“death calls,” actors’ response to, 249–250
Dempsie, Joe. See Gendry
Dickie, Kate. See Lysa Arryn
Dillane, Stephen. See Stannis Baratheon
Dinklage, Peter. See Tyrion Lannister
DirecTV, 14–15
direwolves, 39, 151, 232–233, 380
Dormer, Natalie. See Margaery Tyrell
Dorne, 237–238, 241–242
Doune Castle, 37
dragons. See also Mother of Dragons
birth of, 92–94
Drogon, 128, 391, 393, 400, 402, 407–408
filming style for, 387
horses’ reaction to, 345
Rhaegal, 400
Viserion, 348
Drogon, 128, 391, 393, 400, 402, 407–408
dwarf joust, 187–188
Eddard “Ned” Stark (Sean Bean)
arranged marriage for, 269
beheading a deserter, 69, 88
casting for, 23–24
execution of, 83–92
focus on protecting his children, 86
impact of death, 90
Night’s Watch, 85
Edward IV, King of England, 260
egalitarian society, 279
Ehle, Jennifer. See Catelyn Stark (Jennifer Ehle)
Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma)
attacking King’s Landing, 335
avenging Oberyn’s death, 239–240
brothel scene, 111
Cersei Lannister and, 340–341
creating character of, 237
Oberyn and, 204
as prisoner, 340–341
Yara and, 337
Emmanuel, Nathalie. See Missandei
Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbæk)
attacking Jaime, 412
at Blackwater Battle, 335–340
character introduced to show, 231
costume for, 335–336
shooting Rhaegal, 400
Eustace, son of King Stephen, 189–190
Eyrie castle, 65–66
Fairley, Michelle. See Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley)
fandom. See also Comic-Con; media critics
actor obsession, 218–219
Bush, George W., 89
frightening encounters, 212
hating the character, 214–215
lobbying for certain actors, 24–25
mistaking character identities, 213–214
Obama, Barack, 219, 286
odd/uncomfortable encounters, 211–213
online commentary, 215–216
passion of Spanish fans, 217–218
positive encounters, 210–211
reaction to Sansa’s “rape,” 273–274
showrunners and, 215–216
social media and, 216–217
suggested casting, 25
Trump, Donald, 219
film sets. See sets/props
filming locations
Croatia, 96–97, 155
Iceland, 134–137, 179
Malta, 61–62, 73, 112, 215, 226
Morocco, 39–41, 61, 129
Northern Ireland, 97
Fist of the First Men, 136
Free, Nell Tiger. See Myrcella
Furdík, Vladímir. See Night King (Vladímir Furdík)
Game of Thrones (TV show)
awards for, 209
balancing realistic drama with fantasy and magic, 36
budget, 21
computer-generated special effects, 22
critics of (See media critics)
debut airing of, 95
DirecTV pitch, 14–15
early reviews, 95
HBO pitch, 15–17
as HBO’s most popular show of all time, 209
holding cast together, 324
leaked episodes, 219–220
merchandising, 209
outpacing the books, 226–228
presenting savage medieval times for modern audience, 277
protecting assets, 219–220
rising success of, 209–210
series ideal length, 320–322
sets/props, 21–22
showrunners for, 10–14
showrunners wanting to end series, 320–325
Showtime pitch, 15
swordmaster C. C. Smiff, 181–182, 203
Game of Thrones, pilot
as confusing, 43
costume design for, 36–37
Doune Castle, 37
first day of shooting, 51–52
lacking “scope,” 41–42
in Morocco, 39–41
problems with, 41–42
production set up, 36
replacing director, 45
reshooting the pilot, 57–58, 226
revision plan, 44–45
screening of, 41–43
seduction scene, 40–41
selecting Winterfell location, 37
shooting schedule, 35
site selection, 35–41
Game of Thrones, season one. See also Game of Thrones, pilot
budget, 58
circulating rough cuts, 68–69
film inspirations for, 55
filming scenes out of order, 53
finale, 92–94
first day on set, 56
“A Golden Crown” episode, 65
joust sequence, 58
King Robert goes hunting, 58–59
Malta exterior scenes, 73
pages-on-the-day, 61
producers and directors for, 53–55
production issues, 55–56
security, 57
stag stomach scene, 57
Game of Thrones, season two
adding Croatia to film location sites, 96–97
additional cast, 97–102
based on A Clash of Kings, 96
birthing scene, 106–108
frustrating for returning actors, 108
opening scene, 104
producers and directors for, 96–97
Tyrion maneuvering Cersei, 109
Game of Thrones, season three
bathtub scene, 148–150
cave scene, 138–139
north-of-the-Wall sequences, 134–137
Red Wedding massacre (See Red Wedding massacre)
Unsullied Army scene, 127–129
Wildling attack at Castle Black scene, 140–141
Game of Thrones, season four
Arya’s road trip, 179
“The Laws of Gods and Men” episode, 196–200
“The Lion and the Rose” episode, 186–187
“Mountain and the Viper” fight, 201–204
Red Viper introduced in, 200–201
Tyrion blamed for Joffrey’s murder, 193
Game of Thrones, season five
adapting to survive, 230
bursting with series regulars, 229
as the dark one, 244–245
darting between eight stories, 229
direwolves, 232–233
eliminating storylines from books, 230
Jon Snow’s death, 280–286
theme, 244
Walk of Shame (See “Walk of Shame” sequence)
Water Gardens fight, 241–242
Game of Thrones, season six
Battle of the Bastards (See Battle of the Bastards)
Cersei’s trial at the sept, 300–301
chase sequence, 292–294
as succession of victories, 291
Witness sub-movie, 297–298
Game of Thrones, season seven
“Beyond the Wall” episode, 347–349
Jon Snow facing Daenerys Targaryen, 331–333
sea battle, 336–340
season premiere synopsis, 331
storyline pacing debate, 346–349
strategy for, 330
Game of Thrones, final season. See also “The Iron Throne” episode; “The Long Night” episode
“The Bells” episode, 384, 402–404
complaints on shortness of, 389–390
“The Last of the Starks” episode, 384
time spent filming, 369–370
updating/expanding sets, 368–369
Winterfell set, 368–369
Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience, 209
A Game of Thrones (Martin). See also A Song of Ice and Fire saga
adapting for the silver screen, 9–10
pitching as a TV series, 10–14
publication of, 8
Gendry (Joe Dempsie), 33, 57, 347–348, 421–423
Gillen, Aidan. See Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish
Gilly (Hannah Murray), 170, 417
Gleeson, Jack. See Joffrey Baratheon
Glen, Iain. See Jorah Mormont
Glencoe Massacre, 152
“A Golden Crown” episode, 65
gratuitous nudity. See nudity
Great HBO Hack of 2017, 220–221
Green Fork. See Battle of the Green Fork
Gregor “the Mountain” Clegane ( Hafþór Björnsson), 202–204, 414–415
Grey Wind (direwolf), 233
Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson), 131, 333–335, 361, 381, 401, 416
Hardhome battle, 242, 254–256, 258
Harington, Kit. See Aegon Targaryen; Jon Snow
Harren the Black, 402–403
Harrenhal, 148, 353, 402–403
HBO. See also Game of Thrones (TV show)
agrees to take Game of Thrones, 16–17
battle scenes, 115
on Bush’s severed head likeness, 90
early publicity for Thrones, 225
freedom to fall from, 54
green-light Thrones pilot, 20
green-lights second season, 96
hacking into, 220–221
negotiating end of Thrones, 327–328
negotiating film rights, 16–17
orders ten episodes, 45
pitching Thrones to, 15–16
protecting Throne’s assets, 219–220
putting prequels into script development, 430
Rome, 18, 58, 95, 115
serialized drama model, 321
taking chance with Benioff and Weiss as producers, 18–19
Thrones as most lucrative product for, 326
Headey, Lena. See Cersei Lannister
Hempstead Wright, Isaac. See Bran Stark
Henwick, Jessica. See Nymeria Sand
High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce), 245–246, 248, 264, 299–300
Hildebrand, Dan. See Kraznys
Hill, Conleth. See Varys
Hivju, Kristofer. See Tormund Giantsbane
Hodor (Kristian Nairn)
backstory of, 295–296
casting for, 26–27
death of, 294
paired with Bran, 51, 294–296
unexpectedly naked, 76–77
hodors, 297
the Hound. See Sandor “the Hound” Clegane
House Martell palace, 241
Huisman, Michiel. See Daario Naharis
hygiene challenges, 304
Ice (broadsword), 84, 87
ice spiders, 380
Iceland, 134–137, 179
Ilyn Payne (Wilko Johnson), 87, 226
incest, 397
Ingram, Kerry. See Shireen
Iron Islands, 228, 231, 335, 415
Iron Throne
Bran Stark and, 419–420
as burden, not a reward, 418–419
claims to, 106, 115, 253
Daenerys takes, 391–392, 408
description of, 21–22
Drogon releases wrath on, 407
plots to seize, 104
true heir to, 349, 396–397
“The Iron Throne” episode, 427–430
Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau)
attacking Euron Greyjoy, 412
bathtub scene, 148–150
bedding Brienne, 410–412
as captor-turned-fellow-captive, 143–145
casting for, 24–25
as Cersei’s sibling lover, 43
death of, 412–414
developing relationship with Brienne, 374
as emotionally vulnerable, 150
executing Olenna, 342–343
imprisoned at King’s Landing, 399
knighting Brienne of Tarth, 409–410
Locke and, 147, 148
rescuing his twin sister, 411–412
sword-fight scene with Brienne, 145–147
Jeor Mormont (James Cosmo), 104, 406
Jeyne Poole, 270–271
Jeyne Westerling, 153
Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson)
as a bully, 182–183, 187–188
casting for, 28–29
crossbow scene, 184–185
death of, 189–191
Gleeson’s view of playing, 184
hairstyle changes, 39
as love-to-hate villain, 182
Ned Stark’s execution, 85
orders Marillion’s tongue removed, 226
showing compassion, 185
wedding to Margaery, 186–187
Johnson, Wilko. See Ilyn Payne
Jon Snow (Kit Harington)
at Battle of the Bastards, 307–309, 312–316
Bran Stark punishing, 424
casting for, 31–32
coupling with Daenerys, 349–350
Daenerys’s death scene, 366–367, 405–408
death of, 281–284
direwolf of, 232–233
farewell to father scene, 49
flying a dragon, 387–388
Night’s Watch, 133, 140, 254, 290, 424
parentage, 13–14, 396–398, 424
pursuing Ramsay, 314–316
quits Night’s Watch, 290
resurrection of, 288–290
sexual tension with Daenerys, 332–333
Targaryen ancestry, 391–392
turning Ramsay over to Sansa, 316
understanding Night King’s power, 258–259
Wildling attack at Castle Black scene, 140–141
Jones, Finn. See Loras Tyrell
Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen), 27, 92, 375, 417
Kekilli, Sibel. See Shae
Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa)
casting for, 25
death of, 91–92
Mago fight scene, 80–81
Viserys’s death and, 79–80
wedding gift to Daenerys, 40
wedding night seduction scene, 40–41, 73–74
wedding of, 73
Knights of the Vale, 314, 316
Knite, Sahara. See Armeca
Kraznys (Dan Hildebrand), 128, 129
Lady (direwolf), 233
Lady Stoneheart, 230, 231
Lancel Lannister (Eugene Michael Simon), 109, 301–302
Late Night with Seth Meyers, 287–288
“The Laws of Gods and Men” episode, 196–200
Leslie, Rose. See Ygritte
“The Lion and the Rose” episode, 186–187
Littlefinger. See Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish
Lloyd, Harry. S
ee Viserys Targaryen
Locke, 147, 148
“The Long Night” episode
alternative schedule, 373
cast praising Miguel’s direction, 382–383
complaints on lighting of, 388–389
consecutive night shoots for, 373–374
critical reaction to, 388–389
death of several characters during, 374–377
enjoying the night shoots, 386
level of detail in, 385
Lyanna facing a zombie, 376
Mann’s Chinese Theatre screening of, 388
original production plan, 372–373
production challenges for, 370–371
recovering from filming, 388
relentless schedule for, 381–382
sickness/flu during, 387–388
studio scenes, 386
Loot Train attack, 344
Loras Tyrell (Finn Jones), 131, 299, 300
Lord of Light, 105, 250, 280–281, 288
Lord of the Rings (film trilogy), 84, 389
The Lord of the Rings (Tolkien), 228–229
Lost (TV show), 322
Lothar Frey, 158
Lyanna Mormont (Bella Ramsey), 332, 349, 375–376
Lysa Arryn (Kate Dickie), 65, 178
Mad King. See Aerys II Targaryen, “the Mad King”
Madden, Richard. See Robb Stark
Maggy the Frog, 253
“the male gaze,” 274
Malta, 61–62, 73, 112, 215, 226
Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer)
casting for, 98
at Cersei’s trial, 300–301
crossbow scene, 185
Tommen and, 194–195
Marillion, 226
marital rape, 74. See also rape; sexual violence
Marsay, Faye. See the Waif
Martin, George Raymond Richard
on actors improving their characters from the books, 198
Benioff-Weiss pitch meeting, 10–14
on book coming to life on screen, 70
cast selection process, 22, 24, 27, 29
on concept of adolescence, 28
early life, 7–8
on fame, 225
impact of Gandalf’s death, 84
moving to Hollywood, 7–8
negotiating with HBO, 16–17
on series outpacing the books, 227–228
“Turtle Castle,” 7
writing for television, 7–8
McCann, Rory. See Sandor “the Hound” Clegane
McElhatton, Michael. See Roose Bolton
McElhinney, Ian. See Barristan Selmy
McShane, Ian. See Brother Ray
media critics. See also fandom
Andrews, Travis M., 241
Bahadur, Nina, 274
Bricken, Rob, 428
Bruney, Gabrielle, 276
Cody, Anthony, 304–305
Dreyfuss, Emily, 428
Egner, Jeremy, 428
Goodman, Tim, 95
Kornhaber, Spencer, 428