Game of Thrones Season 4 news (spoilers galore)

[Vympel]

http://winteriscoming.net/2013/05/grrm- ... eing-cast/

At GRRM's latest con appearance, we have confirmation of the following new characters being cast for Season 4:

1. Styr, the Magnar of Thenn;
2. Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper; and
3. Mace Tyrell, Lord of Highgarden (and one of the biggest oafs in the Seven Kingdoms according to his long suffering mother, Olenna).

We know from a leaked casting video that Styr is being cast for Season 4 in a clever modification from the books. Whereas in the books, Styr actually led Jon's group, in Season 4 they'll have Styr meet up with Tormund Giantsbane's group, their having been ordered over the wall seperately by Mance. From the dialog in the casting video, Styr will find Tormund after Jon has escaped back to Castle Black, which will of course happen this season (next episode, judging from the previews).

This means probably two seperate battle scenes in Season 4 - the skirmish at Castle Black against Styr's (and Tormund's?) wildling force, and of course, the Battle of the Wall when Mance arrives with the wildling host.

[Vympel]

http://winteriscoming.net/2013/06/owen- ... -season-4/

Owen Teale returning for Season 4.

In other words, the biggest prick in the Night's Watch, Alliser Thorne, is back for Season 4. Of course we can assume he'll have Janos Slynt in tow.

[Vaporous]

http://winteriscoming.net/2013/06/slynt ... rn-for-s4/

Yep. Janos Slynt confirmed.

[Vympel]

Ladies and gents - we have our Red Viper!

Link

[Crazedwraith]

Haha. The third comment on that link; accusations of cast whitewashing.

[Mr Bean]

Haha. The third comment on that link; accusations of cast whitewashing.

That's because Dorn is RR Martins big mufti-cutural area of Westeros, it's even implicitly described in one chapter by Tyrion about the break down between Sandy Dornishmen, Salty Dornishmen and Stony Dornishmen. The various descriptions peg the Dornish as essentially somewhere between Greece and Turkey in appearance but some descriptions paint them as almost looking Indian.

Point being this pretty much the only place in the books were Brown foreign people are not literally portrayed as puppy eating slavers.

[Vympel]

Haha. The third comment on that link; accusations of cast whitewashing.

Didn't take long. God people can be embarassing.

[Ultonius]

I'm pretty sure that comment is being sarcastic.

Point being this pretty much the only place in the books were Brown foreign people are not literally portrayed as puppy eating slavers.

Summer Islanders seem to be protrayed pretty positively.

[Vympel]

In other news, this interview with David and Dan reveals they're aiming for eight seasons (80 hours), and also talks in general terms about some of their disagreements with GRRM. I've been thinking for a while now that ADWD/AFFC are probably (and rightly) going to be truncated into a single season. This seems more likely than not.

[Darth Yan]

Good. It got bogged down in those books, and killed a lot of momentum.

[Crazedwraith]

I think the better part of a decade between books did that rather more efficiently.

[Vympel]

http://winteriscoming.net/2013/07/neil- ... isode-409/

Neil Marshall is back as director of Season 4 Episode 9.

Robert, Jon thought for one mad moment, remembering poor Owen, but when the trumpets blew again and the knights charged, the name they cried was “Stannis! Stannis! STANNIS!”

[Vympel]

http://winteriscoming.net/2013/07/sherl ... -season-4/

Mycroft Holmes is in Season 4.

Mace Tyrell? Donal Noye?

[Ultonius]

He's a bit thinner than I picture Mace. I'm wondering if he could be Styr, the Magnar of Thenn.

[Vympel]

I can't picture it, but hey its possible.

http://winteriscoming.net/2013/07/ask-a ... -and-more/

This "Ask a Writer" segment is interesting.

TonyGen: How do you (and D&D) feel about the challenges of adapting AFFC/ADWD? While I love those books. It presents a lot of challenges as it introduces an assortment of new characters who take center stage in AFFC and some of the more established characters in the show are completely absent. In addition there are a lot less obvious plot climaxes. I feel it is must be a daunting and exciting challenge as it will really allow/force you guys to craft your own narrative in a way the first three books didn’t.

Bryan: Yes, it’s a tremendous challenge. Books four and five are much tougher to adapt for a variety of reasons, chief among them the staggering amount of new plot lines, characters and locations. There are dozens and dozens of major characters introduced in FfC and DwD; far too many for one TV series to contain. So a lot of hard choices will have to be made. The universe of the show will have to be different from the universe of the books in a lot of ways; it’s unavoidable. But it’ll be an exciting challenge going forward.

Bye Dorne.

[fgalkin]

Dorne doesn't need to appear in the books per se, as long as the Dornish characters do. Just as we've never seen what Highgarden looks like, but we still get plenty of Tyrells.

What I will miss, however, is Oldtown. And probably Braavos.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Vympel]

Well apart from Oberyn Martell, we don't need to meet Doran, Arianne or Quentyn at all until later. Nothing Doran/Arianne do in Season 4 is important - Quentyn will be introduced in Season 5 I bet.

The theory that they'll cut Braavos out of the show is not one I think is credible. They planted the seed way back in Season 2, I don't think they'll go back on it.

Oldtown is more up in the air - it depends on how critical it is to the story, which we really don't know yet. Without that plot I don't see Sam having anything to do.

[Vympel]

Ellaria Sand is cast- its Niobe from Rome!

The hand of Rome casting reaches far ....

[Vympel]

http://winteriscoming.net/2013/07/roger ... ce-tyrell/

Roger Ashton Griffiths cast as Mace Tyrell, Lord Oaf of Highgarden.

[Elfdart]

Ellaria Sand is cast- its Niobe from Rome!

The hand of Rome casting reaches far ....

She gets killed in every show she's on: World Without End, Rome, Luther...

Indira Varma is the female Sean Bean!

[Vympel]

LOL - here's hoping she breaks the cycle

[Vympel]

Possible Magnar of Thenn cast

He fits the description of Styr pretty well.

[Vympel]

Michael Huisman is the new Daario Naharis

Goddamit. I hate recasts on principle, irrespective if the replacement actor is excellent, because it confuses the audience. I havent' seen an explanation as to why this is happening yet.

[Vympel]

Angolan actor Hoji Fortuna cast in unknown role (Brown Ben Plumm?)

Ser Gregor Clegane / The Mountain recast for the second time

Played by Conan Stevens in Season 1, who had to leave the role due to scheduling conflicts created by The Hobbit, he was replaced by Ian Whyte (who plays several physical roles in the series - the White Walker and the giant amongst them) for a brief turn in Season 2 (where he appears at Harrenhal with Tywin Lannister for two episodes or so). I imagine they felt that Ian Whyte's physique wasn't bulky enough for what the Mountain would be doing this season - this new guy matches Conan Stevens' physique much better.

[Guardsman Bass]

Wasn't Brown Ben supposed to be Westerosi? That would be an unusual choice for the role.