[Werthead]

Noted SF TV scriptwriter Jane Espenson has been added to the writers' roster for GAME OF THRONES. She will pen the sixth episode of the first season as a freelancer.

If you're a BUFFY, ANGEL, DOLLHOUSE or FIREFLY fan this news will no doubt cheer you (she did 'Shindig' for FIREFLY and 'Conversations With Dead People' for BUFFY, both very highly rated). If you're a GALACTICA fan it may be slightly more mixed (she did 'The Passage' and 'The Hub', which were okay, but she also did the extremely disappointing 'The Plan').

Newcomer Bryan Cogman will write the fourth episode, with David Benioff and Dan Weiss writing most of the rest. One episode, probably late-season if not the finale, will be written by George R.R. Martin himself (maybe only if ADWD is done though, although the final finale script may not be needed until the autumn, so that gives him a while yet).

[Gothos]

This keeps getting better and better!

[Werthead]

Reposting from elsewhere, so there may be some duplication from earlier in the thread:

Casting for GAME OF THRONES has now resumed in the UK, with roles such as Barristan Selmy, Renly Baratheon and Littlefinger currently being sought.

However, there has been some recasting going on. Jennifer Ehle, who played Catelyn Stark in the pilot, is out and has been replaced by Northern Irish actress Michelle Fairley. No word on why Ehle left the project, but she reports via Twitter that it was all very amicable, she is a big fan of the books and will be tuning in next year, so it doesn't sound like major drama was the cause.

It also sounds like auditioning is currently going on for the role of Daenerys Targaryen, despite the fact that she was played in the pilot by rising British actress Tamzin Merchant (who can currently be seen as Katherine Howard in the final season of THE TUDORS). This leads to the conclusion that Merchant is also out and will be replaced by another actress. Again, no reasons have been given for why this might be the case.

In both cases, the actresses' scenes from the pilot will be refilmed for the series itself, to ensure no continuity errors.

On the production side of things, it has been confirmed that George RR Martin will be writing the eighth episode of the first season himself, and is now bent on finishing A DANCE WITH DRAGONS in the near future so he can throw himself into the script work.

GRRM has also shared some pictures (with permission) of actress Maisie Williams, who is playing Arya Stark, posing with a replica of the sword Needle from the books.

[caladanbrood]

I hope they get Littlefinger spot on. The rest of the casting is relatively unimportant, as long as he and Tyrion are excellent

[Tiste Simeon]

Werthead, on 08 April 2010 - 10:46 PM, said:

On the production side of things, it has been confirmed that George RR Martin will be writing the eighth episode of the first season himself, and is now bent on finishing A DANCE WITH DRAGONS in the near future so he can throw himself into the script work.

Will he though? Will he??

Dunno bout Arya yet... Will give it time though.

[Werthead]

HBO have announced that they have hired a linguist to develop the foreign languages that will be used in the Game of Thrones TV series. First up is Dothraki, which will have a 1,800-word vocabulary and full grammar developed for it. They have indicated the other foreign languages in the books, such as Valyrian, may receive similar treatment for later seasons.

[Tsundoku]

Werthead, on 08 April 2010 - 10:46 PM, said:

On the production side of things, it has been confirmed that George RR Martin will be writing the eighth episode of the first season himself, and is now bent on finishing A DANCE WITH DRAGONS in the near future so he can throw himself into the script work.

This just in.

Production time estimates:

Episodes 1-7, 6 months total.

Episode 8, 9 years. 8 years 11 months of which are due to scripting redrafts.

Episode 9, some time after the scriptwriter for Episode 8 has 200 separate vacations, writes 3 seasons of 4 other minor HBO shows and makes 1000 personal appearances at aGoT merchandise tie-in conventions.

[Garak]

And Dance with Dragons will not be out even then.

[Werthead]

Tamzin Merchant has left the production, so the role of Daenerys will be recast and the scenes in Pentos (filmed in Morocco) will be re-shot.

[Garak]

Why do I have a feeling it will take forever to get this thing going? Maybe Dance will be out by the time we get the pilot episode ..... yeah right.

This post has been edited by Garak: 30 April 2010 - 04:20 PM

[Werthead]

Garak, on 30 April 2010 - 04:19 PM, said:

Why do I have a feeling it will take forever to get this thing going? Maybe Dance will be out by the time we get the pilot episode ..... yeah right.

We know the TV schedule. Filming from late June 2010 (so about four to five weeks from now) to January 2011, post-production for a few months, debuting probably in April 2011 alongside Season 2 of Treme.

[Werthead]

New Daenerys actress confirmed, the relatively unknown Emilia Clarke.

Filming has also been delayed a couple of weeks into mid-to-late July 2010, where they'll start with reshooting Dany and Catelyn's roles from the pilot. The casting process has proven far huger than they were expecting. Someone on Winter is Coming calculated that, assuming no cuts, there's something like 120 speaking roles they need to account for. Even if they cut half those roles (and a lot of them are minor lords and ladies, or lines that can be transferred to other roles) that's still more than a first season usually has for a TV show.

It has been confirmed that auditioning is currently going on for Littlefinger, Varys, Barristan Selmy, Syrio Forel, Renly, Hodor, Bronn, Osha and the Dothraki bloodriders (Pycelle appears to have already been cast for the pilot, although his scene was cut but they've held onto the actor). They're going to hold back on Tywin for a little while as he won't appear until later in the season. They already have two or three very well-known actors in mind for him.

[Macros]

A delay, on ASoaF related material?
This I refuse to believe.

[Eye Flys]

goddamn the new dany is hot.

[The Tyrant Lizard]

Do we know who's playing Gregor Clegane yet?

[worry]

Nope. http://winter-is-com...ons-for-gregor/

[Werthead]

There's actually a surprising number of 7-8-foot tall actors out there who have indicated they may have auditioned for Gregor (four, at the last count).

That month-long delay seems to have knocked back announcements on casting, but things seem to be starting to come together. GRRM recently said they're down to choosing between two actors for Sam, and several other actors are very close to being cast. Whether HBO announces them as they happen or holds back until shooting of the series proper begins is unknown.

[QuickTidal]

Wow, I am surprised this hasn't shown up here yet.

Teaser trailer for the series went online today....not alot there, pretty teaserish, but still cool to finally see something.

[Gothos]

To say that the trailer doesn't show shit is a dramatic understatement.

Does have the right feel to it though.

[QuickTidal]

And from the HBO microsite for the series....

Sean Bean's Eddard Stark. Badass.