Tag: HBO

Well, give HBO programming chief Michael Lombardo points for candor. He has a surging show on his hands with “Game of Thrones” but zero interest in checking out the source material, the novels of George R.R. Martin. “I’m still not a fan of the genre, but I love this show,” Lombardo said at the TV media tour in Beverly Hills on Thursday afternoon, according to Scott Collins writing over at Show Tracker. Collins also writes of “Thrones”: After a modest start in the ratings, the series is showing signs of momentum. That’s somewhat ironic for HBO, which has shied away from fantasy series in the past as executives there are still getting used to the fanboy genre. “I think the show is a great surprise to a lot of people, who thought it was going to be about the fantasy,” [HBO co-president ...

The first episode of “Game of Thrones” premieres tonight on HBO and if you want the the full experience check out this free Scribd offfering from Random House with an exclusive novella of the series, as well as a Q&A with author George R.R. Martin. Come back after the show and leave a comment — did it live up to the hype? RECENT AND RELATED Bean: “Life keeps putting a sword in my hand” ‘Game of Thrones’ is epic with a different ring Bean: Mel Gibson is a good man “Game of Thrones” stars on a quest HBO has royal hopes for “Thrones” Winter is coming… Five reasons to watch “Game of Thrones” Cheat Sheet: ‘Game of Thrones’ Can “The Hobbit” escape the “Rings” shadow? Mel Gibson: Viking film may be my last

For fans of fantasy, the arrival of HBO’s “Game of Thrones“  is a massive moment of anticipation and anxiety — few films, shows or games will arrive this year with more pent-up interest or potential, but Hollywood has been a heartbreaker before, so there’s a  healthy anxiety amid the emotion. I watched the first three episodes and (for me) the show absolutely delivers. Los Angeles Times television critic Mary McNamara was also swept up by the conquests and conspiracies of Westeros. Here’s an excerpt from her review: The first 10 minutes or so of  HBO’s new epic fantasy series “Game of Thrones” are spent celebrating the glories of cable, i.e. bloody violence (beheadings, hacked off body parts, eviscerated guts steaming in the snow) and HBO sex (female semi-frontal nudity, non-missionary position intercourse and unnecessarily graphic sound effects). Unless you are a minor, you should not be ...

The sun was down but the hotel bar was bright when Sean Bean arrived and took a table in the only shadowy corner of the patio — or maybe the corner was no different than the rest and it was the actor who brought bit of hushed winter along with him just like the Irish beer in his hand.  The 51-year-old Brit has sad eyes but an easy smile and after making small talk the topic turned to his latest project, the ambitious HBO fantasy series “Game of Thrones.” He is clearly enthused about the show, which premieres next Sunday, but at one point he sounded like a world-weary knight summoned for yet another quest. “I like playing guys with swords and the horses and stuff like that,” Bean said. “It’s good. But it’d be nice to do something else, maybe ...

Gargantuan dire wolves, frozen tundras, corrupt royals, brutal deflowerings, gullets slit wide open — oh, and don’t forget the debauched dwarf. The chilling slogan “Winter Is Coming” only hints at the epic scope and brooding cinematic feel of the much-anticipated series “Game of Thrones,” which premieres April 17. Based on George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels, the 10-episode saga is a high-stakes move for HBO — an expensive leap into spectacular fantasy for a network whose reputation was built on nuanced, character-driven dramas geared toward adults. The show’s stars merge actorly skill with genre-movie magnetism: Sean Bean is best known as Boromir in Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Lena Headey starred as Queen Gorgo in “300,” and indie movie veteran Peter Dinklage played Trumpkin in “Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.” “Thrones” has been in ...

At Showtracker, our sister blog, there’s news from the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros…   HBO has unveiled a new poster for “Game of Thrones,” so draw your sword! Or … look melancholy alongside it like Lord Eddard here. “Game of Thrones” is based on the George R.R. Martin novels set in the mythical land of Westeros. The medieval fantasy drama centers on the Stark family who become entangled in high-court drama when patriarch Eddard, played by Sean Bean, becomes the king’s top advisor. The poster release is just another way to stir interest about the series. The network also launched an interactive marketing campaign, “The Maester’s Path,” an interactive puzzle… THERE’S MORE, READ THE REST – Yvonne Villarreal RECENT AND RELATED Five reasons to watch “Game of Thrones” “Game of Thrones” stars on a quest HBO has royal hopes for ...

Dense and compelling, packed with deceit and danger, the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series has been a bookshelf sensation for author George R. R. Martin. Now the medieval fantasy epic is moving to the screen as HBO presents “Game of Thrones,” an ambitious new series from creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss that premieres April 17. One of the fans excited about the show is blogger Amy Ratcliffe and today she drops by the Hero Complex to give us five reasons she’s counting the days. “Summers span decades. Winters can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun. It will stretch from the south, where heat breeds plots, lusts and intrigues; to the cast and savage eastern lands; all the way to the frozen north, where an 800-foot wall of ice protects the kingdom from the dark ...