Westeros

We’ve just published an exclusive interview with Michael Shaeffer, who plays Aerys II Targaryen in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Game of Thrones: The Mad King.

Shaeffer discusses how he unexpectedly came to the role, why he approached Aerys through the traumas of Summerhall, Duskendale and his troubled family history rather than simply playing him as “mad,” and how The World of Ice & Fire and Westeros.org helped inform his research.

The cat’s out of the bag: George R.R. Martin has announced that Game of Thrones: The Mad King, the new stage play which is completing its premiere run with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon this Saturday, is headed to London in 2027.

GRRM shared the news on his Not a Blog. The official website now confirms that the RSC production will come to London next year, with the venue and performance dates still to be announced. Fans can sign up there for news and priority access to tickets.

First, a disclosure: it has been a very long time since I seriously played this particular kind of real-time strategy game. The last one I spent much time with was Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, back in 1995. I never moved on to StarCraft, Total Annihilation, Command & Conquer and the rest. Some Total War, yes, but that’s a different beast in a lot of ways. So, with that out of the way, and the recognition that it means I’m not really in a position to tell experienced RTS players whether Game of Thrones: War for Westeros is doing something revolutionary or even exceptional for the genre. But I can give my near-neophyte impressions, and also share how well the game captures the feel of Game of Thrones (and ASoIaF) in its tactical gameplay.

The verdict? Quite impressed! I’ve posted my thoughts over at the Features section of the site, here. But one thing I shared there, I’ll highlight here as well: PlaySide has now revealed two additional heroes that will be part of the game, heroes that were not included in the demo build that we and other press had access to. Here’s the reveal of the Mountain that Rides and Arya Stark:

As teased two weeks ago, PlaySide has premiered its full gameplay trailer at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, giving a richer look at the real time strategy game’s factions and units, combat, and more. You can see the trailer for yourself below!

We’ve had the opportunity to play an early demo build of the game, and hope to share some of our impressions soon!

For more, including the announcement of a beta test, read the press release below:

Due to a combination of oversight on my part and just being rather busy, I have realized that we’ve not posted about the fact that we’ve actually put up our review of the finale of House of the Dragon a few days ago…

... and for that matter, that we’ve posted our review of Game of Thrones: The Mad King as well, rather belatedly. There may be a future video about it as well, if there’s interest, to discuss in more detail but presently we’re adhering to the RSC’s request that we don’t say too many specific things about the plot points. Suffice it to say, it’s an incredible experience, and we hope there’ll soon be news about additional performances.

Back when PlaySide Studios and Warner Bros. Games announced Game of Thrones: War for Westeros, the real-time strategy game was expected to arrive on PC in 2026. The wait will now be a little longer.

In a substantial development update, PlaySide discussed the game’s factions, heroes, combat mechanics, unit behavior, and the importance of controlling terrain. The update closed with the announcement that War for Westeros will now launch in early 2027, giving the developers additional time to reach the level of quality they are aiming for.

Today brings something rather more immediate: PlaySide has released a brief official gameplay reveal teaser. It is very brief indeed, but offers our first small taste of the game in action.

We’re barreling on towards the end of the third season of House of the Dragon, and Elio and Linda are back on Youtube to discuss the penultimate, 7th episode. You can see their thoughts below!

With Game of Thrones: The Mad Kingwell on its way after a somewhat delayed first performance, the Royal Shakespeare Company has sent out word that they have shared their first image of the primary cast in full costume. Featuring characters from the eponymous Mad King, Aerys I, to Eddard Stark, it gives us our best look yet at the costuming and the approach the show has taken to bring them to life. Absolutely love the lilac hue of Ashara’s gown, for example, and the elaborate styling of Queen Rhaella’s hair is incredible.

See the full press release that came with the image below!

Left to right, the portrait includes Tanisha Spring as Ashara Dayne, Elizabeth Ayodele as Princess Elia Martell, Mariah Gale as Queen Rhaella Targaryen, Callum Woodhouse as Lord Robert Baratheon, Michael Shaeffer as King Aerys II Targaryen, Harmony Rose-Bremner as Lyanna Stark, Luke Brady as Brandon Stark, Noah Ritter as Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Michael Abubakar as Eddard Stark.

With the first preview of Game of Thrones: The Mad King now having taken place (and to a standing ovation, too!), there has understandably been a great deal of discussion about its revelations and, especially, about which parts of the play are or should be considered “canon”.

Naturally, people have asked us about this because of our long involvement with George and his work, both as long-time fans and lore “experts”, and as collaborators on The World of Ice and Fire, so it may be useful to explain how we understand the situation, based on our experiences and knowledge. Before we start, though, a disclaimer:  we have not directly spoken to George or the creatives about any of the specifics of the play. And, for that matter, we will do so without discussing the substance of the play or spoiling any of its details.

So, we’ve written an article in the Features section of the site delving into the question, and offering up our understanding of the situation.

We’re nearing the finish line for the third season of House of the Dragon, and Elio and Linda are back once again to go over the episode’s events, comparing them to what Fire and Blood described, and weighing in on what they thought of the episode over all.

The fifth episode of House of the Dragon has come and gone, and Westeros.org is back to discuss it in detail. They go over what they liked an disliked, deviations from the source text, and speculate on some of what the events of this episode mean for the show’s one retelling of the Dance of the Dragons. You can see the discussion video below!

Tyler Jacobson, one of the leading illustrators in contemporary fantasy art and illustration, is best known for his work on Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons—including standard covers for major Dungeons & Dragons core books, and a particularly famous piece for Magic: The Gathering that was a D & D crossover featuring Drizzt Do’Urden that sold at auction for $155,000, one of the highest M: TG original art sales on record —he brings more than a decade of experience in both traditional and digital illustration to the project, winning plaudits including recognition such as the prestigious Spectrum and Jack Gaughan awards.

He is now the latest notable artist to get involved in the long-running A Song of Ice and Fire calendar series, joining the likes of Ted Nasmith, Magali Villenueve, Gary Gianni, John Picacio, Sam Hogg, Arantza Sestayo, and many more. I had the pleasure of interviewing him just before he was set to travel to Amsterdam,  the host of this year’s MagicCon, to discuss the 2027 A Song of Ice and Fire Calendar which is set to be released on July 21st (you can pre-order here. Not only do we discuss five of the pieces, including an exclusive piece never seen before, but he reveals just a bit about a couple of other of the pieces fans can look forward to.

Daenerys Stormborn with her dragons Drogon, Rhaegal, and Visersion. Art by Tyler Jacobson.

An exclusive report from Whats on Stage features images released by the Royal Shakespeare Company during rehearsals for Game of Thrones: The Mad King, showing many of the cast… and showing, intriguingly, a sign directing “Horses” one way and “People” another (one of the images appears to explain why!) We’ve embedded the RSC’s post with images below.

What’s on Stage confirms remarks from the writer and director that while the play does center on the tourney at Harrenhal, it covers more ground than that, extending into the rebellion-proper (we’d guess as a final act or epilogue, perhaps?)

Actors Huw Parmenter and Kel Matsena as Ser Oswell Whent and Ser Arthur Dayne of the Kingsguard. Photo by Johan Persson.

We’re half way into the third season of House of the Dragon, and this episode leaves us with a lot of thoughts, suffice it to say. The shape of where they’re going this season—and, more importantly, how they’regetting there—is largely coming into focus now. You can see our extensive discussion below!

Some housekeeping: we may or may not manage to film the review for the next episode prior to going on vacation, but if not at most it will delay the review a bit as we sort out filming it while away from home (much as we did for the first episode).

A nice bit of news dropped today, as the Emmy Award nominees were announced and the little show that could, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, managed to score nine nominations, including a nomination in the prestigious Best Drama category! Deadline has the full list, but here’s the relevant ones for fans of the adventures of Dunk and Egg:

 
•   Outstanding Drama Series
    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — HBO Max; HBO in association with GRRM and Friendly Wolf Pictures.
    Ira Parker, George R.R. Martin, Sarah Bradshaw, Ryan Condal, Owen Harris and Vince Gerardis, executive producers; Aziza Barnes, Hiram Martinez, Annie Julia Wyman and Sarah Adina Smith, co-executive producers; Layla Blackman, producer; Lisa Byrne, produced by.  
 
•   Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour)
    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, “Seven” — HBO Max; HBO in association with GRRM and Friendly Wolf Pictures.
    Tom McCullagh, production designer; John Merry, supervising art director; Stephanie Rea, set decorator.  
 
•   Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (Half-Hour)
    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, “In the Name of the Mother” — HBO Max; HBO in association with GRRM and Friendly Wolf Pictures.
    Gustav Danielsson, FSF, director of photography.  
 
•   Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes
    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, “Seven” — HBO Max; HBO in association with GRRM and Friendly Wolf Pictures.
    Lorna Ó Ríordáin, costume designer; Libby Dempster and Kyle Callanan, assistant costume designers; Rachael W. Crozier and Stephen O Rawe, costume supervisors.  
 
•   Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Hairstyling
    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, “The Morrow” — HBO Max; HBO in association with GRRM and Friendly Wolf Pictures.
    Pippa Woods, department head hairstylist; Lucille Harding, hair supervisor; Tamara-May Richards, assistant department head hairstylist; Anna Knight, Cat Coogan and Lauren Appleby, hairstylists.  
 
•   Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, “In the Name of the Mother” — HBO Max; HBO in association with GRRM and Friendly Wolf Pictures.
    Dan Romer, composer.  
 
•   Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation
    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, “In the Name of the Mother” — HBO Max; HBO in association with GRRM and Friendly Wolf Pictures.
    Alastair Sirkett, MPSE, supervising sound editor; Martin Cantwell, sound designer; Michele Woods, MPSE, dialogue editor; Adéle Fletcher, ADR editor; Ruth Knight, sound effects editor; Neil Stemp, music editor; Barnaby Smyth and Rebecca Glover, foley artists.  
 
•   Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Single Episode
    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, “In the Name of the Mother” — HBO Max; HBO in association with GRRM and Friendly Wolf Pictures.
    Arron Roebuck, overall VFX supervisor; Paul Russo, overall VFX producer; Luke Dhand, VFX editor; Angel Rico Riesgo, VFX supervisor at El Ranchito; Sonsoles L. Aranguren, additional VFX supervisor at El Ranchito; Rocío Ruiz de Azúa, VFX producer at El Ranchito; Mike Dawson, SFX supervisor; Tom Lloyd, SFX floor supervisor; Paul Tuersley, VFX artist.  
 
•   Outstanding Stunt Performance
    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, “In the Name of the Mother” — HBO Max; HBO in association with GRRM and Friendly Wolf Pictures.
    Zach Roberts, Gyula Tóth, Chris Cox and Jake Cox, stunt performers.  

Many congratulations to HBO, as well as Ira Parker and the writing and production team.