Strange that you can already be sure there will be magazine articles describing the D&D and GRRM fallout over this in 8 years (at best). It sure make interesting reading.
Although I suppose as soon as the 6th book comes out there could be fireworks over the different directions that were taken by D&D and GRRM.
Well, at least the stars are getting sweet paychecks.
Due to score sizable pay bumps are leads Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister). They’ll each earn upward of $500,000 per episode of season seven, which has already been announced, and in the likely eighth season (which is all but a formality). The raises for season seven come as part of an option HBO had with the cast as part of their last deal, signed in October 2014, that saw the five stars each become among the highest-paid actors on cable TV.
I hadn’t realized there was going to be an eighth season. I remember them saying them were going to limit it to 7 because you can only devote so much of your life to one project and I’ve been fretting about how the hell they are going to wrap everything up in just 11 more episodes. Color me very, very excited.
I thought I read that it was going to be two more shorter seasons?
I thought it was being described as 1.5, as one long one and one short one.
GRRM describing the show as fan fiction at Balticon and D&D increasingly trolling readers (haha, you thought you were getting LSH!!) seems to rather strongly hint at it.
As far as I’ve heard, there’s nothing official, but what they were floating in interviews recently was two shorter seasons for 7 and 8 (something like eight and six episodes respectively). Nothing was agreed on or locked down yet, but it sounds like the concern was that with the production escalating for the climax of the show, they’re running into limits of what they can actually produce on a yearly schedule.
Again, all just interview talk, nothing is official (other than these raises technically confirming a season 7 will exist, I suppose).
Karstark, Umber and Glover supported Bolton based on what the show revealed to us. Presumably there were a few more.
It’s all to do with his influence over his erstwhile son-in-law and all around weirdo the Lord of Arryn. I think part of his MO is making sure people underestimate him for his status as a low born brothel keeper while his ruthless and smarmy ways allow him to play the Game of Thrones better than anyone. Although i must admit not really following how giving Sansa to Ramsey made for such a brilliant play. Based on Littlefinger from the books I’d like to think it was a deliberately brilliant move, however I doubt whether that’ll be the case considering how fast and loose the show is now playing with its characterisations.
Well and Littlefinger shifted money around, a lot… like kept a kingdom that was heavily in debt still functioning. After Tyrion left there probably aren’t too many people capable of remembering there are coffers to fill and debts to pay.
Can’t wait for the season finale! I think it will be epic.
I expect Cersei to light King’s Landing on fire. WAY too many wildfire references this season for this not to happen. Lots of casualties, I think a lot of Sparrows are doomed as well as some/all of the small council and probably Tommen as well. I hope to see the Mountain kill some dudes.
I am hopeful that Arya makes her way back to Westeros.
We know from the trailer there is a scene at the Twins…hopeful that the Freys get theirs, one way or another. Ideally Arya kills Walder Frey.
We also know from the trailer Bran is going to be featured so we can plan on a more explicit Tower of Joy reveal showing Jon Snow’s lineage.
There will be at least one scene in the North. Tension between Jon and Sansa and how does Littlefinger play into this? Littlefinger is a bad guy, I expect him to try and turn Sansa against Jon.
Trailer seems to set up a Davos v Melisandre scene with Jon playing referee.
I’d like to see some Hound but I think its unlikely.
I think we will see Dany finally heading West.
I think there is a 50/50 chance we see the White Walker’s getting south of the Wall in some fashion.
Spectacular episode that shows why GoT stands above anything else on TV. A truly landmark show.
It must be difficult to finance a long running series, as the stars effectively hold you at ransom.
How are they holding them ransom? HBO has made a shit ton of money on this show. And as for GRRM being pissed about how the show is going. Who cares? He got paid, he has had his chance of telling his story but it seems after the show became a hit he started living the dream. No ones fault but his own.
Agreed. I’m having so much fun with the HBO interpretation and now treading into unread waters that I’m off shouting for GRRM to hurry up and finish it already. Of course, I’ll buy the final books (and re-read all the ones before when I do like I’ve done before) but it’s immaterial to me anymore what is or isn’t ‘canon’. These are two different animals anymore; both beautiful and rare and special in their own way. I actually sort of think though that GRRM isn’t half as displeased or bemused by the show’s direction as he lets on. It’s more a matter of giving everyone something to talk about and stoking the flames for his books when (if) they ever come.
Lots of actors, their wages continually go up each year, which means you have to make an even more impressive show to draw in bigger crowds and therefore bigger budgets. It’s a positive feedback loop.
Season 6 hit 23 million viewers across all the metrics that HBO measures. That would top even the #1 rated show on network TV, including +7 DVR viewings. And we’re not even talking about the international audience. This is the biggest show in the world.
GRRM, more than almost any other author thanks to his decade in Hollywood, knew it was a dangerous job when he signed the papers with Dan and David and HBO. He’s got his Best Drama Emmy and millions of dollars and, rarest of all for a guy who writes books, worldwide celebrity status.
Exec#1: Hey guys, I have terrible news. Game of Thrones is a huge hit and we’re making TONS of money.
Exec#2: WTF?! How is that terrible news?!
Exec#1: Well, now our actors are stars and instead of their salaries costing us about 10% of our revenue they’ll cost us 15% of our revenue.
Exec#2: But we’re still making way, way more than we expected, right?
Exec#1: Well yeah, but the actors are making more than we wanted to pay them five years ago! We should quit now while we’re ahead.
Exec#2: You’re not so good at math, are you?
Firstly, get fucked.
Secondly, “More than expected?”. How do you know this? I can imagine it for the first season. But in any long running series the stars of the show essentially hold the producers hostage. You can’t just exactly re-cast Monica from friends or Daenerys from Game of Thrones. If their contract is up and they say “Hey, I’d like $500,000 per episode, up from $50,000”, there’s not a lot they can do?
Just for clarification, the salary increases to $500k per episode were baked into the actors’ 2014 contracts. As of yet, there are no reports that any of the five stars in question have asked for more.