"They've cast Eddard Stark for the Song of Ice and Fire! And guess who it is? Guess! Okay, we'll give: It's Sean Bean! If you're not a fantasy movie fan, you might not know, but this is kind of a big deal. Sean Bean was a major part of the Lord of the Rings, and has before and since then been in any number of wonderful movies in the right genre, and therefore, casting him as one of the main characters in this show proves that this is a big deal, and brings it that much closer to reality."
source: www.examiner.com, Jacksonville, USA, 20.07.2009

Gestern abend (US Zeit) hat HBO einen winzigen Appettithappen, einen sogenannten Teaser für GoT ausgestrahlt. Ausserdem haben sie dazu noch das nebenstehende Photo von Sean als Ned veröffentlicht. Auf der "Winter Is Coming" Seite gibt es beides, aber vermutlich auch auf allen Fanseiten zur Serie. Zweimal dort aufs Bilderl klicken, dann erscheint es in einer hochauflösenden grossen (und ich meine groß!) Version.

Die offizielle Seite beim US-Sender HBO: "Game of Thrones"
EFi/14.06.10

Yesterday, producing US network HBO aired the smallest of teasers for GoT. They have also released the adjacent photo of Sean as Ned. You can see both on the "Winter Is Coming" page, and perhaps on any other fan site. Click twice on the photo there to get it in full (really big) size.

The official GoT site at its US network HBO: "Game of Thrones"
EFi/14.06.10

Wunderbare Neuigkeiten! "Game of Thrones" wird nun definitiv verfilmt. HBO hat die Pilotfolge für gut befunden und die Serie in Auftrag gegeben. Die Filmarbeiten sollen im Juni beginnen und bis ca. Dezember dauern. Geplant sind 10 Folgen. Diese erste Staffel basiert auf dem ersten Buch "A Game of Thrones" - "Die Herren von Winterfell". Infos laut www.westeros.org.

Es wird interessant werden zu sehen, wie Sean Bean diese Filmarbeiten in seinem gut gefüllten Filmplan für 2010 unterbringen kann :-) rg/3. März 2010

Splendid News! Game of Thrones has been picked up bei HBO. Filming of the series will start in June and goes on until December. 10 episodes are planned. This first season is based on the first book "A Game of Thrones". Infos due to www.westeros.org,

It will be interesting to see, how Sean Bean manages to find time for filming! His schedule looks pretty full at the moment. :-) rg/3. March 2010

According to a BBC article (see below) and the Blog from "Winter is Coming", filming has started this weekend in Castle Doune, Scotland. The castle is supposed to be the seat of the Winterfell people, so Sean Bean will be filming here.

Blog from Website "Winter is coming", very uptodate: http://winter-is-coming.blogspot.com/
rg/24.10.09

Hinweis: in den folgenden Artikeln können kleinere Spoiler enthalten sein!

Attention: in the following articles there can be smaller spoilers!

Belfast Telegraph, 20. July 2010

Game of Thrones: Northern Ireland actors enter fantasy world cameras get set to roll
Tuesday, 20 July 2010

Some of Northern Ireland’s favourite actors have landed plum roles in a multimillion-pound US fantasy epic being filmed in Belfast.

The US broadcaster HBO begins work in the city next week on its spectacular mini-series, Game Of Thrones, which is expected to be one of the largest television series to be shot in Europe.

Political leaders at the Assembly played their part in wooing US movie-makers to use locations in the region, but now local acting talent is set to perform alongside stars such as Sean Bean.

Northern Ireland Screen, which promotes the TV and film industry, welcomed news that homegrown actors including Conleth Hill, Ian McElhinney and Derek Halligan will join the star-studded cast list of a production which is based on George RR Martin's best-selling novels.

“We are delighted that HBO has signed up some of our best on-screen and off-screen talent for Game Of Thrones,” said chief executive of Northern Ireland Screen Richard Williams.

“We have always sought to |nurture local talent and support our indigenous film-makers. Game Of Thrones will provide a great deal of experience for many local cast and crew.

“The decision by HBO to base the series here further cements our reputation as a leading centre for film and television production and it is estimated that £20m will be delivered into the local economy.”

Yesterday's announcement follows confirmation that Coleraine actress Michelle Fairley has landed a lead role opposite Sean Bean and that Armagh man Brian Kirk has been lined up to direct two episodes of the 10-part series.

Northern Ireland's Mark Huffam is producing the series, in which hundreds of extras and crew will be employed.

Principal photography for the series begins next Monday in Belfast.

Northern Ireland Screen recounted the storyline of the epic novels: “In a world where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime, the Westeros crown comes with a price.”

Game Of Thrones has received funding from Northern Ireland Screen supported by Invest NI and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

It will shoot in the Paint Hall studio, Belfast, as well as various locations in Northern Ireland.

Source: belfasttelegraph.co.uk

The Irish Film and Television Network, 20 July 2010

More Irish Acting Talent for 'Game of Thrones'
20 Jul 2010:

Three further Irish actors have been announced to play key roles in HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’. Conleth Hill (Perrier’s Bounty), Ian McElhinney (Triage) and Derek Halligan (Fifty Dead Men Walking) will all star in the mammoth production which starts shooting in Belfast on Monday, July 26th.

Conleth, Ian and Derek join fellow Northern Irish locals, Michelle Fairley (Best: His Mother’s Son) and director Brian Kirk (Dexter) who has been lined up to direct two of the series’ ten episodes. Northern Ireland’s Mark Huffam (Cherrybomb) is producing the series in which hundreds of local extras and crew will be utilised.

‘Game of Thrones’ is a new original HBO series based on George R.R. Martin’s best-selling novels. In this alternative world where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime, the Westeros crown comes with a price. Betrayal, lust, intrigue and supernatural forces shake the four corners of the Kingdom, from the scheming south and the savage eastern lands, to the frozen north and the ancient Wall that protects the realm from the darkness beyond. Kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars and noble men vie for power in the bloody struggle for the Iron Throne of the series’ title.

As previously reported Michelle Fairley will play Catelyn Stark, wife of Eddard Stark who is played by Sean Bean (Red Riding). Conleth Hill takes on the role of Varys, the calculating spymaster for the king of Westeros whilst Ian McElhinney has been cast as Ser Barristan Selmy, known to fans as Barristan the Bold and Derek Halligan will play Alliser Thorne. The impressive cast-list also includes Mark Addy (Robin Hood, Red Riding); Alfie Allen (Atonement); Aidan Gillen (The Wire); Peter Dinklage (Elf); Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Black Hawk Down); Lena Headey (300) and Jerome Flynn (Soldier, Soldier).

Brian Kirk will share the director’s chair with HBO regulars Daniel Minahan (True Blood, Six Feet Under) and Alan Taylor (Mad Men, Lost, The Sopranos). Other directors will be announced as they are confirmed. ‘Game of Thrones’ has received funding from Northern Ireland Screen supported by Invest NI and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund. It will shoot in the Paint Hall studio, Belfast, as well as various locations in Northern Ireland. The writers of the series are: David Benioff (Troy and D.B. Weiss (Kashmir) who will pen seven episodes, Bryan Cogman (My Own Worst Enemy), Jane Espenson (Dollhouse) and George R.R. Martin (Beauty and the Beast) will write one episode each.

Richard Williams, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Screen said: “We are delighted that HBO has signed up some of our best on-screen and off-screen talent for ‘Game of Thrones’. We have always sought to nurture local talent and support our indigenous film-makers, Game of Thrones will provide a great deal of experience for many local cast and crew. The decision by HBO to base the series here further cements our reputation as a leading centre for film and television production and it is estimated that £20million will be delivered into the local economy.

Source: The Irish Film & Television Network

Related News:
Aidan Gillen joins ‘Game of Thrones’ Cast, 16 July 2010
Brian Kirk & Michelle Fairley Join 'Game of Thrones', 15 June 2010

Hollywood Reporter, 19. March 2010

Fairley to replace Ehle in HBO's 'Thrones'

THR EXCLUSIVE By Nellie Andreeva March 19, 2010, 01:41 PM ET

The cast of HBO's much buzzed about new fantasy series "Game of Thrones" is undergoing minor tweaking. Irish actress Michelle Fairley has been tapped for a co-starring role on the adaptation of the George R.R. Martin book series. The project, recently picked up to series to premiere next spring, is a sprawling tale set in the mythical land of Westeros that tells the story of the noble Stark family who become caught up in high court intrigue when patriarch Eddard (played by Sean Bean) becomes the king's new right-hand man. Fairley will play Catelyn Stark, Eddard Stark's wife, who originally was betrothed to his older brother. When the older brother is killed, she fulfills her duty by marrying Eddard and securing the alliance between their two houses. Fairley replaces Jennifer Ehle, who played the role in the pilot. Production on the show's nine-episode order will begin in Belfast this June. David Benioff and Dan Weiss created the series, whose pilot was directed by Thomas McCarthy. Leading the large ensemble cast are Bean, Lena Headey, Mark Addy, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Peter Dinklage. Fairley, who is little known in the U.S., will play Mrs. Granger in the final two "Harry Potter" movies.

Quelle: /www.hollywoodreporter.com

www.serienjunkies.de, 19. März 2010

Game of Thrones: Michelle Fairley ersetzt Jennifer Ehle
Bernd Michael Krannich am Freitag, 19.März 2010 23.15 Uhr

Ein Recasting hat es bei der neuen HBO-Serie „Game of Thrones" gegeben, die auf der Romanreihe A Song of Ice and Fire basiert: Die zentrale Rolle der Catelyn Stark wird von Michelle Fairley übernommen.

Für das Projekt „Game of Thrones" des amerikanischen Premiumkabelsenders HBO wurde als neue Hauptdarstellerin Michelle Fairley im sehr großen Ensemble-Cast des Projekt verpflichtet. Sie ersetzt Jennifer Ehle in der Rolle der Catelyn Stark. Dadurch müssen einige Szenen der Pilotepisode neu gedreht werden.

„Game of Thrones" ist die Serienumsetzung der Fantasy-Roman- Serie „A Song of Ice and Fire" von George R.R. Martin. Darin wird der Kampf zweier Herrscherhäuser um die Kontrolle der Zukunft des Kontinents Westeros thematisiert. Dabei entspricht die erste Staffel der Handlung des ersten Buches der bisher vierteiligen Romanreihe, zu der noch drei weitere Bände folgen sollen.

Zentral im ersten Teil der Saga ist Eddard Stark (Sean Bean), Gefolgsmann eines der beiden Herrscherhäuser. Er heiratete die Frau, die seinem bereits verstorbenen Bruder versprochen war, Catelyn Stark (die neu besetzt Rolle).

The Hollywood Reporter berichtet, dass die Umbesetzung eher Gründe hinter den Kulissen hatte und nicht aus kreativen Gründen geschah. Demnächst ist Fairley auch in der wohl größten Produktion ihrer Karriere zu sehen: Sie spielt im kommenden, zweigeteilten „Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" Hermines (Emma Watson) Mutter.

Die Produktion der noch verbleibenden neun Episoden der ersten Staffel von „Game of Thrones" wird im Juni in Belfast und Umgebung beginnen. Die Ausstrahlung ist für das Frühjahr 2011 eingeplant.

Quelle: http://www.serienjunkies.de/ news/game- thrones-25584. html

Belfast Telegraph, 04.03.2010

HBO to begin filming Game of Thrones in Belfast
Thursday, 4 March 2010

The Game of Thrones adventure series - starring Sean Bean - is to begin filming in Belfast

US broadcaster HBO will begin filming epic fantasy adventure series Game of Thrones in Belfast this June. The pilot has already been shot at locations around the city. Another nine programmes based on the first book of George R R Martin's multi-volume A Song Of Fire And Ice series have been commissioned. Filming has also taken place in Scotland and Morocco.

It will star Sean Bean, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey and Alfie Allen, the brother of pop star Lily Allen. The makers hope each novel in the series will produce a season's worth of episodes.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said: “This announcement by HBO, a major player in TV production, is further evidence of what we have to offer. “Local talent, business and supply capabilities are all to be focused upon in the delivery of such projects and this can be seen as both a sterling endorsement of these sectors and a significant boost to our economy and the burgeoning local film industry.”

HBO has run many popular programmes, including The Sopranos, Sex And The City and Curb Your Enthusiasm. The Government estimates the series will generate £20m for the local economy. A huge set was built in the Paint Hall studios in Belfast's docklands for the pilot. Filming for the nine-part series is expected to last until the end of the year, with the show going to air next spring.

Hundreds of Northern Ireland-based cast and crew are set to work on the production, alongside local producer Mark Huffam. Rich Hill, chairman of Northern Ireland Screen, which worked with HBO and Invest NI to bring the project to the region, said: “This is a real coup for Northern Ireland and further cements our reputation as a leading centre for film and television production.” First Minister Peter Robinson also welcomed the news: “The growth of the film industry is an example of an innovative attitude to business in Northern Ireland.”

Source: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/

BBC, 03.03.2010

Page last updated at 16:33 GMT, Wednesday, 3 March 2010

Game of Thrones fantasy epic to be filmed in Belfast

US broadcaster HBO is to begin filming its epic fantasy adventure series Game of Thrones in Belfast in June.

The series pilot was filmed at locations around the city.

Nine more programmes based on the first book of George R.R. Martin's multi-volume A Song of Fire and Ice series have now been commissioned.

Rather than focusing on special effects, the series is said to feature realistic battles and is pitched as "The Sopranos in Middle Earth".

Location filming has also taken place in Scotland and Morocco, amid fevered internet anticipation among fantasy fans.

It will star Sean Bean, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey and Alfie Allen, the brother of pop star Lily Allen.

The makers' long-term ambition is for each novel in the series to fuel a season's worth of episodes.

HBO has been behind a string of popular programmes including The Sopranos, Sex and the City and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

'Major coup'

The government estimates the series will generate £20m for the local economy.

Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson said: "Securing a project of this size and scale by a worldwide brand such as HBO is a major coup for Northern Ireland.

"The growth of the film industry is an example of a new innovative attitude to business in Northern Ireland.

"The transformation of the Paint Hall from the last remnant of our once great ship building tradition to the largest stage in Europe is an example of our flexibility and our commitment to innovation.

"This announcement is also a major endorsement of our local talent and of the calibre of people that we can provide to potential investors."

Filming for the nine-part series is expected to last until the end of the year, with the show going to air next spring.

Hundreds of Northern Ireland-based cast and crew are set to work on the production alongside local producer Mark Huffam.

Rich Hill, chairman of Northern Ireland Screen, said it was good news for the local film industry.

"(It) further cements our reputation as a leading centre for film and television production, as we continue driving global growth in one of the most powerful and vibrant industries in the world," he said.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/

02.03.10/serienjunkies.de

HBO bestellt Romanverfilmung «A Game of Thrones»

Bernd Michael Krannich am Dienstag, 2.März 2010 23.00 Uhr

Auf diese Nachricht haben viele Fantasy-Fans mit angehaltenem Atem gewartet: Nach Sichtung der Pilotepisode hat sich der amerikanische Sender HBO entschieden, die Fernsehumsetzung des beliebten Fantasy-Zyklus A Song of Ice and Fire in Serie zu gehen lassen.

Die epische Romanserie „A Song of Ice and Fire“ ist einer der aktuell beliebtesten Fantasy-Zyklen. Kein Wunder, dass die Fans seit dem Augenblick der Ankündigung einer möglichen Serienumsetzung heiß im Internet darüber diskutierten, und das Casting der Pilotepisode und die Dreharbeiten in Nordirland genau im Auge behielten.

Heute beschloss HBO, neben der Pilotepisode neun weitere Folgen für eine erste Staffel der Serie zu bestellen, die nach dem ersten Roman der Serie „Game of Thrones“ benannt ist. Handlungstechnisch soll mit den zehn Episoden auch genau der erste Roman abgehandelt werden.

Derzeit existieren vier Romane in dem Zyklus, der nach derzeitigen Planung sieben Romane umfassen soll - ursprünglich aber als Trilogie geplant war. Zudem sind seit der Veröffentlichung des vierten Teils bereits fünf Jahre vergangen. Autor George R.R. Martin (61) beharrt darauf, dass er sich von niemanden hetzen lasse, sondern so lange an dem Projekt arbeite, bis das bestmögliche Buch dabei heraus komme. So könnte HBO letztendlich auf einem unfertigen Projekt sitzen bleiben, wenn man davon ausgeht, das wie üblich eine Serienstaffel pro Jahr produziert wird, die wie angedacht jeweils einen der Romane umfasst.

Die Handlung der Serie ist in den sieben Königreichen des Kontinents Westeros angesiedelt. Dieser hat etwa die Größe von Süd-Amerika und eine bekannte Geschichte von um die zwölf Jahrtausende. Die „Jahreszeiten“ in Westeros dauern mehrere Jahre an.

Grundsätzlich geht es in den Romanen der Serie um zwei große Dynastien, die von ihnen beherrschten sieben Königreiche und um den Streit um den „Iron Throne“, dessen Besitz allein das Überleben im kommenden vierzigjährigen Winter sichern kann. Hinzu kommt die wachsende Bedrohung des Kontinents durch die Others, die jenseits der nördlichen Grenze von Westeros hinter einem gigantischen Eiswall darauf lauern, nach Westeros einzufallen, sowie die Queste der Tochter eines vor Jahrzehnten in einem Bürgerkrieg ermordeten Königs, die ihren rechtmäßigen Platz zurückerlangen will.

In Anlehnung an den größten Erfolg von HBO wird „A Game of Thrones“ als „Sopranos mit Schwertern“ beschrieben, da sich die Serie trotz des Fantasyhintergrunds weitestgehend mit Menschen und ihren Konflikten untereinander beschäftigt und die typischen Fantasykreaturen nur eine Nebenrolle spielen.

Drehbeginn wird im juni in Belfast sein. Hauptdarsteller sind unter anderem Sean Bean, Peter Dinklage, Mark Addy, Lena Headey und Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Serienjunkies vom 20.10.2009).

Quelle: www.serienjunkies.de/

Hollywood-Reporter, 02.03.2010

HBO greenlights 'Game of Thrones'

Nine episodes plus the pilot have been ordered

By James Hibberd

March 2, 2010, 03:18 PM ET

Updated: March 2, 2010, 09:20 PM ET

HBO has greenlighted highly anticipated fantasy series "Game of Thrones."

The premium network has picked up the project for a first-season debut next spring. Nine episodes plus the pilot have been ordered. Production will begin in Belfast this June.

The pickup comes on the heels of another HBO big ticket series order, for Terence Winter and Martin Scorsese's drama "Boardwalk Empire."

From the moment "Thrones" was first announced in development, the series based on the George R.R. Martin novels has generated enormous, perhaps unprecedented, online interest for a series at such an early stage.

The sprawling tale set in the mythical land of Westeros tells the story of the noble Stark family who become caught up in high court intrigue when patriarch Eddard (played by Sean Bean becomes the king's new right-hand man. The four-and-counting books in the series would each be used as one season of the series.

Unlike many fantasy novels, the "Thrones" series largely avoids relying on magical elements and instead goes for brutal realism -- think "Sopranos" with swords. Martin, a former TV writer ("Beauty and the Beast"), writes each chapter as a cliffhanger, which should lend itself well to series translation. David Benioff and Dan Weiss are the series creators.

source: www.hollywoodreporter.com

23.10.09/BBC News UK
Medieval keep becomes film set

Doune Castle
Shots for the series Game of Thrones are being filmed in Doune

A medieval keep near Stirling has become the setting for a new Hollywood production by US cable channel HBO.

Scenes from Game of Thrones, starring Sean Bean, are due to be shot at Doune Castle over the weekend.

The series is based on George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy adventure novels.

Doune Castle is already a place of pilgrimage for movie fans after it featured as Castle Anthrax in the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Since then, thousands of devout fans make their way to the castle each year to take part in re-enactments.

Written by David Benioff and DB Weiss, the new production will also film on location in Northern Ireland and Morocco.

The A Song of Ice and Fire series, the first of which was published in 1996, is set in the fictional world of Westeros.

It is understood the castle will be used for scenes depicting the courtyard of the fantasy dream realm of Winterfell.

Doune Castle was built at the end of the 1300s for Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany.

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/

19.10.2009/uk.tv.ign.com

Stargate Actor Joins Game of Thrones
Find out which Atlantis alum is going from sci-fi to fantasy.
by Eric Goldman

US, October 19, 2009 - Multiple sources are reporting (though thanks to Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan for being a big part of spreading the word) that one more cast member has been added to HBO's much anticipated Game of Thrones.

Jason Momoa, known to Stargate Atlantis fans for his role as Ronon Dex, has been cast as Khal Drogo. Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin's book, begins production on October 24th in Ireland. Momoa joins an impressive cast that includes Sean Bean, Lena Heady, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Mark Addy and Peter Dinklage.

source: http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/103/1036637p1.html

HBO says the official start date of production on the pilot of "Game of Thrones," one of the network's most hotly anticipated projects, is Oct. 24.

Principal photography begins in earnest the following week in Northern Ireland. Other filming locations reportedly include Scotland and Morocco (HBO has not confirmed those locations, but George R.R. Martin, the author of the book series on which "Thrones" is based, has said he plans to go to Morocco for the filming of part of the pilot).

The network also confirmed that Isaac Hempstead-Wright has been cast in the key role of Bran Stark, the son of Eddard Stark, a powerful lord. Bran is a child as the epic "Thrones" book series begins, but his role becomes increasingly important to the story as it progresses.

HBO's "Thrones" pilot, which has not yet been picked up as a series, is based on the first book of Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series of novels.

I reported in September that Lena Headey has been cast as Cersei Lannister, a member of a powerful family in the "Thrones" saga. Other cast members include Peter Dinklage as Cersei's brother Tyrion, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Cersei's twin, Jaime, Sean Bean as the aristocrat Ned Stark, Jennifer Ehle as his wife Catelyn Stark and Mark Addy as King Robert.

An HBO representative said that the role of Khal Drogo, another key role in the book series, has not yet been cast.

UPDATE Oct. 17: Westeros and Winter is Coming, two essential "Game of Thrones" sites, have posted reports from a convention that say Jason Momoa of "Stargate Atlantis" has been cast as Khal Drogo. If I get confirmation of this casting from HBO, I will post that here.

UPDATE 2 Oct. 17: HBO has confirmed the casting of Momoa as Khal Drogo.

UPDATE 3 Oct. 17: I just want to give full credit for the breaking of the Momoa story to ABitLikeTrying on Twitter, who tweeted the news about his casting from a convention Oct. 16. She also noted that Momoa will have a nude scene and said that the actor has hired a trainer to see about bulking up for the role.

The Twitter page of actor Jamie Campbell Bower ("Twilight New Moon," AMC's "The Prisoner") says that he's headed to Belfast, and fan speculation has him cast as "Thrones'" Waymar Royce, but that has not yet been officially confirmed by HBO (if I get confirmation, I'll update this post).

Posted at 04:14:27 PM in Game of Thrones

source:
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com

30.07.2009/IFTN.ie/Ireland

A Game of Thrones' Recruits Sean Bean
30 Jul 2009

Casting has been proceeding apace these past six weeks or so -- in New York and LA, London and Dublin, most recently in Australia and now it has been confirmed that Sean Bean (Red Riding, The Lord of the Rings) has joined HBO's `A Game of Thrones' which will commence filming in Northern Ireland later this year.

HBO's adaptation of the George R.R. Martin best-selling fantasy book series Songs of Fire and Ice, is scheduled to shoot in The Paint Hall, Belfast, after the feature film `Your Highness' wraps.

Tom Mc Carthy is directing whilst David Benioff and D.B Weiss, who wrote the screenplay are executive producing.

Sean Bean will play the character of Lord Eddard `Ned' Stark, who becomes the closest advisor to King Robert.

Other roles that have been cast, include Peter Dinklage (The Chronicles of Narnia) Irish actor Jack Gleeson (A Shine of Rainbows) as Prince Joffrey, Mark Addy as King Robert, Harry Lloyd (Oscar & Jim) as Viserys, and finally theatrical actor, Kit Harrington, as Jon Snow.

The project is scheduled to arrive in the third quarter of 2009 and is set to utilise various locations as well as build a massive set in the Belfast's Paint Hall.

source: www.iftn.ie

21.07.2009/film.aol.co.uk

Sean Bean fights for the Throne

Sean Bean is to battle for an Iron Throne in his new movie. The hunky British actor has landed the lead role of Lord Eddard 'Ned' Stark in 'Game of Thrones', which is based on George R.R. Martin's fantasy book series. The books follow a battle between two ruling families which rages across seven kingdoms for control of the Iron Throne, which allows those in possession to survive a bleak 40-year winter.

Other confirmed castings include Kit Harrington who will play Jon Snow, the bastard son of Lord Eddard, and Harry Lloyd will play Viserys, a powerless ruler desperate to gain influence.

Shooting on the project is scheduled to start in Ireland in October.

The movie is the latest fantasy adventure Bean - who shot to fame in the hit TV series 'Sharpe', in which he played a fictional British soldier in the Napoleonic Wars - has signed up for.

He recently finished shooting 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief - which is based on Rick Riordan's book and sees a young boy discover he's the descendant of a Greek god - and 'Black Death' - which is set during England's first bubonic plague outbreak between 1346 and 1347.

Both films are due for release in 2010.

from:http://film.aol.co.uk/

20.07.2009/serienjunkies.de/DE

Game of Thrones: Sean Bean und andere verpflichtet
Bernd Michael Krannich am Montag, 20.Juli 2009 11.00 Uhr

Der Cast für die Fantasy-Verfilmung „Game of Thrones“ nimmt langsam Gestalt an. Sean Bean, Kit Harrington, Jack Gleeson und Harry Lloyd sind zum Cast gestoßen, Mark Addy ist in abschließenden Verhandlungen. Die Dreharbeiten zur Pilotepisode sollen im Oktober in Irland beginnen.

„Game of Thrones“ ist eine Umsetzung der Fantasy-Buch-Reihe „A Song of Ice and Fire“ von George R.R. Martin, die der amerikanische Abosender HBO als Serie plant. Das Drehbuch für die Pilotepisode stammt von David Benioff und D.B. Weiss, Tom McCarthy wird diese ins Bild setzen.

Jetzt wurde eine größere Gruppe an Darstellern für die Serie verpflichtet. Wie in Romanen geht es um zwei große Dynastien, die von ihnen beherrschten sieben Königreiche und um den Streit um den „Iron Throne“, dessen Besitz allein das Überleben im vierzigjährigen Winter sichern kann.

Der 50-jährige Sean Bean ist für die Rolle Lord Eddard „Ned“ Stark vorgesehen, der für seinen ausgeprägten Sinn für Ehre und Gerechtigkeit bekannt ist. Er wird einer der engsten Ratgeber von König Robert. Für diese Rolle ist derweil Mark Addy („Ganz oder gar nicht“, 1997; „Still Standing“) in Verhandlungen.

Kit Harrington übernimmt die Rolle von Neds Bastard-Sohn, Jon Snow. Harry Lloyd porträtiert Visery, einen machtlosen Herrscher, der durch die Verheiratung seiner Schwester mit einem einflussreichen König wieder zu mehr Macht kommen will. Jack Gleeson schlüpft in die Rolle von von Joffrey, dem Sohn von König Robert. Peter Dinklage und Tom McCarthy wurden ebenfalls für die Serie verpflichtet (Serienjunkies vom 06.05.2009).

Die Dreharbeiten zum Serienpiloten sollen im Oktober in Irland starten.

Quelle:
http://www.serienjunkies.de/news/game-thrones-22606.html

20.07.2009/Filmreporter.de/DE

"Game of Thrones" nimmt Gestalt an
Sean Bean erklimmt den Thron

Das Gerangel um die Hauptdarsteller der Fantasy-Verfilmung "Game of Thrones" scheint ein Ende gefunden zu haben. Sean Bean, Kit Harrington, Jack Gleeson und Harry Lloyd stehen bereits fest, während die Teilnahme von Mark Addy noch ungewiss ist.

20. Jul 2009: Der amerikanische Kabelsender HBO sicherte sich die Rechte an der Verfilmung der Fantasy-Buch-Serie "A Song of Ice and Fire" von George R.R. Martin. "Game of Thrones" soll der Pilotfilm zu einer mehrteiligen Serie werden, dessen Dreharbeiten im Oktober 2009 in Irland beginnen sollen, berichtet das Branchenblatt hollywoodreporter am 19. Juli 2009. Tom McCarthy führt die Regie, während die Drehbuchautoren David Benioff und D.B. Weiss auch die Produktion übernehmen. Laut Reuters will sich die Serie strikt an die Buchvorlagen halten. Demzufolge dreht sich die Handlung um zwei Dynastien und ihre sieben Königreiche. Sean Bean spielt den nach Gerechtigkeit strebenden Lord Eddard Stark.

Andrea Niederfriniger/Filmreporter.de
Newsübersicht: Kino • Festival • DVD • Stars • Kurznews

Quelle:
http://www.filmreporter.de/kino/news/4945;Sean-Bean-erklimmt-den-Thron

20 July 2009/empireonline.com
Sean Bean Plays A Game Of Thrones
Joins epic fantasy HBO series
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Sean Bean Plays A Game Of Thrones

Sean Bean has signed up to star in A Game of Thrones for HBO, the first in the Song of Ice And Fire series of novels by George RR Martin, which the channel is adapting for the screen. He's set to play the lead, Eddard Stark, with Mark Addy said to be on the verge of signing on as King Robert Baratheon of Westeros.

The tricksy-turny series starts as the King and his family come to visit the Starks' home. Eddard is pressurised by his old friend Robert to return South with him and act as the King's adviser - something that Robert's in-laws, the Lannister family, are unlikely to take kindly to.

Add in a spot of conspiracy, incest, child murder, corruption, conspiracy and conspiracy - not to mention a rival claimant to the throne across the sea, the still-festering legacy of a civil war 20 years before, a growing threat in the North from...something and the prospect of a winter lasting several years on its way, and you've got a fantasy with little or no magic but a heck of a lot of intrigue. Think Deadwood with broadswords and maybe - maybe - less swearing.

Kit Harrington (from WarHorse, on the London stage) will play Jon Snow, Stark's bastard son*; Jack Gleeson (the fear-afflicted little boy in Batman Begins) will play Robert's cowardly son, Prince Joffrey; and Harry Lloyd (Will Scarlett in TV's Robin Hood) will play Viserys, the dethroned crown prince now in exile and manoeuvering his child sister into a marriage that could restore his fortunes. Peter Dinklage is already aboard as Tyrion Lannister, the sinister and deformed brother-in-law of the King.

Tom McCarthy is directing from a script by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. If it's half as good as the books, it's going to be ace - and on the strength of this cast, it's going to deliver. Colour us excited.

* Or is he? It's one of those series.
Helen O'Hara

source:
http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=25357

20.07.2009/geektyrant.com

Sean Bean Cast in HBO’s GAME OF THRONES
Ranted: July 20, 09 - By Venkman

How great is this news! Sean Bean has been cast in HBO’s adaptation of the fantasy book series A Song of Fire & Ice: Game of Thrones, written by George R.R. Martin. I am really excited to see what HBO does with this series. Bean will take on the lead role of Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark. As you know Bean played Boromir in LOTR, he is a great actor, and I think he is a perfect fit for the role. Mark Addy is in final negotiations to also join the production. Kit Harrington, Jack Gleeson, Harry Lloyd, and Peter Dinklage also have come aboard.

Harrington will play Jon Snow, Bean’s bastard son, and Lloyd will play Viserys, a powerless ruler who seeks to marry off his sister to a powerful king. Gleeson will play Joffrey, King Robert’s son. Dinklage will play Tyrion, the Queen’s brother who is treated as an outsider because of his size.

You’ve gotta admit HBO is great at what they do, and I think they will do a fantastic job bringing the series to life. Look what they did with Rome, Carnival, Deadwood, and Band of Brothers. They go all out with production value, and they are good at telling stories, so I don’t think anyone should be worried with this series, because it is in good hands. I can’t wait to see this brought to life.

A Song of Ice and Fire follows three principal storylines, divided by geography and participants.

The first storyline, set in the Seven Kingdoms themselves, chronicles a many-sided struggle for the Iron Throne that develops after King Robert’s death. The throne is claimed by his son Joffrey, supported by his mother’s powerful family, House Lannister, but Robert’s brother Stannis claims that Robert’s children are illegitimate, and that the throne should fall to him. Robert’s youngest brother, Renly, also places a claim with the support of the extremely powerful House Tyrell. Whilst these three claimants battle for the Iron Throne, Robb Stark, Lord Eddard Stark’s heir, is proclaimed King in the North as the northmen and their allies in the Riverlands seek to return to self-rule. Likewise, Balon Greyjoy also (re-)claims the ancient throne of his own region, the Iron Islands, with an eye towards independence. The War of the Five Kings is the principal storyline in the second and third novels, while the fourth novel concerns the realm’s recovery in the face of the coming winter.

The second storyline is set on the extreme northern border of Westeros. Here, eight thousand years ago, a huge wall of ice and gravel was constructed by both magic and labor to defend Westeros from the threat of The Others, a race of ice creatures living in the uttermost north. This Wall, 300 miles long and 700 feet tall, is defended and maintained by the Sworn Brotherhood of the Night’s Watch, whose primary duty is to guard against the Others, but by the time of the novels it is badly under-strength and has almost forgotten its original purpose, instead being threatened by the human ‘wildlings’ or ‘free folk’ who live to the north. This storyline follows Jon Snow, bastard son of Eddard Stark, as he rises through the ranks of the Watch, learns the true nature of the threat from the north, and prepares to defend the realm from it, despite the fact that the people of Westeros are too busy warring to send support. By the end of the third volume, this storyline has become somewhat entangled with the civil war to the south with the arrival of one of the claimants to the Iron Throne after the defeat of his armies in battle.

The third storyline is set on the huge eastern continent and follows the journeys of Daenerys Targaryen, the last (known) scion of House Targaryen and another claimant to the Iron Throne. Daenerys’s adventures showcase her growing ability, as she rises from a near-penniless wanderer to a powerful and canny ruler who possesses the last living dragons. Though her story is separated from the others by many thousands of miles, her stated goal is to reclaim the Iron Throne, and it is presumed she will travel to Westeros before the end of the series. While she has no memories of Westeros and is barely known there, she may still be welcomed: the chaos of two civil wars in rapid succession has led to much yearning among the smallfolk for the days of stability under the Targaryens.

Source: THR

http://geektyrant.com/2009/07/sean-bean-cast-in-hbos-game-of-thrones/

19.07.2009/Hollywoodreporter.com/US

Sean Bean to ascend 'Thrones'
Cast as lead in HBO's adaptation of the book series

By Borys Kit and Nellie Andreeva

July 19, 2009, 11:00 PM ET

Related
THR Comic-Con blog
Sean Bean has nabbed the lead in "Game of Thrones," HBO's adaptation of the George R.R. Martin fantasy-book series. Tom McCarthy is directing; David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who wrote the screenplay, are executive producing.

Mark Addy is in final negotiations to also join the production. Kit Harrington, Jack Gleeson and Harry Lloyd also have come aboard.

The books revolves around a battle among seven kingdoms and between two ruling families for control of the Iron Throne, the possession that ensures survival through a 40-year winter to come.

Bean will play Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark, known for his sense of honor and justice, who becomes closest adviser to King Robert (Addy).

Harrington will play Jon Snow, Bean's bastard son, and Lloyd will play Viserys, a powerless ruler who seeks to marry off his sister to a powerful king. Gleeson will play Joffrey, King Robert's son.

Peter Dinklage also is in the cast for the production, which is in the pilot stage and begins shooting in October in Ireland.

Guymon Casady, Carolyn Strauss, Vincent Gerardis and Martin also are executive producing.

"Thrones" marks the latest fantasy epic-style production for Bean. He recently wrapped shooting on "Percy Jackson & the Olympians," an adaptation of Rick Riordan's children's book. Bean, repped by CAA, also has "Black Death," a supernatural thriller set during England's first bubonic plague, in postproduction.

source:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/

19.07.2009/Variety.com/US

Fantasy sits on 'Thrones'
Cable network greenlights 'Game'
By CYNTHIA LITTLETON

HBO has greenlit production on the pilot for a fantasy drama series, "Game of Thrones," based on a book series by George R.R. Martin.

Pilot for the long-gestating project was penned by feature scribes David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Former HBO entertainment prexy Carolyn Strauss will serve as a co-exec producer, along with Guymon Casady, Vincent Gerardis and author Martin.

HBO acquired the TV adaptation rights to Martin's "Songs of Ice and Fire" book series nearly two years ago (Daily Variety, Jan. 17, 2007). Pilot for the HBO skein is described as an exploration of "an epic struggle for power set in a vast and violent fantasy kingdom."

Benioff's recent credits include penning the screenplay for "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." Weiss recently sold bounty hunter thriller "Kashmir" to Relativity Media and is writing a prequel to Will Smith's "I Am Legend" for Warner Bros.

"Game of Thrones" is among nearly a dozen pilots in contention for series greenlights as HBO aims to significantly boost the volume of original series on its sked over the next two years.

source:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117995693.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

06.07.2009/Time Magazine

HBO's Next (I Hope) Great Drama
Posted by James Poniewozik Monday, July 6, 2009 at 10:26 am

I didn't end up watching a tremendous amount of TV on vacation, owing to (1) staying in a beach house without a DVD player, (2) it being the last week of June / first week of July (no Top Chef Masters? What gives?), (3) only being able to take so many Michael Jackson thanatopses, and (4) um, being on vacation.

I did read, though, and of course it all ended up coming back to TV, because I started reading George R. R. Martin's fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, which HBO is shooting a pilot for. And I am here to hope, and plead, that HBO picks up the show as a series, and gets it right.

Because I'm not close to done yet (four of seven planned volumes are finished, each one phone-book-sized--fortunately I'm reading on iPhone Kindle), I can't appraise the series overall. For that, see real book critic, fantasy novelist and Nerd World blogger Lev Grossman, who deemed author George R. R. Martin "the American Tolkien." But just judging from the first book, A Game of Thrones—which would make up the first season of a series, and gives the would-be series its title—it's clear that this saga would not only make a great fantasy series, but is a perfect fit for HBO.

For starters, the sprawling plot—about the rivalry among noble (and ignoble) houses for a mythical kingdom—offers a gripping, intrigue-filled basic story that's like Fantasy Rome (complete with abundant blood, sex and kinkiness). That's probably what attracted the network in the first place. [Update: Also—perhaps thanks to the fact that Martin has worked as a TV writer—the story is broken down, and the plots interwoven, very much like those of a cable drama. For first-time readers of this blog, I mean that as a compliment.]

But great HBO series are about more than plot and skin; they're about great themes, which Martin's story has aplenty. In the tradition of HBO's antiheroes and antiheroines—and unlike the protagonists of The Lord of the Rings—Martin's characters, even the best among them, are flawed, ambivalent and deeply fallible. He constantly forces you to question whether the "honorable" resolution to a conflict is the best in the long run. The saga is littered with fallen heroes and shattered myths, as well as apparent villains and rogues who make surprising turns.

And as in series like The Sopranos, Deadwood and The Wire, the story is filled with the mournful sense that the characters and their civilization have outlived their best days. A Game of Thrones is a fantasy, but most of the magic is in the past. We learn early on, for instance, that there were once dragons in Westeros (the continent where most of the action takes place), but they died off; there were magicians hundreds of years ago, but all that remains of them are some of the weapons they forged, and a vaguely described "Doom" that has thrown the world off-kilter. (Among the oddnesses in its fictional world: the seasons last for unpredictable spans of time, often years. As the series begins, the world is in its ninth year of summer.) Magic is not necessarily dead—there are rumors, for instance, of a ghastly threat stirring in the primeval woods beyond the borders of civilization—but it is mostly considered to be child's stories, or ancient history. It is a little like The Lord of the Rings, if you continued the story after the Elves and wizards left Middle Earth to the mundane and flawed rule of men.

It's also like nothing else, which is why I badly want HBO to make the series. (A pilot is being shot, with Peter Dinklage—reunited with Station Agent director Tom McCarthy—in the key role of Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf and nobleman of uncertain moral allegiance.)

If you've read the books, do you want to see them made into TV, or do you want them left alone? What do you think are the biggest casting and logistical challenges? (For instance, I could easily see the budget dwarfing Rome's $100 million price tag, depending how the series were made.)

One last request: discuss the books all you want in the comments, but your host has not finished reading them, so label your spoilers. (One problem with reading a series late nowadays, I'm learning, is resisting the temptation to read spoilers at the various fan sites and wikis. I'm glad the Web was not around when I read LOTR in junior high.) You do not want to wake the dragon.

source:
http://tunedin.blogs.time.com/2009/07/06/hbos-next-i-hope-great-drama/