According to Not a Blog, one more of the two remaining major roles has been cast. He also noted that the Norwegian movie wolves that people have speculated would be the direwolves are not intended for those roles, because UK law makes it impossible. Our speculation is that the law doesn’t allow children and wild animals to work together. GRRM has also posted some cryptic hints to the persons identity.
Extras NI—an agency that gathers extras for film and television productions in Northern Ireland—is looking for extras for Game of Thrones. They place particular emphasis on confident male horsemen between 16 and 60. As was reported earlier by Irish extra rimshot, the call confirms that those extras who’d grown their hair and beards for the Your Highness filming are in good position to participate as extras for the HBO pilot. Finally, the notice ends with “URGENTLY”, emphasizing just how close to production we now are: almost exactly one month.
Thanks to Winter is Coming for turning this one up.
George R. R. Martin has confirmed that the Hound will be played by Scottish actor Rory McCann. While this wall but certain shortly after GRRM’s clues were cracked, it took until today for there to be an official confirmation from HBO, by way of Jay Tomio of BSC Review. GRRM goes on to add why McCann was selected over other actors, citing both his imposing size, physicality, and his terrific readings.
The BBC has released a two-part news feature covering various angles of the filming of Your Highness in Northern Ireland. The film is currently being filmed at the Paint Hall studio where Game of Thrones will be primarily based. The video report includes discussion on the quality and variety of crews and independent businesses that can be drawn on for a production, and the first part of the feature mentions the HBO pilot in passing at the 2:15 mark.
Thanks to a tweet from Chris Martin of a Belfast-basd media company, we’ve been informed that the sets for HBO’s Game of Thrones pilot are currently being built at Belfast’s Paint Hall facility. In a follow up to a question from us, he confirmed that the sets were being built in a different area from where Your Highness, a medieval fantasy comedy, is currently filming.
GRRM provides tentative signing dates in Ireland, in the run up to his visit for some of the filming of the pilot episode of Game of Thrones. He writes that on November 3, he’ll sign at Eason’s Bookstore in Belfast at 1 PM, and that David Benioff, Dan Weiss, and possibly some of the cast may attend the signing. There’s also a second signing on the 5th, at 5 PM, at Eason’s on O’Connell Street in Dublin. These are, again, tentative dates and not yet set in stone.
George R. R. Martin provides a small update on the progress of HBO’s Game of Thrones pilot. Most notably, he indicates two significant roles remain uncast as well as some more minor roles, as well as his intention to fly to Ireland to witness some of the filming. He hopes to hold signing events in Belfast and Dublin while he’s there, although dates for his trip and the signings are not currently finalized.
In the course of an update on multiple fronts, George R. R. Martin discussed the latest news on the pilot for HBO’s Game of Thrones adaption. One more secondary role has been cast, and an actor is being offered another role. Besides that, another role that was already cast and intended for the pilot has been written out of it; however, the role (with a “world-class thespian” already attached to it) will appear later if the pilot goes to series.
George R. R. Martin shares a number of updates on several different topics at his “Not a Blog” journal, ranging from current progress on the book (his attempt to defeat the problem he’s termed “the Meereeneese Knot” hasn’t succeeded and it’s back to the drawing board) to comics (“Skin Trade” and “In The House of the Worm” to be published by Avatar Press, while Wild Cards: The Hard Call has its final issue still undrawn and with no set completion date) and anthologies (Songs of the Dying Earth has sold out, Warrior is due for a March publication, Star-Cross Lovers is progressing, and a new cross-genre anthology called Down These Strange Streets—mixing private eye mystery with fantasy and SF—has been contracted to Penguin/Ace.)
There is also a brief update on the progress of the pilot, with one more role cast, another role being offered to an actor, and a third role (and its selected actor) having to be written out of the pilot.
Thanks to the pointer from Adam Whitehead of the Wertzone, we wanted to share this photo montage of nearly all the currently-cast actors. It’s a good selection of pictures. The only actor missing that comes to mind is Rory McCann, who has not yet been officially announced.
After confirming the casting of Lena Headey as Queen Cersei in HBO’s pilot of Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin wen on to provide a list of characters still to be cast.
Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune has the exclusive news that Lena Headey has been cast as Queen Cersei, and is the last major role to be filled. Headey, now best known for her title role in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, hs an extensive film and television background. Ryan cites the strong fan interest in the pilot, which she says is not at all the norm for a series that has not even started filming, much less received a season order. She shares the view of Time’s James PoniewozikRome.
George R. R. Martin reveals that Cersei Lannister—arguably the last major adult role left to be cast for the HBO pilot of Game of Thrones (arguable, as some might note the importance of Khal Drogo in the grand scheme of things)—has been cast. As usual, he also provides some clues.
After the hints from the producers that Sandor Clegane, the Hound, has been cast, GRRM has been relatively quiet beyond mentioning that one role had been cast and that smaller roles were being cast such as “Unnamed Eunuch” and “Redheaded Whore”. Today, however, he posted a new clue: “Eat your porage and you’ll grow up big and strong.”
This almost certainly points to the Scottish actor Rory McCann, who has acted in films such as Oliver Stone’s Alexander. 6’6” tall, he is also known for this classic commercial for Scott’s Porage Oats.
According to this cheeky post from David Benioff and Dan Weiss, it seems very likely that, “Woof woof” indicates that the role of Sandor Clegane, known as the Hound, has been filled. There’s currently no information on who has been cast in the role.