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Game of Thrones DVD Sales Off to Fast Start

March 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Sales of the recently released DVD of Game of Thrones Season 1 are flying off the shelves, with the 350,000 copies sold so far a record for any HBO series.

The 350,000 units sold in the first week after the March 6 release eclipsed sales of other hit HBO series including The Sopranos, Sex and the City, and True Blood. The news comes on the heels of the release of the wildly popular trailer for Season 2 (which debuts on April 1), pointing to what could be huge ratings for the upcoming season premier.

So far the series has done an excellent job of capitalizing on the millions of fans of the Game of Thrones books, with the series holding largely true to the books and involving author George R.R. Martin in many different ways to ensure that what’s seen on the screen is authentic and engaging.

Filed Under: Season 1

Game of Thrones Season 1 Released on DVD

March 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It’s a good time to be a Game of Thrones fan, with Season 1 recently released on DVD and the premier of Season 2 just a few weeks away on April 1 when HBO airs “The North Remembers” to kick off the second season.

Not only does the DVD contain all ten episodes from the first season but also plenty of extras, as far as a motion comic, a Guide To Weesteros, and hours and hours of extra footage and commentary not previously seen on the HBO episodes.

As far as the looming season premier for Season 2, Game of Thrones’ executive producer D.B. Weiss recently did an interview with the LA Times in which he discusses the DVD release as well as what to expect from the sophomore season and some of the challenges.

Below are just a few highlights from the interview as well as a taste of what to look forward to in Season 2:

Are you still in post-production on the second season?

Yes, we are in post-production and getting it all ready as quickly as we can for the drop-dead dates when they pry it out of our cold, dead hands. We’ve got a couple of episodes locked and done and in the can, but we still have some work to do on the back end.

One of the more impressive features from the DVD set is a motion comic explaining the various religious beliefs in this world. Do you oversee that as well as the series?

We were definitely very excited and involved with all aspects of DVD production. Credit for [the motion comic] goes to Bryan Cogman, our story editor and writer who also wrote those, and Will Simpson, who did all the artwork. He also does our storyboards and is a respected and noted comic artist in his own right. And the whole DVD team who wrangled the cast. We were very pleased with the concept and how beautifully it was executed.

How much downtime do you have after finishing Season 2 before you start writing Season 3?

That would be zero. Zero minutes and zero seconds. By the way, I should point out that we don’t have a greenlit Season 3 yet. It’s not a foregone conclusion in our minds. But the show needs to operate on the 52-week, maybe 51-week-a-year schedule to get finished.

Filed Under: Season 1

Buy Game of Thrones Merchandise Online

March 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Game of Thrones fans now have a lot more options when it comes to purchasing merchandise online, with Entertainment Earth (one of the largest online retailers of action figures and memorabilia from movies and television shows) now stocking items such as Game of Thrones coffee mugs, coaster sets, magnets, and much more.

Options were limited in the past when it came to buying Game of Thrones items but the surging popularity of the show and the looming second season means that more items will likely be available in the near future.

The Game of Thrones Season 1 DVD is also now available, with the Blu-Ray edition containing not only the 10 episodes from Season 1 but also hours and hours of other bonus content, as well as a insanely detailed Complete Guide to Westeros that will appeal to casual and hardcore fans alike.

The entire first season is also available on iTunes as well, giving fans plenty of options as to enjoying their favorite show as it’s poised to debut its second season.

Game of Thrones returns to HBO for its second season with the episode “The North Remembers” on April 1, much to the delight of Thrones fans around the world.

Filed Under: Season 2

Game of Thrones Season 2 Trailer Released

December 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

We’re still months away from the premier of Season 2 of HBO’s hit Game of Thrones series but fans have gotten several tidbits to tide them over in recent weeks, with a brand-new trailer of Season 2 broadcast on December 11 after HBO’s Boardwalk Empire season finale.

In the “The Cold Winds are Rising” clip featured below, Stannis Baratheon (played by British actor Stephen Dillane) steps up to stake his claim to the Iron Throne:

Game of Thrones Season 2 Trailer


In addition to news characters such as Stannis being introduced sharp-eyed fans can catch glimpses of their other favorite returning characters in the clip, including Jon Snow, Arya Stark, Sansa Stark, Catelyn Stark, Robb Stark, Daenerys Targaryen, Queen Cersei, Jamie Lannister and Tyrion Lannister.

The buzz is already building for Season 2 of Game of Thrones, which is slated to debut in April 2012.

Filed Under: Season 2

Game of Thrones Star Kit Harington Tapped to Play King Arthur

November 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

game of thronesLike other cast members who have capitalized on the success of the HBO series Game of Thrones, actor Kit Harington (better known as Jon Snow to Thrones fans), Kit Harington has wielded his new-found fame as handily as he does a sword to land another big role.

He’ll be playing King Arthur in writer/director David Dobkin’s forthcoming Arthur and Lancelot film, beating out a host of other actors (including Game of Thrones co-star Richard Madden, who plays Robb Stark) for the role.

The 24 year-old Harington joins Joel Kinnaman (from AMC’s The Killing) who was already been cast as Lancelot. The project is expected to begin shooting sometime in early 2012 and will feature quite a different take on the classic tale according to Dobkin in a recent interview:

“I pulled the legend apart. I only kept a few things. I kept certain characters, I recreated the entire launch of the legend and why it starts the way that it starts, I don’t want to give away too much but it’s always had a flaw. I pulled the flaws out, I reinvented the characters as grounded characters. I took a much more realistic and grounded approach towards everybody, you know why would this character be this way and why would this character be that way? You know Arthur’s superpower is compassion and vision. I will tell you this, the whole thing is wrapped around the birth of democracy as a concept and it’s positing Arthur as the first man to say all men are created equal.”

While that approach may not appeal to Arthurian purists, Thrones fans will likely enjoy seeing another of their favorite actors get some time on the big screen.

Like many other actors in Game of Thrones, Harington was largely unknown before landing the role of Jon Snow in the series; his only other actiing credit in IMDb is playing the role of Vincent Carter in Silent Hill: Revelation 3D, which is listed as being in post-production.

Filed Under: Cast News

Edward Dogliani Cast as Rattleshirt

November 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Game of ThronesFilming in Iceland is gearing up for the Season 2 action of the HBO series Game of Thrones that occurs beyond the Wall, with news trickling out of vaious casyting choices for both extras as well as central characters.

The latest news via George R.R. Martin’s Not a Blog is that wildling raider Rattleshirt has been cast, with Edward Dogliani taking that honor of playing the Lord of Bones.

Like much of the cast of Game of Thrones, Dogliani is a bit of an unknown, with only a few very small roles in UK productions over the last 4-5 years.

That hasn’t proven to mean much of anything so far in the series, as some of the best acting in Season 1 came from unexpected sources.

And, to be fair, it’s not as if Rattleshirt plays that central a role in the action anyway, with the ability to look menacing while wearing a suit of bones likely ranking higher on the list of prerequisites when casting the role instead of pure thespian ability.

Filed Under: Cast News

Game of Thrones: Genesis Review

November 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

game of thrones genesisThere has been plenty of buzz lately about the numerous Game of Thrones video games that will hit the market soon, with PC Gaming reviewing the Game of Thrones: Genesis RTS game that’s already out and available.

Thrones fan likely won’t find much enjoyment from the PC Gaming review, which doesn’t have much in the way of good things to say about the real-time strategy game based on the world of Westeros.

The reviewer finds pretty much every facet of the game lacking, pointing out the lack of character development, the clumsy combat system, and very little to enjoy in either the single-player campaign or the multi-player skirmish mode.

Final verdict of the reviewer: A score of 62 and the following quote: “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground. This… dies.”

As far as whether diehard Thrones fans will enjoy it more, well, that tends to be the case with many games, as mainstream reviews of PC and video games aren’t always done by hard-core fans familiar with the books and HBO series who’ll get a much bigger kick out of controlling the action.

The same developer of Game of Thrones: Genesis is also working closely with George R.R. Martin on another upcoming game, so even if this one falls slightly flat there’s plenty more of Thrones video game action in coming months to look forward to.

Filed Under: Fun Stuff

Game of Thrones Peter Dinklage in Action on the Big Screen

November 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage (who recently won an Emmy for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister in the HBO series) is starring in a different sort of role on the big screen in the upcoming film Pete Smalls is Dead.

Premiering in Los Angeles on Nov. 11 and available on video on demand, Pete Smalls is Dead tracks the story of Hollywood expat named KC (played by Dinklage) who has his beloved canine companion kidnapped by a loan shark.

Lured back by the supposed funeral of a friend and the promise of $10,000 — exactly what he owes to get his dog back — with plenty of bizarre twists and turns along the way as the story unfolds.

Dinklage isn’t the only star power in the film, with the rest of the cast including Tim Roth, Rosie Perez, Steve Buscemi, Dinklage’s Game of Thrones co-star Lena Headey.

Thrones fans will have to wait until early 2012 to see Dinklage in action again as the Imp, which is when Season 2 of HBO’s series kicks off again.

Filed Under: Cast News

More Details Emerge About Game of Thrones RPG

November 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The new Game of Thrones RPG from Cyanide Studios is scheduled to be released in 2012 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC , with more details emerging about the storyline and action.

It’s slated to be a 30+ hour RPG that is set in Westeros and follows the story of two former soldiers in Robert’s rebel army, with each following their own arc of making alliances and trying to survive the Game of Thrones.

Players must complete various quests as well as waging war to try to control the Seven Kingdoms, with numerous obstacles and potential pitfalls awaiting them.

George R.R. Martin was reportedly involved in much of the creative process, including helping to script some of the storylines and provide general expertise as far as creating the video game version of Westeros.

Fans of the HBO series have plenty to look forward too in early 2012, with the release of both the game as well as the kickoff of Season 2 of the wildly popular HBO series.

The Game of Throne RPG is slated to be released in early 2012 and can be pre-ordered for $59.99 at various retailers.

Filed Under: Fun Stuff

Second Season of Game of Thrones to Debut in April 2012

November 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As you have likely heard about by now, George R.R. Martin’s “Song Of Ice And Fire” series recently took over mass television audiences with the season long adaptation of the first book, Game Of Thrones. Martin’s series is a fantasy/adventure saga along the lines of a Lord Of The Rings type of story, and geared toward a broad audience. In fact, despite its genre (which generally appeals more to young adults and teens), Song Of Ice and Fire seems to appeal just as strongly (if not more so) to adults. Essentially, the series follows several different storylines within a mystical kingdom, where innumerable forces are at work vying for control, and ultimately, the Iron Throne.

Some were curious why these books did not merit a film franchise, yet the HBO series seems to answer this question on its own – basically, the story is far too large for film. With an absolutely vast number of characters and different storylines, film was a rather unrealistic avenue for this series to explore as it advanced. Throughout a 10 episode HBO series, however, the Song Of Ice And Fire franchise was able to fully explore itself, accurately depicting its expansive content in a way that was satisfying to fans and pleasing for random television audiences as well.

The first season was so successful, and the series has grown in popularity so quickly, that a second season was announced almost immediately upon the reception of the first, and will be airing in April 2012. If you do not yet have access to HBO, where Song Of Ice And Fire is shown, you will definitely want to check out the range of satellite TV options that allow you access to such programs. As thousands of fans will tell you, you certainly won’t regret tuning in to this wonderful and engaging fantasy experience. To explain the specifics about what has happened already and where the series will go heading forward would take far too much time, due to the extensive material involved – however, do yourself a favor if you have not yet watched the series, and either find a way to watch season 1, or start reading the books.

The HBO adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s novels may be an extremely significant television event heading forward. As discussed briefly above, the more common tendency is for successful book franchises to head straight for film, where actors and directors will make appropriate changes in order to condense stories into 2 hour films. However, this series has shown that it is equally, if not more, enjoyable to explore successful novels more thoroughly over a range of television episodes. Whether or not this becomes a trend, it certainly is a treat to tune in to Game Of Thrones.

Filed Under: Series News
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