Raylan Givens, played by Timothy Olyphant. Raylan gave Dickie a permanent injury in their younger days and the two are practically mirror images of each other, one light (if not willing to bend the rules more than just a little), and the other dark. I’m a fan of the series and of Davies’s character.
Davies joked,
I have redefined the meaning of flabbergasted. [This] means that I think I’m officially getting away with my misfit self in this business. Is this actually happening? Is it too late for a recount?
Though Davies got the award for best guest on a drama, comedy series Two and a Half Men also shocked by earning a trophy. But it was guest star and long time acting talent Kathy Bates who took home the award for the CBS show. Comedies get a separate category for guest appearances. Though her series, Murphy’s Law was recently cancelled, she’s been nominated for her work there in the category of best drama actress. The results, as I mentioned, will be televised at the Primetime Emmy Award ceremony to air Sept. 23rd.
Moments I personally applaud from the creative arts list of winners are Hatfields & McCoys taking Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie and Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Series, which went to So You Think You Can Dance. The latter is in my opinion one of the most dynamic reality show contests on the air.
Screenwriter Vanessa Taylor, who will be working on the upcoming third season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” spoke a bit about what fans can expect from the new season.
Season 3, based on the first half of A Storm of Swords features lots of new cast members as well as new settings for several of the characters.
Taylor explained what she’s learning from head writers D.B Weiss and David Benioff on the show and what the third season will be like.
I’ve actually been learning a particular lesson this season. My bosses [Weiss and Benioff] seem to be becoming more visual storytellers. All of the episodes of the third season seem to open with a particularly cinematic opening. And they’re less about clever dialogue and transition and more about these huge cinematic… just the visuals of it all. And so I’m really learning a different way of writing from that. Because I think it’s quite subtle and I feel like, by contrast, the writing of the second season was a bit more conventional.
New cast members are a huge part of season 3, and include:
Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane, a Wildling raider
Thomas Sangster as Jojen Reed and Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed, two young Crannogman siblings, children of Howland Reed, a Stark bannerman
Tobias Menzies as Edmure Tully, Catelyn Stark’s brother
Clive Russell as Brynden Tully, the “Blackfish”, Catelyn’s uncle\
Tara Fitzgerald as Selyse (Florent) Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon’s wife
Kerry Ingram as Shireen Baratheon, their daughter
Diana Rigg as Olenna (Redwyne) Tyrell, the “Queen of Thorns”, Margaery and Loras Tyrell’s grandmother
Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion, the leader of the “Brotherhood Without Banners”
Paul Kaye as Thoros of Myr, a red priest with the Brotherhood
Philip McGinley as Anguy, an archer with the Brotherhood
Mackenzie Crook as Orell the skinchanger, a Wildling
Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei, a Naathi servant of Daenerys Targaryen
Anton Lesser as Qyburn, a former maester of the Citadel
Iwan Rheon as the character “Boy”
Ciarán Hinds as Mance Rayder, the Wildling “King-Beyond-The-Wall”.
Ed Skrein as Daario Naharis, a Tyroshi mercenary captain
Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm, a eunuch soldier captain
Dan Hildebrand as Kraznys mo Naklaz, a wealthy slaver of the Ghiscari city of Astapor.
Ramon Tikaram as Prendahl ze Ghezn, a captain of a notorious company of sellswords
Other new characters will include Vargo Hoat, the leader of the mercenary group “Bloody Mummers”
Season 3 of “Game of Thrones” will premiere March 31, 2013.
Fans have been waiting on bated breath for news on who would play the pivotal role of Mance Rayder in season 3 of HBO’s hit series,” Game of Thrones.” And finally our wishes are granted with the news that Ciarán Hinds has been offered the role.
The actor who is most known for his role on “Rome” will be playing a key role in the show and lives of it’s characters. Mance Rayder is a Wildling Leader known as The King Beyond The Wall. He has united much of the wildling clans and has one mission in mind: To Attack The Wall.
Up until now he has been frequently referred to but remained unseen. His first appearance was in the third book, A Storm of Swords, a part of the series written by genius George R.R. Martin.
Fan favorite character Jon Snow, played by Kit Harrington, was captured to be taken to Mance at the end of the second series. His role in the wildling society is about to get more complicated.
Hinds is no stranger to the climate of the show. He is a native of belfast where the show’s primary production is based (Thrones S3 is also shooting in Croatia, Iceland and Morocco). He’s appeared in films such as Munich, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and John Carter. But TV fans know him best from Rome, where he was a very imposing Julius Caesar. He recently also had an arc on USA’s Political Animals.
Game of Thrones returns March 31. (And yes I know that is far to long, but we will make do right fans?)
HBO easily has two of the most popular series around. “Game of Thrones” continues to be a top performer along side their other series “True Blood.” But many wonder what future do these shows have? Thankfully, HBO executives recently sat down to answer questions while sounding off about the futures of the mega popular shows they air.
Richard Plepler and Michael Lombardo talked about where they see the two hit shows going in the future.
“Game of Thrones,” based off the book series written by George R.R. Martin, is about to enter its third season which will be based on the first half of the third novel, “A Storm of Swords.” The show’s future, however, is largely dependent on the novels.
Plepler offered a conforting statement for those who worry the series will end before the books do.
“As long as he keeps writing we’ll keep producing, and he seems excited with that prospect.”
The novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire, has two novels left still to be written by Martin, however, in case something should happen, the producers of the HBO series, know how it is going to end. This also means they wrote make any major changes to the plot either.
“True Blood,” based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris, is halfway through its fifth season. Plepler and Lombardo seem confident that the series will continue on despite showrunner, Alan Ball, stepping down.
This coming year Alan Ball is taking a little bit of a step back, but I think creatively, they’re still engaged and excited by the storytelling,” Lombardo explains. “As long as it continues to be performing with the consumer, but more importantly exciting the storytellers, I think we’re there.”
HBO definitely seems to know where their money is coming from. Now, if only they would allow an online subscription…
Fans are (somewhat) patiently awaiting the next season of the massively popular HBO series, “Game of Thrones.” As the plot thickens and being heating up, season 3 is promising to be, well, amazing. What is great about the series, besides the overall story, is the large cast with many impressive actors attached, and with each new season we get a plethora of new faces to grow to like before they (most likely) bite the dust. The main cast currently includes Richard Madden, Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, Michelle Fairley, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Alfie Allen, Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Jack Gleeson, Rory McCann, Aidan Gillen and Iian Glen.
With the premiere of season 3, however, we see an addition of 14 new cast members to the ensemble.
Dame Diana Rigg as Olenna Redwyne, The Queen of Thorns
You might recognize her as the cat-suited secret agent Emma Peel in the British TV series “The Avengers” (a role later taken by Uma Thurman in the disastrous 1998 film version). She also played the only woman James Bond ever loved, killed just after their wedding, in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” Her most recent movie appearance being in 2006’s “The Painted Veil.”
The Character: Olenna Tyrell (née Redwyne), is the grandmother of season two addition Margaery Tyrell, described as a cunning, manipulative matriarch who comes to King’s Landing to oversee her granddaughter’s wedding to King Joffrey.
Clive Russell as Brynden Tully, The Blackfish
The Scottish actor Clive Russell is already relatively well-known since he starred in Neil Gaiman’s TV series “Neverwhere” as villain Mr. Vandemaar and also had a recurring role as sinister comics boss Damien Knox in Edgar Wright’s “Spaced. He’s got over a hundred credits to his name, but the most recognizable one of late is as Captain Tanner in both Guy Ritchie “Sherlock Holmes” films.
The Character: Brynden is the uncle of Catelyn Stark (née Tully), a famous knight who now fights alongside Robb, becoming one of his most trusted advisers and comrades.
Tobias Menzies as Edmure Tully
A RADA grad best known at first for playing Brutus in another HBO epic, “Rome,” before being M’s right-hand man in “Casino Royale.” Most recently, he starred in “The Recruiting Officer” at the Donmar Warehouse in London.
The Character: Catelyn’s younger brother, Edmure, is a whoring, hot-headed figure, but good at heart.**Spoiler** He becomes the lord of Riverrun after his father, Hoster Tully, dies.
Mackenzie Crook as Orell
Crook came to fame as Gareth on the original BBC version of “The Office,” before going on to appear in the original “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy. However, he has begun adding more serious roles to his credits, appearing first in “The Seagull” withKristin Scott Thomas, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Carey Mulligan, then the award-winning “Jerusalem,” and most recently “The Recruiting Officer” alongside Menzies.
The Character: Orell is one of the lieutenants of Mance Rayder (the biggest part yet to be cast), the so-called King of the North. He’s a skinchanger, which means he’s able to shift his consciousness inside an animal, in his case an eagle.
Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion
The Northern Irish actor starred as troubled snooker player Alex Higgins in stage hit “Hurricane,” which he also wrote. He also appeared in films like “Mrs. Henderson Presents” and “Five Minutes Of Heaven” and TV series like “My Boy Jack” and “Hidden,” but recently got a lead role — later in the year, he’ll star as Belfast punk legend Terri Hooley in “Good Vibrations” from the producers of “24 Hour Party People.”
The Character: Beric Of Dondarrion is a former soldier for Ned Stark, who is now the leader of the outlaw group the Brotherhood Without Banners, and may or may not be unkillable.
Nathalie Emmannuel as Missandei
Emmanuel appeared on the British teen soap “Hollyoaks,” in which she played Sasha Valentine, who became a prostitute and a heroin addict. Since leaving the show in 2010, she’s starred as Nala in “The Lion King” on stage and appeared in the most recent season of cult superhero drama “Misfits.”
The Character: Daenerys is a little lacking in followers after the events in Qarth, but Missandei, an interpreter in the slave city of Astapor, looks to fill the gap. Eleven in the books, clearly a little older here.
Kerry Ingram as Shireen Baratheon
At 13 years old, she has already had her fair share of success, sharing the Olivier Award(the British equivalent of the Tonys) for Best Actress in a Musical for playing the title character in smash-hit musical “Matilda.”
The Character: Shireen Baratheon is the young daughter of Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane), who nearly died of a disease called ‘greyscale’ as a child, and is left with flaky, grey dead skin on her left cheek and neck as a result.
Tara Fitzgerald as Selyse Baratheon
She played Ophelia to Ralph Fiennes’ Hamlet in 1995, winning a Drama Desk Award for her trouble, and starred in films like “Sirens,” “The Englishmen Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain” and “Brassed Off.” Currently she’s been a regular on long-running BBC procedural “Waking The Dead,” and its spin-off, “The Body Farm.”
The Character: Selyse Baratheon (née Florent) is Stannis’ wife, and the mariage has never been a happy one. And yet Selyse is a fervent supporter of his priestess Melisandre and her new religion.
Paul Kaye as Thoros Of Myr
Another actor from the series “Spaced. Kaye came to fame playing obnoxious red-carpet interviewer Dennis Pennis on a BBC comedy show. After the character was killed off, he starred in British films like “Blackball” and “It’s All Gone Pete Tong.” Also has a memorable role on TV show “Pulling,” and as Ingram’s stage father in “Matilda.”
The Character: Thoros is a red priest, affiliated to the same religion as Melisandre. He’s also a formidable warrior, and co-founds the Brotherhood Without Banners.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Jojen Reed
Sangster first appeared as Liam Neeson’s son in “Love Actually” before going on to star in films like “Nanny McPhee,” “The Last Legion,” “Bright Star” and as Paul McCartney in “Nowhere Boy.” TV roles have included a classic two-part “Doctor Who” and the voice of Ferb in long-running Disney Channel animation “Phineas and Ferb.”
The Character: Jojeen Reed is the son of another aristocratic family who has “greensight,” the power of prophetic dreams. He accompanies Bran, Osha and Hodor as they flee from Winterfell.
Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed
A young actress who played Juliet at the Globe Theater at 19, Kendrick is probably best known as Carey Mulligan’s best friend in “An Education.” She also played the title role in a BBC version of “The Diary Of Anne Frank,” and has more recently appeared in TV series “Upstairs Downstairs” and “Being Human.”
The Character: The older sister of Jojen, Meera is a skilled huntress who, with her brother, assists and accompanies Bran on his flight from Winterfell.
Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane
Hivju played Jonas, a nervous scientist, in last year’s remake/prequel of “The Thing.” Since then, he’s been shooting a role in M. Night Shyamalan’s “After Earth” alongside Will Smith.
The Character: Tormund is a giant-slaying wildling raider, one of Mance Rayder’s most trusted men, with the impressive title “Tall-talker, Horn-blower and Breaker of Ice, Husband to Bears, the Mead-king of Ruddy Hall, Speaker to Gods and Father of Hosts.” Not sure what “husband to bears” means but I’m interested in finding out.
Philip McGinley as Anguy
McGinley is best known for playing Tom Kerrigan on long-running soap “Coronation Street” between 2008 and 2009. More recently, he had a tiny role in “Prometheus.”
The Character: A talented archer, Anguy is another member of the Brotherhood Without Banners.
Anton Lesser as Qyburn
A veteran Shakespearean actor, 60-year-old Lesser has long been associated with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and has been a prolific TV actor in Britain. Most recently, he cropped up in the fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean” and stole the show in excellent BBC program “The Hour.”
The Character: A former maester and skilled physician, Qyburn was stripped of his position after performing experiments on living people. Since then, he’s joined the mercenary band The Brave Companions.
The third season will consist of ten episodes. It will be based roughly on the first half of A Storm of Swords, the third of the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R. R. Martin, of which the series is an adaptation.Production began in July 2012 and the series will premiere on March 31, 2013.
The massively huge world created by author George R.R. Martin for his series A Song of Ice and Fire lends itself well to a MMORPG and thankfully that is about to happen. A new video game (which begs to be better than the game released earlier this year) will be called “Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms.” The fantasy genre massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is scheduled to be released sometime in 2013.
A trailer was released on July 11th during Comic-Con and it appears that elements from the critically acclaimed HBO series will be included in the game such as the show’s opening credits.
The game will be browser based and will have players pledging allegiances to either the Stark, Lannister, or Barantheon houses to rule the land and the Iron Throne. One drawback is that players can only be human-sized characters, however more character types will be added at a later date. Player-versus-player combat will also be part of the game, as will stealth attacks and brutal sword play. The game takes place after the deaths of King Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark.
The world of the game, at least at the beginning, will include a playable area from the Wall in the north to the south beyond King’s Landing. You won’t actually join directly with a faction, though. Instead, you’ll join a lesser house in Westeros – your guild – that can align with one of the three great houses.Players can also possibly swap allegiance between fractions using bribes and swaying your guild.
Be aware though, once out in the open on the continent of Westeros, player versus environment content will be testing you. While the game is PvP driven, it is possible to level (at least a bit) without them.
In terms of controls, the mechanics of combat will include, “You’ll move with WASD and attack with 1, 2 and 3 keys, which correspond to light, medium and heavy attacks. If you combine the attacks in the right ways you’ll trigger combos and attack faster, and can perform special combo finishers. There isn’t really a strict class system. Instead, you select skills as you go, and there’ll be around 60 available at launch. There’ll also be a weapon leveling system, which should help out if you happen to find a weapon you really like,” according to IGN.
Don’t worry, Mac users! The game is not only free to play but it is will also be compatible for both PC and Mac operating systems. Bigpoint is developing the game with HBO and is known for developing popular games such as Farmerama,Battlestar Galactica Online, and SkyRama.
