[Note: The following links to an excerpt from James Hibberd's official oral history of the Game of Thrones series, titled Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon. GRRM is quoted concerning the filming of the original pilot, his role in it, the decision to reshoot it, and his discussions with Benioff and Weiss regarding Rickon Stark.
https://ew.com/tv/game-of-thrones-original-pilot-fire-cannot-kill-a-dragon-excerpt/