HBO

Who’s the rightful king of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros? That’s the question posed by “Game of Thrones” executive producer David Benioff in a roundtable discussion with some of the show’s stars — a special feature on the Season 2 home video release. The answer, like in the George R. R. Martin fantasy book series on which the HBO series is based, depends on who you ask. “Obviously it’s Dany, but technically at the time for you guys, I suppose it’s Stannis,” said Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen, an exiled princess with a trio of pet dragons. “But it’s not really, because you’re just usurpers, all of you.” Clarke, Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Lena Headey (Queen Cersei), Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark) and Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth) all weigh in during the roundtable, moderated by Benioff and co-executive producer D.B. Weiss. Hero Complex readers get […]

HBO’s “Game of Thrones” doesn’t return for its third season until March 31, but a new round of photos reveals what’s in store for the denizens of Westeros — and offers an early look at some of the newest additions to the already expansive cast. Chief among the new characters joining the lineup is Ciaran Hinds as King Beyond the Wall Mance Rayder, with other new faces including Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Redwyne, otherwise known as the Queen of Thorns, who’s best described as the Dowager Countess of Westeros. Rigg, of course, remains a beloved figure for her turn as Emma Peel on the BBC TV series “The Avengers.” QUIZ: Test your “Game of Thrones” knowledge The third season of “Game of Thrones” will be based on the first half of “A Storm of Swords,” the third book in […]

HBO’s “Game of Thrones” has done an amazing job re-creating George R.R. Martin’s fantasy world on-screen, but one aspect it hasn’t quite captured is the original novels’ obsession with food. Although it’s still unclear if the upcoming third season will toss character and plot overboard in order to fully develop the sumptuous menus that Martin describes in print, HBO is making an effort to satisfy fans who would love to eat and drink their way through the Seven Kingdoms with a line of “Game of Thrones” beer. The first brew, Iron Throne Blonde Ale, will be introduced in conjunction with the third season premiere on March 31. Brewed by craft beermaker Brewery Ommegang, this beer is said to be created with the “themes, characters and nuances of the series” in mind. Does that mean betrayal, incest, lust and violence? If […]

“I may have to start killing some of these characters to make room for new ones.” George R.R. Martin’s joke while serving as the moderator for the panel devoted to HBO’s epic fantasy series “Game of Thrones” at Comic-Con International on Friday in Hall H really resonated given the large number of characters that feature in the show, adapted from Martin’s novels. But the biggest casting news came last, with the announcement that genre icon Diana Rigg would be signing on as Olenna Redwyne, the Queen of Thorns. Rigg is most widely known for her role as Emma Peel in the ’60s British TV series “The Avengers.” Among the other new cast members highlighted via a short video montage were Mackenzie Crook (from the British iteration of “The Office” and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies) as Orell, Clive Russell […]

A week ago, as the credits rolled on Season 2′s penultimate episode of “Game of Thrones,” a melancholy song that sounded like a Tom Waits ballad for Middle-earth played (it was actually the National performing “The Rains of Castamere,” with lyrics by none other than George R.R. Martin), but HBO really missed a chance there to use a more fitting song: ”We are Family” by Sister Sledge is pretty much perfect for King’s Landing. That’s the conclusion I reached after watching the video above, which shows that, really, there’s only one pressing conversation topic in the medieval society of Westeros — namely, family names. For the powerful clans that sit at  the table of influence and play the figurative “Game of Thrones” (among them House Lannister,  House Baratheon and House Stark)  the name of the game is, um, the game of the name. And in […]

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 […]