Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Hafþór Björnsson (the Mountain) can “definitely” see a fight with the Hound happening

Cleganebowl confirmed. Well, not really, but in a recent interview with Express, actor Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (Gregor “the Mountain” Clegane) fanned the flames of this popular theory, which posits that the the Mountin will eventually square off with his brother, Sandor “the Hound” Clegane.

Everyone is expecting me and my brother to fight in this season. I don’t know if that’s going to happen or not.  They don’t tell us that in the show but that’s definitely [something] I could see happening in the future because it looks like it would go that way because if you look at the story, it looks like that.

The Hound Official

Remember that it was the Mountain who burned the Hound’s face when they were children, after finding his little brother playing with one of his toys. And you thought your older brother was rough. The series foreshadowed the potential showdown between the two brothers back in Season 1, after the Mountain (played by Conan Stevens at that time) was unhorsed by Loras Tyrell. When the Mountain went berserk, it was the Hound that saved Loras from certain death. So the groundwork is there.

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Björnsson also talked about something he’s hoping to get during the remainder of his time on Game of Thrones: lines. “I would not mind, if The Mountain would get some lines,” he said. “I would definitely appreciate that and take it as a good challenge.”

The Mountain is kind of the silent type, especially since Qyburn reanimated him. I’m not even sure he can speak now, but we’ll see.

Elsewhere, comedy sports show Here’s the Rub caught up with Björnsson outside a gym, where he talked about his strongman diet, his bowl movements, and his favorite TV show. (Three guesses what that is.) Also included: footage of Björnsson lifting horrifyingly large amounts of weight. Watch that interview here.

In other Mountain-related news, does everyone remember that awesome SodaStream commercial starring Björnsson and Hannah Waddingham (Septa Unella) as their Game of Thrones characters? If not, here it is:

As it turns out, not everyone found this commercial funny. The Daily Mail reports that SodaStream, a home carbonation company, has been served with a cease and desist letter from the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA). The IBWA is alleging that the SodaStream ad unfairly targets bottled water over other beverages, like soft drinks. The IBWA represents major corporate clients such as Nestle and Fiji Water, so it takes exception to any product that might replace plastic bottles, like SodaStream.

SodaStream contests the IBWA’s claims. Said CEO Daniel Birnbaum: “We will not let the IBWA’s threats stop us from trying to save the planet.”


Via http://winteriscoming.net/2016/11/30/hafthor-julius-bjornsson-can-definitely-see-the-mountain-fighting-the-hound-shell/

Sophie Turner on Sansa’s Future and the Threats of Season 7

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The new year of Game of Thrones is a long way from premiering but the promotion machine is already revving up with Sophie Turner talking to Entertainment Weekly today about Sansa’s turn in season 7. We last saw her character safely at Winterfell in the season 6 finale, but Sansa looked to have reservations about her (supposed) half-brother’s new gig as King in the North. So what’s next for the eldest Stark girl?

“She’s seemingly in control for the first time – and it really suits her,” the actress tells EW. “She’s kind of having a bit of a power trip. But she’s also becoming more insecure, because there are threats to the power that she holds.”

Interesting! Could those insecurities and perceived threats have anything to do with the spoilers we shared a couple weeks back?

But don’t let the potential angst bother you too much because it can’t be worse than Ramsay, right? And there’s still more teases forthcoming from the actress.

“What overall excites me about this season is that main characters are coming together and it feels like things are ramping up,” Turner says. “It’s really exciting and all feels like it’s coming to a big conclusion.”

So the question now is, when she refers to “main characters…coming together,” is Turner referring to people in other storylines or is she including Sansa? Season 7 is still far off, and the hype machine is working very well, I’d say.

The post Sophie Turner on Sansa’s Future and the Threats of Season 7 appeared first on Watchers on the Wall.


Via http://watchersonthewall.com

Sophie Turner: Sansa goes on a “power trip” in Game of Thrones Season 7

Behold Game of Thrones: The Complete Seasons 1-6, HBO’s ultimate box set

A couple of weeks back, HBO released the Game of Thrones Season 6 DVD/Blu-ray box set. It featured all 10 episodes from the show’s Emmy-winning sixth season, along with deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes features, History and Lore videos, and commentaries. That set came to us earlier in the post-season cycle than usual, but HBO still loaded it up with all of bells and whistles we’re used to.

However, there’s another set on the market that got less fanfare, despite being a good deal more elaborate. Not long ago, HBO also released Game of Thrones: The Complete Seasons 1-6, which bundles together the DVD and Blu-ray sets for every season released thus far.

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The discs in the Seasons 1-6 box set contain all the extras in the original releases. That means that, on the Season 6 Blu-ray discs alone, fans get documentary features on the making of the Battle of the Bastards and Vaes Dothrak, four deleted scenes, 13 commentaries, and 18 History and Lore videos. Then there’re all the extras on the other seasons. It’s a lot of watching.

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As you can see above, the sheath for the box set features a lovely illustration of Drogon, done up in mosaic style. Once you take the set out of the sheathe, the actual cover features a handsome rendering of the Iron Throne.

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You’ll have access to six individual DVD/Blu-ray cases, one per season.

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The discs are packaged a little more ordinarily than in the individual box sets. In the Season 6 box set, for example, the discs are arranged in a kind of overlapping stack formation. Here, they’re on easily accessible leafs.

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At the moment, Game of Thrones: The Complete Seasons 1-6 is going for $164.96 (Blu-ray) and $139.96 (DVD) on Amazon. Keep in mind that the DVDs have fewer special features than the Blu-rays. For comparison’s sake, the Season 6 Blu-ray box set by itself costs $39.99. If you (or a Game of Thrones fan you’re hoping to please at Christmas this year) doesn’t have any of the seasons on home video, the Seasons 1-6 bundle may be the better bargain.


Via http://winteriscoming.net/2016/11/30/behold-game-thrones-complete-seasons-1-6/

Filming updates: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau posts a shot of the outdoor set

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles show and The Magicians take cues from Game of Thrones

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: “New show to be the next Game of Thrones!” It seems everyone wants to imitate HBO’s megahit nowadays. However, as we’ve seen with shows like FX’s The Bastard Executioner, which was canceled after just one season, imitation isn’t always a formula for success. Still, that hasn’t stopped networks from trying.

Let’s start with a project near and dear to my heart. Author Anne Rice recently announced on her Facebook page that the theatrical rights to her Vampire Chronicles novels are once again in her hands, and she intends to adapt them as a television show. “[T]elevision is where the vampires belong,” she writes. And she’s using Game of Thrones as a guide.

Over the years you all have told me how much you want to see a “Game of Thrones” style faithful rendering of this material, and how much you want for the series to remain in my control. Well, I have heard you. I have always heard you. What you want is what I want.

Rice and her son Christopher are working together on a pilot script and detailed outline for an “open-ended series” about the brat prince himself: Lestat, a major character from her books. If you aren’t familiar with The Vampire Chronicles, they’re a series of over a dozen books that mostly follow vampire Lestat de Lioncourt as he lives through the ages, meeting other vampires and interesting humans alike. Lestat was appeared onscreen a couple of times, but was most memorably played by Tom Cruise in 1994’s Interview with a Vampire (1994) costarring Brad Pitt as Louis, his ever-morose companion.

If the right network options this series, it most certainly could be done as a “Game of Thrones style faithful rendering.” The Vamipre Chronicles feature a plethora of sexually explicit scenes and fountains of blood and gore. There no way to faithfully tell Lestat’s story without those elements.

Next, Syfy is getting the word out about the second season of The Magicians, which airs in January of next year. Here’s the trailer:

As you can see, The Magicians Season 2 has political maneuvering, fantasy magic, and numerous kings and queens. Then there’s that line from Margo to Elliot: “Get over yourself, Ned Stark.” The Game of Thrones comparisons suggest themselves.

However, let’s not start calling this show “the next Game of Thrones,” or a “modern Game of Thrones with magic.” Having read the books (The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman), the best way to describe the series is “Harry Potter for adults.” For the television adaptation, SyFy rarely followed the books, but still produced a very good show.

Out these two shows, The Vampire Chronicles stands the best chance of becoming “the next Game of Thrones,” partly on account of its detail and complexity. That’ll be particularly true if a premium cable network like HBO, Starz, or Showtime picks up the show and devotes to it the resources it needs.

h/t IGN


Via http://winteriscoming.net/2016/11/29/anne-rices-vampire-chronicles-magicians-season-2-style-like-game-thrones/

Two new potential victims cast in Game of Thrones Season 7

We talk to Finn Jones (Loras Tyrell) at HBO’s interactive Game of Thrones fan event

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to defend the Wall, or wanted to try your hand at burning down Vaes Dothrak, HBO’s interactive Game of Thrones fan event has got you covered. To promote the Game of Thrones Season 6 DVD/Blu-ray release, HBO is taking this event on tour across the US, with stops in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. I had the chance to check out the event in Chicago this weekend, which saved on airfare.

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There were five exhibits in total, from the Three-Eyed Raven’s Cave north of the Wall to the Iron Throne in King’s Landing to Vaes Dothrak across the Narrow Sea. Inside each individual experience were props, costumes, and filming details unique to those sets and storylines. Fans can also participate in official photo ops to show off their fire-bending and door-holding skills.

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Image via Katie Majka

North of the Wall

Upon entering this exhibit, you’re met with the face of a weirwood tree reminiscent of Grandmother Willow…physically, anyway.

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As you can see, I couldn’t coerce this particular tree to give me any sage advice on my love life (although it does look suitably disappointed). Well, nobody said Game of Thrones was a Disney movie, but the aesthetics are just as stunning, if not moreso.

Along the way, details of building Bran’s world adorn the walls, including on-set construction photos. The intricacies of the process are sure to pique any fan’s interest, but the weaponry is the real eye-catcher here. Jon Snow may have bested a few White Walkers in his day, but you just can’t beat the White Walkers’ blades for looks.

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Defend the Wall

Gamers are sure to be enthusiastic about this virtual reality event. With help from a virtual reality helmet, fans are transported to the Wall and put into the boots of a new Night’s Watchmen during combat trailing. The controls allow you to aim your bow and arrow to take out as many straw men as you can. Seeing as this is Game of Thrones, you are ambushed in the middle of your training and forced to aim your arrows higher. Then come the catapulted boulders, from which you defend yourself with a shield. Not surprisingly, I was a disaster at this game. I couldn’t aim a bow to save my life. Even if I could, an oncoming boulder would have done me in. Black might be my usual color of choice, but some of us just aren’t cut out for the Night’s Watch.

My bespectacled brethren, beware: the VR helmet fits snugly over glasses, and further impaired my vision. That’s not to say I would have been Ygritte with the bow, anyway. But if you happen to own contacts, use them.

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Winterfell and the Battle of the Bastards

This exhibit was my personal favorite, possibly because I could watch “Battle of the Bastards” every night before bed as a sort of cathartic exercise. The props and other details were gorgeous, and it was a treat to have an up-close look at the lot of them.

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Channel your inner Jon Snow at his battle plans table. Afterwards, you can see Sansa’s own plans for victory neatly rolled and stamped, and Shireen’s (RIP) scorched stag. To my dismay, I wasn’t able to reverently stroke Sansa’s letter, but we can’t have everything in life. That’s probably for the best, as I undoubtedly would have tried to run off with this particular prop.

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Jon’s Northern threads are a window-shopper’s dream, although something tells me these furs are best left to Kit Harington.

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Once you’ve toured Winterfell, you can insert yourself into the battle. Naturally, you’re placed in Jon’s instantly classic “release from the mosh pit” shot.

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Vaes Dothrak

This exhibit is a bit more sparse than the others. Still, it offers an inside look at construction, weaponry, and even some official script pages.

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Image via Katie Majka

Here, fans can opt for a video instead of a picture. You become your own Mother of Dragons emerging from the flames of this Dothraki temple. You can check out my video op here.

The Workshop

Finally, fans can sit the Iron Throne. Prior to the event’s official opening, I had the opportunity to walk around this area and chat with Finn Jones (Loras Tyrell), as well as conquer the Seven Kingdoms with him. Jones declared that we would “do this very regal,” so after nearly dropping the crown with my patented butterfingers, I pulled my best Sansa Stark chin lift. Here you can see me looking so smug you’d think I actually raised Loras from the dead and we took Westeros together. Meanwhile, Jones masters the smolder as only someone with his bone structure can.

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Image via Katie Majka

During our sit-down, I had the privilege of picking Jones’ brain for details on his dearly departed character, as well as on Game of Thrones as a whole. Jones was as engaging as the rest of the event. He fleshed his character out beyond what the audience saw, and his enthusiasm and insight showed that he’s just as invested in Thrones as any fan.

I first asked Loras and Margaery’s relationship dynamic. In a show filled with dysfunctional and broken families, it was refreshing to see such a healthy, loving sibling duo. Much of Margaery’s efforts in Season 6 revolved around protecting her brother. Was Loras in on any of those grand plans?

He was so abused, physically and emotionally. He was a broken man. He didn’t know what Margaery’s plan was, he just wanted it to end. He was forced [to confess]–they handed him a script, forced him to memorize it, and they forced him to say it. By the end, he was like, ‘Let’s just f*ckin’ get on with it.’

But what if Loras hadn’t been compelled to repent? What if he had evaded arrest, or survived the Sept of Baelor’s explosion?

If Loras had lived, would he have come back into himself? I think he would have become a vengeful warrior. He would have tried to restore his family and his own dignity. Loras was always very privileged, but he was wounded, he was stripped of everything. I think he would have become a sort of weary assassin, like Arya’s story.

When I mentioned similarities to Theon and Sansa’s arcs as well, Jones added, “Yes, exactly. They break the hero down so they can build themselves up again.”

This mentality is in keeping with the show’s themes of self-discovery, family, and justice. Had Loras survived, it would have made for an enthralling plot. Unlike many of the series’ privileged-come-underdog characters, Loras was previously trained and experienced in combat, which would have shortened his road to redemption and vengeance. Not to mention, Loras would have had an army at his back, and the counsel of his crafty grandmother, Olenna Tyrell.

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Alas, Loras is lost, but the show must go on. Although Jones’ filming schedule has been keeping him busy on the sets of companion pieces Iron Fist and The Defenders, Jones plans to follow Game of Thrones to the end. He theorizes that the Iron Throne will be dissolved “physically and ideologically.” He predicts that independence will be restored to each of the Seven Kingdoms, and a more democratic system will reign.

There will be complete chaos and then, you know, spring will be born. Ice and fire will destroy themselves. But it won’t be a nihilistic ending. There’s a strong social message here, because people learn from stories. We can learn about progressiveness and hope. More than anything, right now, I think the world needs a message of hope.

As an outspoken devotee of the notion that life and literature reflect one another, I was thrilled with Jones’ take. The stories on Game of Thrones are alive with failures and victories, redemptive arcs and hero’s journeys, and real triumphs of the human spirit. As Jones said earlier, it’s about the heroes strengthen themselves after everything has been taken from them. There is inspiration to be found amidst the bloodshed.

We saw this unfold across the board in Season 6, from Jon’s resurrection to the victory over the Boltons to Arya’s homecoming to Daenerys’ journey to Westeros and more. The major players have begun to reap the rewards of their struggles and sacrifices.

Image via Katie Majka

All in all, it was a Saturday splendidly spent. If you’re in the Los Angeles area the weekend of December 9th, make sure to preregister for the event. Ellie Kendrick (Meera Reed) made a stop in New York and Jones dropped by in Chicago, so you never know who might show up in LA. At any rate, the event is a must for Game of Thrones fans able to make the trip. With any luck, HBO will decide to expand the tour further. But, just like Season 7, that remains to be seen.


Via http://winteriscoming.net/2016/11/29/game-of-thrones-behind-the-scenes-event-and-an-interview-with-finn-jones/

Two New Irish Additions for Game of Thrones Season 7

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Is everyone finally back from their Thanksgiving breaks? Great! Time for a quick Game of Thrones casting update. A couple new names have surfaced recently to add to the roster, and one may provide a hint as to what a major character is up to early in season 7.

The Morrisseyfirst new casting of the week is Brendan Morrissey. The Irish actor’s agency CV has revealed that he has a part in the new season of Game of Thrones. According to it, he’ll be playing the Freys’ Lord in a Jeremy Podeswa-directed episode.

At the end of season 6, House Frey’s reigning lord Walder was killed by Arya Stark, exacting long-overdue retribution for the Red Wedding. That was when we last saw Arya, so considering where we left her, and what we know of Podeswa’s episodes this year, that means it’s a safe guess (though not confirmed) we’ll see this character in the season premiere. Will Arya be content with only killing old Walder, Black Walder and Lothar? Since all of House Frey participated in the the Wedding massacre, that seems unlikely. Arya may have more work to do at the Twins.

DignamOur second Irish casting note of the week is Rory Dignam. The actor’s agency’s news page noted on November 16th that he had shot “a nice little supporting role” on the show. The agency further mentions that the actor had just returned from shooting in Spain, at that time. In early-to-mid November, Game of Thrones filmed in several places in Córdoba and Seville.

The specific role name is not given, unfortunately. And while some of the various roles of the new season have trickled down to us, many haven’t and so we don’t know yet what part he’ll be playing. So speculate away!

The post Two New Irish Additions for Game of Thrones Season 7 appeared first on Watchers on the Wall.


Via http://watchersonthewall.com

George R.R. Martin confirms he’s still working on The Winds of Winter

Interview with Helen Keen, author of “The Science of Game of Thrones”

Did you ever wonder if you could actually crush another human being’s skull with you bare hands? Game of Thrones is a fantasy world, but does it have roots in reality? Award winning comedian and popular-science writer Helen Keen has written a new book, The Science of Game of Thrones, to explore those questions.

From the genetics of royal incest to the chemistry of death by molten gold – sifting fact from fantasy in the Seven Kingdoms

Keen sat down with Entertainment Weekly to talk about her new book and discuss just how anchored in real science some of George R.R. Martin’s creations are. The book, divided into three parts (Fire, Ice and Magic), covers a lot of ground , including the medical disorders afflicting Cersei and Hodor, the requirements for smelting Valyrian steel, and the physics behind giant ice walls, wildfire and face transplants. Keen became interested in her subject by watching the show like the rest of us:

A lot of the people who work on the show really talk about how it was to get the dragons looking realistic, the way animals, lizards and even bats move. Obviously in order to make this beautiful fantasy world that looks really believable, you have to have so many elements from our world in it. Then you start thinking, “We don’t have any animals that breathe fire.” It’s this really cool trait that dragons have, but we don’t see that anywhere in the actual world. So where is that coming from? You just start having these questions and thinking about how much of this is possible.

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Keen also discussed her approach to tackling the book, using the direwolves—which were an actual thing at one point—as an example:

I started by making a list of all the things that interested me in the show, like dire wolves. The La Brea Tar Pits are full of dire wolves … they’re not quite as huge as the ones in the book, which are about the size of ponies. Robb is supposed to be riding into battle on the back of his. When you start looking at this stuff you think our world is a bit more fantastical than you thought as well. You escape into this fantasy world in Game of Thrones, but there’s also this element of actually weird and wonderful things in our world that you wouldn’t have necessarily known.

There’s also precedent for making swords out of meteorites, as the Dayne family did with Dawn:

Yes. The Egyptians. They didn’t have the technology to smelt iron and steel. They didn’t have furnaces to do that. They were like, “There’s this interesting stuff that keeps falling in the desert. Let’s use that.” Tutankhamen had all these things in his tomb made out of meteorite.

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Now, at the end of the day, we know that much of Game of Thrones isn’t plausible. Dragons just aren’t real, period. However, Keen said that she isn’t looking to explain GRRM’s magic, but rather to dig deep and find the possible scientific roots of the fantastical elements of his world:

Some of the stuff seems like it’s mostly magic. Like with the season change, George R. R. Martin says that’s kind of magic, but you [can] also say it’s about global warming, which isn’t magic. You can’t map an exact scientific explanation onto the phenomena on Game of Thrones but you can still find stuff that’s really interesting to use as a jumping off point.

The Science of Game of Thrones is available now.


Via http://winteriscoming.net/2016/11/29/interview-with-author-of-the-science-of-game-of-thrones-shell/

Monday, November 28, 2016

Review: The George R.R. Martin Box

Happy Monday after Thanksgiving! I hope you stuffed your faces and took plenty of naps while watching your favorite football team win or lose. Today is Cyber Monday, when folks can log onto the internet and find fantastic bargains. Happily, some retailers extend their Cyber Monday deals beyond Monday, as we’ll see later.

 

Today, thanks to the wonderful folks at Penguin Random House, we get to review the George R.R. Martin Box, aka an ornate box filled with Song of Ice and Fire merchandise. The Box comes in three varieties (Limited Edition, Special Edition and Ultra Limited Edition). We’ll be reviewing the Limited Edition GRRM Box, which costs $200. Right now, the Limited Edition and the Special Edition ($75) are the only two editions available. The Ultra Limited Edition is currently sold out. You can peruse your options here.

First things first: if you’re into collecting Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire memorabilia, then these GRRM Box’s are probably going to be right up your alley, as there are unique items in each edition.

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The Limited Edition GRRM Box is itself a collector’s item, and each one is individually numbered. (Only 3000 were made. Limit of five per customer.) As you can see, the box comes with the George R.R. Martin insignia on top, with nice design work on the front. It’s a durable box, so if you plan on storing some of your GoT/ASOIAF memorabilia in there, the box can take it.

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Now let’s take a look at the items inside. As you can see, the front of the journal is beautifully done with the astrolabe design from the intro of Game of Thrones. If you keep a journal like me, this is a natural fit.

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Behold the Dead Man Set of coins, which feature the faces of Ned Stark, Robb Stark (with Grey Wind), Joffrey Baratheon, Walder Frey, Tywin Lannister and Prince Oberyn Martell. The set also has and Iron Coin of the Faceless Man, naturally.

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These two beautiful figures from Dark Sword Miniatures represent Lord Commander Jon Snow and Queen Daenerys Targaryen. They are tiny and surprisingly sturdy and heavy for their size. To me, Jon looks much older, while Dany looks a little too much like Cersei.

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Ah, the really fun part: getting to learn to speak Dothraki! Well, it’s fun until you’re the only one at the party telling knock-knock jokes in a guttural language someone is sure to confuse with Klingon. Oh, the life of a nerd. The card pictured above has a code on the back that you can enter online. From there, you have a year to complete the course.

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Just in time for the holidays, the Limited Edition GRRM Box includes a light string set. As you can see above, Houses Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, Tyrell and Targaryen are represented. Each House’s shield lights up when plugged in. The lights are rated for both indoor and outdoor use and the stringer is roughly 11 feet in length.

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This beauty is the highly collectible 20th anniversary illustrated edition of A Game of Thrones. The book is bound in eco-trim fiber, and features gilded edged paper (it’s amazing to the touch), beautifully colored illustrations, color endpaper maps, and a red ribbon marker.

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As a collector of the A Song of Ice and Fire books, this definitely ranks as one of, if not the, most beautiful book in that particular collection.

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Simply put, this is a very cool t-shirt featuring a map of Westeros and the major Houses sigils.

And now: props.

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This is the infamous letter that Ned Stark wrote at the behest of a dying Robert Baratheon, naming Ned as ruler until Robert’s son came of age. However, if you remember, the honorable Lord Eddard Stark altered that last line.

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This makes a pretty darn neat addition to any collection.

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The Limited Edition GRRM Box also comes with A Game of Thrones: The Card Game Second Edition, and an exclusive Daenerys Targaryen as Khaleesi card from Fantasy Flight. We recently reviewed this game and think it is well worth your time to learn and play.

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Finally, this edition comes with a two foot-by-three foot silk map of King’s Landing. This map is pretty neat, and worth framing. I would not, however, suggest pressing thumbtacks in it to hang it on the wall. The Silk will begin to fray and sag, and before you know it, your map of King’s Landing will look like Cersei set off caches of wildfire all over the place.

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At $200, the Limited Edition of the GRRM Box may be too pricey for many. However, the $75 Special Edition includes:

  • Exclusive book: Collectible 20th anniversary illustrated edition of A Game of Thrones 
  • Exclusive HBO Game of Thrones t-shirt, featuring map of Westeros and sigils
  • Exclusive reproduction of Robert Baratheon’s Will from the HBO series
  • Living Language Dothraki online course
  • Iron Coin of the Faceless Man from Shire Post Mint

The Special Edition does not come with the numbered box.

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All in all, the Limited Edition GRRM Box is a great addition to any fan’s collection. Finally, Penguin Random House is running a special Cyber Monday deal on the GRRM Box. The deal starts today and runs through Friday. Just enter the code CYBERGRRM  in the “Discount” field on the Checkout screen and you can get 15% off your purchase! Head here to oder.


Via http://winteriscoming.net/2016/11/28/cyber-monday-review-george-r-r-martin-box/

Win the new Game of Thrones Puzzle of King’s Landing!

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We’ve reached the third and final giveaway of our 4DCityscape Game of Thrones Puzzle series, presenting 3 brand-new creations to fans, and we’re finishing off with a really special addition to the lineup. For the first two contests, WotW had the pleasure of giving away the Essos Puzzle, the layered-jigsaw sibling of the original Game of Thrones Westeros Puzzle, and the Mini Puzzle of Westeros, a petite version of the original, packed with enough detail and replicas for a lighter afternoon’s play. Now, the 3D Puzzle of King’s Landing is bringing something entirely new to the table this year, and we’re happy to be capping off this month’s giveaways by offering this unique paper puzzle.

But first- let’s find out who won last week’s giveaway! The Watchers on the Wall reader who will be taking home the Mini Puzzle of Westeros is….

@lolojbaby21

Congratulations, and enjoy piecing together Westeros!

Now, back to today’s giveaway: The Puzzle of King’s Landing is a 260-piece puzzle, depicting the Red Keep towering over the Westerosi capital city. Fully assembled, this puzzle is 30 x 12 x 8 inches large, so clear some space when you settle down to put this one together. It goes for $29.99 in stores, but of course, one of you will be winning it for free.

How do you enter to win the Puzzle of King’s Landing? Leave a comment below! We have more methods of entry below the photo. Unfortunately, this giveaway is for residents of the USA and Canada only.

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The Official Rules

How do you enter?

Method #1:  Comment on this post!

For additional or alternate entries (making it possible to have 3 entries total!):

Method #2: Twitter: Follow our Twitter, WatchersOTWall, and retweet the Puzzle of King’s Landing tweet (you must do both for the extra entry). If you already follow us, no problem. Simply retweet the contest post.

Method #3: Facebook: Like the WatchersontheWall Facebook page, and Like and Share the Puzzle of King’s Landing post (you must do both for the extra entry). If you already Like our page, again, no problem. Just like and share the contest post and you are entered!

Entries are accepted for a week, until 4PM ET, on December 5th, 2016. The winner will be randomly selected among the entrants and announced shortly thereafter on Monday.

**This contest is for residents of USA and CANADA** The winner will be selected by random drawing. The winner must respond within 72 hours of notification or will forfeit their prize and another winner will be selected. The winner must have a valid shipping address.

Twitter and Facebook are their own entities and are in no way associated with this giveaway.

The post Win the new Game of Thrones Puzzle of King’s Landing! appeared first on Watchers on the Wall.


Via http://watchersonthewall.com

ThreeZero teases ultra-realistic Daenerys Targaryen figurine

Luxury toymaker ThreeZero is finally releasing a figure based on Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, Breaker of Chains, and so on and so forth. The company, known for its ultra-realistic figures, recently put up a teaser image on its Facebook page.

This is the first female Game of Thrones character in Threezero’s lineup, so kudos to Daenerys on breaking the action figure glass ceiling.

Although it took ThreeZero longer to release a Daenerys figure than it did for the character to finally head for Westeros on Game of Thrones, it should be worth the wait. As you can see, this figure is modeled after Daenerys circa Season 3, when she freed the Unsullied from their shackles in Astapor. This figure is so life-like, Mhysa looks as if she just sprung down from Drogon’s back and has yet to fix her wind-swept hair.

Accessories for the figure have not been detailed, but the whip given to Daenerys by the masters of Astapor would be a natural choice, as would a trio of dragon eggs. ThreeZero has previously released figures for the HoundJaime Lannister, Ned Stark and others, all of which came with a bevy of accessories and all of which quickly sold out.

The Hound

Although no price point has been released, the Hound and Jaime Lannister figures each cost around $200, so expect something in that range. There’s no word on a release date, either, but we’d bet on 2017.

h/t Nerdist


Via http://winteriscoming.net/2016/11/28/threezero-teases-daenerys-targaryen-figure-so-realistic-youll-want-to-talk-to-it/

Video: HBO promo includes footage of Game of Thrones Season 7

Game of Thrones returning to Dubrovnik to film Season 7?

The Croatian city of Dubrovnik stood in for King’s Landing on Game of Thrones for several seasons. However, in Season 6, the production largely moved filming in the city to Spain, and we didn’t expect it to return for Season 7. However, The Dubrovnik Times reports that Embassy Films, a company that has hired extras for the show in the past, has posted a new call for extras on its Facebook page. Is this for Game of Thrones?

For filming of the TV series we need:
– stronger small, age 20+, 173 to 188 cm tall,
– female, age 18+, 158 to 173 cm tall.
Shooting will take place in Dubrovnik, middle of December.

Note that Embassy only says that this is for a TV series, not for Game of Thrones specifically. The call is ambiguous, but it’s very possible that this is Game of Thrones-related. We didn’t think HBO would film in Dubrovnik for Season 6, either, but it made a surprise stopover to film a scene for the season premiere: the one where Cersei waits for Mrycella on a beach. This was the same area where it filmed Mrycella leaving King’s Landing back in Season 2. Perhaps HBO needs to film in a distinctive locale again.

Also, the time frame matches. In any case, Embassy Films had no comment, so we’ll keep our eyes peeled for more.

If you’re interested in applying and trying your luck, you can do so here.


Via http://winteriscoming.net/2016/11/28/game-thrones-returning-dubrovnik-film-season-7/

The Mystery Knight graphic novel gets a release date

Image: Jet City Comics

The Song of Ice and Fire novels get all the press, but devoted fans know that George R.R. Martin has also written a series of three novellas set in Westeros about 90 years before the events of the series. Called The Tales of Dunk and Egg, the novellas tell the story of Ser Duncan the Tall, future Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, and his squire, Aegon V Targaryen, known as Egg. (He later ruled Westeros as Aegon the Unlikely. He’s the brother Maester Aemon mentions a couple of times on Game of Thrones.)

The first two novellas in the series—The Hedge Knight and The Sworn Sword—were adapted as graphic novels in 2005 and 2008 respectively. In 2013, George R.R. Martin announced that the third story—The Mystery Knight— would get the graphic novel treatment as well, although there’s been no news since. Now, Westeros.org reports that both Amazon and Random House have listed the release date for the adaptation of as July 4, 2017.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

All three of the Dunk and Egg stories were collected in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which includes illustrations.

Amazon isn’t entirely reliable when it comes to release dates, but Random House is more trustworthy. Also, both outlets claim that the graphic novel will be 240 pages (which seems excessive, but possible) and that the illustrator is Mike S. Miller, who illustrated the first two adaptations. Martin also named Miller in his 2013 announcement.

We’ll keep a look out for official confirmation. If the book does come out in July of next year, it’ll roughly coincide with the debut of Game of Thrones Season 7. Also, it will have been nine years since the last Dunk and Egg graphic novel, meaning that fans have been waiting longer for this than for The Winds of Winter.


Via http://winteriscoming.net/2016/11/28/another-dunk-and-egg-story-getting-a-graphic-novel-adaptation-next-year-shell/

Game of Thrones possibly returning to Croatia for season 7 filming

The Dubrovnik Times has a surprising announcement for Game of Thrones fans today: that the show may be returning to Croatia for the shooting of this season after all. Though the country was a filming mainstay for GoT, particularly serving as King’s Landing, for several seasons, it looked like it was off the table for season 7 when Croatia was not on the list provided by HBO in July. Today, The Dubrovnik Times discovered that Embassy Films (GoT’s production company of choice in the country) has begun casting for extras for mid-December filming.

However, it’s not quite confirmed yet, so we can take the news with a grain of salt. Embassy Films’ announcement for extras casting is visible on their Facebook; as you can see, it doesn’t specify Game of Thrones, stating only that it’s for a TV series, along with providing a few casting details.


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Embassy Films does work on projects besides Game of Thrones, so we have to consider this may be an extras casting call for something else. But, I do think it’s a strong possibility. Croatia has some unique locations that can’t always be duplicated elsewhere, even though much of the production has moved on to Spain. GoT wasn’t expected to film in Croatia at all for season 6, but the show filmed there for a few days last year at a location that was particular to Dubrovnik: the King’s Landing shore where Cersei waited for Myrcella’s return.

And so perhaps this is a similar situation, Game of Thrones returning to Dubrovnik because they need a location that cannot be recreated in Spain or in a studio. The extras casting call itself doesn’t provide a lot of hints, considering how broad it is. It calls for both men and women, more or less of typical heights, though they are looking for stronger men which might point toward soldiers or Unsullied.

For now, we’ll keep our eyes on the Croatian news, and hope for more updates and hints from Dubrovnik!

The post Game of Thrones possibly returning to Croatia for season 7 filming appeared first on Watchers on the Wall.


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