[Werthead]

 Slow Ben, on Jul 17 2009, 02:36 AM, said:

What is this new devilry Littlefinger?

And so it begins.



Nothing to do with Ned Stark, I just thought it was amusing. I'm wondering if I nicked it from someone here actually (ponders).

[caladanbrood]

Seems like an oddly big-name actor for HBO... they usually go for a level further down. One wonders how many damn dirty frenchmen Ned will kill while he's in the 95th rifles.

This post has been edited by caladanbrood: 17 July 2009 - 06:54 AM

[Werthead]

 caladanbrood, on Jul 17 2009, 07:51 AM, said:

Seems like an oddly big-name actor for HBO... they usually go for a level further down. One wonders how many damn dirty frenchmen Ned will kill while he's in the 95th rifles.

It depends. Steve Buscemi was in The Sopranos and now has a lead role in Boardwalk Empire. He's not as big as Bean, but Ciaran Hinds in Rome was a very well-known actor as well.

I think HBO are relatively happy with a big-name in their series as long as he doesn't detract from the story or the project. It also helps if he's only going to be around for 6-8 episodes

[masan's saddle]

 Werthead, on Jul 17 2009, 12:25 PM, said:

 caladanbrood, on Jul 17 2009, 07:51 AM, said:

Seems like an oddly big-name actor for HBO... they usually go for a level further down. One wonders how many damn dirty frenchmen Ned will kill while he's in the 95th rifles.

It depends. Steve Buscemi was in The Sopranos and now has a lead role in Boardwalk Empire. He's not as big as Bean, but Ciaran Hinds in Rome was a very well-known actor as well.

I think HBO are relatively happy with a big-name in their series as long as he doesn't detract from the story or the project. It also helps if he's only going to be around for 6-8 episodes

Hmmmm, Ciaran Hinds with a beard and a bit of weight might do a decent Robert Baratheon....,

You heard it here first !

[Werthead]

 masan's saddle, on Jul 17 2009, 02:27 PM, said:

Hmmmm, Ciaran Hinds with a beard and a bit of weight might do a decent Robert Baratheon....,

You heard it here first !

The producers said that HBO aren't enthused about simply recasting main actors from one project into another. Maybe that's because early casting choices simply had the entire cast of ROME in new roles in AGoT. Maybe we'll see some of the less-prominent actors from the show in GoT, but I doubt we'll be seeing any of the stars.

Which is a shame as Ray Stevenson was born to play the Hound

[Slow Ben]

Dude! That would be freakin awesome. Add 50 lbs of blubber and he' be a good Robert also.

[Werthead]

I did a post elsewhere about the major new casting announcements today so thought I'd re-post it here.

And yes, Sean Bean IS Ned Stak.

Quote

We've been following this for a while in the book forum, but the latest round of casting news seems a good time to put the news up here in the TV forum.

HBO's A Game of Thrones, based on the Song of Ice and Fire novel series by George RR Martin, enters production at the Paint Hall Studios in Belfast in October. The huge-budget production, which will be a lavish series on the scale of Rome, will be HBO's first out-and-out epic fantasy TV series. It is being co-funded by the BBC.

The book series consists of seven books (four written, the fifth just about done and due early next year, two more to come). HBO is adapting each book as a television season. Season 1 will consist of twelve 60-minute episodes. However, at the moment only a pilot has been confirmed. If HBO like what they see, a full season will be commissioned.

If the project goes to series, it will most likely air in early 2011.

The pilot is written by David Benioff (screenplays for Troy, The Kite Runner, The 25th Hour, the unused first draft of Wolverine and the recent novel City of Thieves) and D.B. Weiss (not a lot as yet) and will be directed by Thomas McCarthy, the BAFTA award-winning writer/director of The Station Agent and The Visitor. He is also an actor, best known for his turn as journalist Scott Templeton in the final season of The Wire.

The cast currently consists of:

Sean Bean
Bean, who needs no introduction, is playing Lord Eddard Stark, the lead character. Eddard is the Lord of the North, which he rules from the rambling, Gormenghast-esque castle of Winterfell. He is known for a strong sense of justice, honour and honesty, and mislikes politics. He is married to the Lady Catelyn of House Tully (casting not announced yet) and has five legitimate children and a bastard son, Jon Snow, whose presence in Winterfell Catelyn barely tolerates. Eddard is a close friend of the King, Robert Baratheon.

Peter Dinklage
Dinklage, recently seen in Threshold and as Trumpkin in Prince Caspian and the forthcoming Voyage of the Dawn Treader, is playing Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion is the youngest son of Lord Tywin, the strict and militaristic Lord of Casterly Rock and the Westerlands. Tyrion was born a misshapen dwarf, and his mother died in childbirth. Tywin hates and resents his son for these weaknesses. Tyrion paradoxically hates his father but remains anxious to please and impress him. Unable to win valour and glory in tournaments and battle, Tyrion has developed a taste for political intrigue and a sense of cunning and wit. He is probably the most popular character in the books.

Mark Addy
Known for more comedic roles such as in The Fully Monty and his turn in A Knight's Tale, Addy is playing King Robert Baratheon. Once a great warrior who led the rebellion against the Mad King Aerys, Robert has now gone to seed and is fat and indolent. When the King's Hand (essentially his prime minister who sees to the day-to-day running of the kingdom) dies, Robert asks his friend Eddard to step up to the role. Robert is married to Cersei Lannister (not cast yet), Tyrion's scheming sister, with whom he has three children.

Harry Lloyd
Lloyd will be familiar to Doctor Who fans from his turn as Jeremy Baines in Family of Blood and Human Nature. He also played Will Scarlett in Robin Hood and was Prince Rupert in The Devil's Whore. Lloyd is playing the role of Viserys Targaryen. Viserys is the son and legal heir of King Aerys, whom Robert Baratheon supplanted as King of Westeros. Viserys and his young sister Daenerys fled to the continent of Essos and were given sanctuary by a powerful merchant lord. As the series opens Viserys has arranged to sell his teenage sister in marriage to Khal Drogo, the leader of an immense army of Dothraki blood-riders, in return for his help in invading Westeros.

Jack Gleeson
Gleeson is a young actor whose only major role to date has been in Batman Begins (as 'Young Boy'). He will be playing Joffrey Baratheon, Robert's eldest son and heir. To strengthen the alliance between the Starks and Baratheons, Eddard agrees that his daughter Sansa should marry Joffrey. Joffrey is vain, arrogant and entirely lacking in martial ability, but likes to boast of his elite swordfighting skills. He is usually accompanied by his bodyguard, the scarred and threatening Sandor Clegane (uncast as yet).

Kit Harrington
Newcomer Harrington has done some theatre work but nothing on television yet. The producers were apparently blown away by his audition. Harrington will be playing the key role of Jon Snow, Eddard Stark's bastard son who finds his place at Winterfell increasingly uncomfortable due to the attitude of his step-mother and eventually decides to 'take the black' and join the sworn brotherhood of the Night's Watch. The Watch guards the Wall, a colossal fortification of ice stretching for 300 miles across Westeros' northern border built thousands of years ago to defend against an ancient threat. That threat has long since vanished (cough) but the Watch still has to guard against the wildlings or 'free folk' who live beyond and occasionally seek to cross the Wall and raid the lands beyond.

Further casting announcements, including some possibly more recognisable SF&F figures, are due shortly.

This post has been edited by Werthead: 20 July 2009 - 05:20 PM

[Slum]

OK, I really don't care for Mark Addy as RB. I know he's fat and all, but I always pictured him as like an aging (US football) linebacker gone to fat, not Mark Addy bumbling doofus fat. Also, every time I see that guy all I think about is the horrible sitcom he was in...

Maybe he'll surprise me, but right now that choice looks a little iffy.

This post has been edited by Slumgullion Spitteler: 20 July 2009 - 05:51 PM

[caladanbrood]

Harry Lloyd is a good actor, typical HBO-esque choice, should be good

[Macros]

Pumped to see bean land the role of my favourite character.
Will he simply walk into kings landing? That remains to be seen milady.


Don't know to many more of the names, this Jack kid must be a supremely arogant dick to nail down the joffrey role, and there will be high expectations on a newbie playing Jon snow (imo)

[Sixty]

Has there been any news on when they plan to start filming? This is getting very interesting.

[Macros]

october this year was the last shout I heard for the set up for the pilot.

[Werthead]

Sixty, on Jul 20 2009, 08:57 PM, said:

Has there been any news on when they plan to start filming? This is getting very interesting.

The pilot is currently booked to be filmed from 12 October to 6 November 2009 at the Paint Hall Studios in Belfast, with location filming in other locations in Northern Ireland, with possibly some plate shots (establishing shots etc) in Scotland and the Republic. The Dany/Drogo/Viserys/Ilyrio scenes in Pentos will be filmed at an as-yet-unannounced studio and locations in Morocco in that same time period.

HBO will likely decide within 1-2 months on to go to series, so before the end of the year is possible, otherwise after the Christmas break.

[Werthead]

Jennifer Ehle - best known for playing Elizabeth Bennett in the BBC's definitive version of PRIDE & PREJUDICE (the Colin Firth one) - has been cast as Catelyn Stark in the adaptation.

Excellent choice. Ehle is one of our top-tier actresses with a very strong and varied career. I'm pretty sure she'll do brilliantly in the role.

[Morgoth]

HBO really is making this their next big thing. I never would've believed it

[The Swordbearer]

Aptorian, on Dec 4 2008, 11:19 PM, said:

I think Peter Dinklage would be an awesome choice for Tyrion:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0227759/

QuickTidal, on Jun 8 2009, 11:32 PM, said:

I'm hella excited about this.....ESPECIALLY if the casting rumour of Tricia Helfer as Cersei comes true....that would be kickass casting choice!

Werthead, on Jul 20 2009, 05:19 PM, said:

I did a post elsewhere about the major new casting announcements today so thought I'd re-post it here.

And yes, Sean Bean IS Ned Stak.

Quote

We've been following this for a while in the book forum, but the latest round of casting news seems a good time to put the news up here in the TV forum.

HBO's A Game of Thrones, based on the Song of Ice and Fire novel series by George RR Martin, enters production at the Paint Hall Studios in Belfast in October. The huge-budget production, which will be a lavish series on the scale of Rome, will be HBO's first out-and-out epic fantasy TV series. It is being co-funded by the BBC.

The book series consists of seven books (four written, the fifth just about done and due early next year, two more to come). HBO is adapting each book as a television season. Season 1 will consist of twelve 60-minute episodes. However, at the moment only a pilot has been confirmed. If HBO like what they see, a full season will be commissioned.

If the project goes to series, it will most likely air in early 2011.

The pilot is written by David Benioff (screenplays for Troy, The Kite Runner, The 25th Hour, the unused first draft of Wolverine and the recent novel City of Thieves) and D.B. Weiss (not a lot as yet) and will be directed by Thomas McCarthy, the BAFTA award-winning writer/director of The Station Agent and The Visitor. He is also an actor, best known for his turn as journalist Scott Templeton in the final season of The Wire.

The cast currently consists of:

Sean Bean
Bean, who needs no introduction, is playing Lord Eddard Stark, the lead character. Eddard is the Lord of the North, which he rules from the rambling, Gormenghast-esque castle of Winterfell. He is known for a strong sense of justice, honour and honesty, and mislikes politics. He is married to the Lady Catelyn of House Tully (casting not announced yet) and has five legitimate children and a bastard son, Jon Snow, whose presence in Winterfell Catelyn barely tolerates. Eddard is a close friend of the King, Robert Baratheon.

Peter Dinklage
Dinklage, recently seen in Threshold and as Trumpkin in Prince Caspian and the forthcoming Voyage of the Dawn Treader, is playing Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion is the youngest son of Lord Tywin, the strict and militaristic Lord of Casterly Rock and the Westerlands. Tyrion was born a misshapen dwarf, and his mother died in childbirth. Tywin hates and resents his son for these weaknesses. Tyrion paradoxically hates his father but remains anxious to please and impress him. Unable to win valour and glory in tournaments and battle, Tyrion has developed a taste for political intrigue and a sense of cunning and wit. He is probably the most popular character in the books.

Mark Addy
Known for more comedic roles such as in The Fully Monty and his turn in A Knight's Tale, Addy is playing King Robert Baratheon. Once a great warrior who led the rebellion against the Mad King Aerys, Robert has now gone to seed and is fat and indolent. When the King's Hand (essentially his prime minister who sees to the day-to-day running of the kingdom) dies, Robert asks his friend Eddard to step up to the role. Robert is married to Cersei Lannister (not cast yet), Tyrion's scheming sister, with whom he has three children.

Harry Lloyd
Lloyd will be familiar to Doctor Who fans from his turn as Jeremy Baines in Family of Blood and Human Nature. He also played Will Scarlett in Robin Hood and was Prince Rupert in The Devil's Whore. Lloyd is playing the role of Viserys Targaryen. Viserys is the son and legal heir of King Aerys, whom Robert Baratheon supplanted as King of Westeros. Viserys and his young sister Daenerys fled to the continent of Essos and were given sanctuary by a powerful merchant lord. As the series opens Viserys has arranged to sell his teenage sister in marriage to Khal Drogo, the leader of an immense army of Dothraki blood-riders, in return for his help in invading Westeros.

Jack Gleeson
Gleeson is a young actor whose only major role to date has been in Batman Begins (as 'Young Boy'). He will be playing Joffrey Baratheon, Robert's eldest son and heir. To strengthen the alliance between the Starks and Baratheons, Eddard agrees that his daughter Sansa should marry Joffrey. Joffrey is vain, arrogant and entirely lacking in martial ability, but likes to boast of his elite swordfighting skills. He is usually accompanied by his bodyguard, the scarred and threatening Sandor Clegane (uncast as yet).

Kit Harrington
Newcomer Harrington has done some theatre work but nothing on television yet. The producers were apparently blown away by his audition. Harrington will be playing the key role of Jon Snow, Eddard Stark's bastard son who finds his place at Winterfell increasingly uncomfortable due to the attitude of his step-mother and eventually decides to 'take the black' and join the sworn brotherhood of the Night's Watch. The Watch guards the Wall, a colossal fortification of ice stretching for 300 miles across Westeros' northern border built thousands of years ago to defend against an ancient threat. That threat has long since vanished (cough) but the Watch still has to guard against the wildlings or 'free folk' who live beyond and occasionally seek to cross the Wall and raid the lands beyond.

Further casting announcements, including some possibly more recognisable SF&F figures, are due shortly.

Looking forward to this Hope they do a good job of the Starke's Dire Wolves and not make em just big dogs.

And this could open the way for A Malazan Movie Hmmmm

[Slum]

Werthead, on Aug 3 2009, 11:45 PM, said:

Jennifer Ehle - best known for playing Elizabeth Bennett in the BBC's definitive version of PRIDE & PREJUDICE (the Colin Firth one) - has been cast as Catelyn Stark in the adaptation.

Excellent choice. Ehle is one of our top-tier actresses with a very strong and varied career. I'm pretty sure she'll do brilliantly in the role.

Googled her. Looks like a very good choice to play Catelyn - just how I pictured her. This show really can't come soon enough. Not that it'll hold a candle to The Legend of the Seeker or anything though...

[Hetan]

I have to say I am not a Martin fan but I'm so excited about this now. If they can pull a cast like this together to shoot a pilot from this series of books then there's hope for other series to be seriously considered as future contenders. This is a quality cast and that can only be a good thing.

[Tiste Simeon]

Sean Bean... Utter legend, I cannot wait for this show!

[Werthead]

HBO have announced that an additional seven castmembers have been added to A GAME OF THRONES.

Rising Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has been cast as Jaime Lannister. Coster-Waldau was most recently seen in the lead role in Ronald D. Moore's VIRTUALITY.

Tamzin Merchant as Daenerys Targaryen. Merchant has just been starring as Katherine Howard in THE TUDORS.

Richard Madden as Robb Stark. Madden is an up-and-coming Scottish stage actor.

Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont. Glen is a veteran actor who recently played the role of Orestes in THE LAST LEGION (not a great film, but he was good in it) and King Richard in KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. A very sold and reliable choice.

Alfie Allen (brother of Lily) as Theon Greyjoy. Alfie Allen is another stage actor and the brother of British pop singer Lily Allen. He got some unwanted attention after his sister penned a humourous song about him on her first album, but has come into his own with some solid reviews after taking over the stage role of EQUUS from Daniel Radcliffe earlier this year.

Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark & Maisie Williams as Arya Stark. Newcomers.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/conten...09a5c3b4bb8e30e

This post has been edited by Werthead: 21 August 2009 - 03:36 AM