[Tiste Simeon]

Brilliant stuff Wert, it's pretty exciting to get more info and stuff. Thanks.

[Werthead]

Filming of the pilot episode of GAME OF THRONES wrapped today. The last few days of filming took place at Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate, Morocco and nearby locations, including the massive Jerusalem set erected for Ridley Scott's KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, which is standing in for the city of Pentos.

The scenes involving Daenerys, Viserys, Ilyrio, Drogo and Jorah Mormont, including Dany and Drogo's wedding, were filmed at this location.

The pilot took three weeks to shoot and involved a cast of almost thirty speaking roles and over a hundred extras, making it one of HBO's biggest pilots. No word on the budget, except it was very substantial. Behind the scenes they had a multiple award-winning director (Tom McCarthy), one of the hottest screenwriters in Hollywood (David Benioff) and have now signed up a strong VFX guy, Robert Stromberg, hot off post-production on Jim Cameron's AVATAR, to oversee the visual effects process.

The timeline going forward seems to be that editing and mixing of the pilot episode will begin in a few days (presumably back in the States) and continue for a while, with a break for Christmas. From the sound of it, one of the FX houses involved doesn't expect to be working on it until February. According to George RR Martin, HBO have said they will have a yay or nay decision for the pilot going to series by the end of March at the latest.

Assuming the series gets picked-up, and all the indications are that something will have to go astronomically wrong in editing for that not to happen, filming of the remaining 11 episodes should resume around May or June for about thirty weeks, taking them into the autumn. The show would then air on HBO and hopefully BBC-1 in early 2011.

[masan's saddle]

Splendid news !

Wert, with all your inside schmoozing/ knowledge, I take it you will be informing us of any sneak previews/clips that appear......

I've always thought your reviews were better than Pat's

[Werthead]

Interesting news that Jamie Bamber - Lee/Apollo from the new Battlestar Galactica - auditioned for the role of Jaime Lannister, obviously losing out to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

It's possible the casting directors will keep him in mind for other roles later on. Some people have already suggested he'd make a good Beric or Renly or, possibly a more demanding role, Littlefinger.

Quote

Wert, with all your inside schmoozing/ knowledge, I take it you will be informing us of any sneak previews/clips that appear......

I think we're a long way from seeing any of those, I'd say a year at least.

[Tatterdemalion]

Wow. I'm new here. Wert is... awesome?

I'm a college TV grad, among other things, I can honestly say that I have never, ever been excited for a TV show before having seen it. Not ONCE. Song of Ice and Fire will make me get cable. I will not want to miss one episode. I love updates about casting and locations, etc. Amazing. The sheer scope just impresses me so. I always daydream that if I became Richard Branson or some trillionaire I would tediously and meticulously film the Malazan series scene by scene. Lol. Dense, I know, but hey. Awesome is awesome. Marshall McLuhan was a dick: the medium isn't the message, the message defines the medium. Good art in one place can make good art in others. Strong characters and stories pervade.

Anyway, thanks for this news. Very cool. I hope the cast is fully 'non-famous' types. Always makes for better work.

This post has been edited by Tatterdemalion: 06 December 2009 - 06:43 AM

[caladanbrood]

The cast list is in post #158 - the only A-list actor is Sean Bean. 

[Werthead]

The TV Zombies website has a podcast here about the books and TV series, including an interview with Phil from the Winter is Coming website. Some interesting discussion there about the show's possible competition (erm, which boils down to Legend of the Seeker and Merlin) and its potential role as the replacement for Rome (and, possibly, BSG from the political angle).

[Werthead]

HBO have given Game of Thrones a significant display of confidence, reporting that the footage they have seen so far is fantastic, that the performances are impressive, the budget they gave the pilot was huge (possibly the biggest of any show since Rome, if the $10 million figure is correct) and that they would be very surprised if they now didn't commission it.

They even went as far as to give a potential airdate: if Game of Thrones is picked up they will air it in March or April of 2011.

Final news on the series is expected in March this year.

[cerveza_fiesta]

*quietly jizzes in pants*

thanks for keeping all up to date on this wert. Much appreciated, and looking forward to this show very very much.

[Werthead]

A decision is expected on the full series within the next couple of weeks.

Anyone with a Facebook account who wants to add their support for the pilot being picked up can do so on the official HBO Facebook page here.

[Werthead]

Season 1 is officially commissioned on HBO

[Vengeance]

Well I guess I have to get HBO again...

[KeithF]

And here was me just about to post the good news! I hope it gets shown over here across the pond sooner rather than later.

[WhiskeyJackDaniels]

Sweet, this means that if all goes well and the seasons keep getting picked up this means we will hafta get Dance sometime within the next 5 years!..lol ok that was a cheap shot, and I don't get nearly upset as some people about the whole wait thing. On a serious note I am pretty pumped it got picked up tho.

[RodeoRanch]

Marvelous. HBO really is the one place that could do justice to this tale.

[HoosierDaddy]

The REALLY great thing is... HBO doesn't make bad series for the most part.

So, tie in a fantastic field for HBO to garner.... I'm looking forward to it.

[Urb]

Awesome. Very awesome.

[Aristai]

Kick-ass! Lovin' HBO.

[Tiste Simeon]

Great stuff! Thanks Wert, very happy about this!

[Bauchelain the Evil]

Yes! I'm pretty confident HBO will be able to keep the books' greatness.