Ghost is alive and well and living in Madagascar

Reports of Jon Snow’s direwolf’s death have been greatly exaggerated, a la Mark Twain. Turns out Ghost has not been prowling the confines of Winterfell, unseen by the camera, but has found his way to exotic Madagascar.

Not really. A team of biologists recently released a report in the European Journal of Taxonomy full of scientific gobbledygook that (I think) can be distilled down to this: after a pretty intensive study, these scientists identified a new species of wolf spider that lives on the beaches of Madagascar. It is all white. Geeks that they are (come on, they’re arachnologists), they named this new species after Game of Thrones’ Ghost. From the report:

 The species name ‘ghost’ refers to the fully white appearance of this spider. Additional reference is made to the large white direwolf ‘Ghost’ in Game of Thrones, the first book in the series of fantasy novels A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin.

Wolf spiders are able hunters with excellent eyesight, much like direwolves. This particular wolf spider, which is of the genus Ocyale, is also particularly large. The comparison must have just called out to the scientists.



If there was ever a question about whether Game of Thrones has infiltrated every aspect of life, this should answer it. Somewhere, Varys is saying, “Wait a minute! I’m the spider!”



And it’s okay, because there is no way Westeros’ resident spider could ever be upstaged by the real thing.

Game of Thrones Theory Corner: Is Melisandre a fire wight?

Melisandre is a character shrouded in mystery. The Red Woman has displayed a wide range of abilities, whether its raising the dead (maybe), giving birth to a shadow demon, or drinking poison and surviving. Also, in A Dance with Dragons, it’s mentioned that she doesn’t need to eat and that she doesn’t feel cold. But even with that information, we’ve learned very little about her and where she comes from. We got our clearest peek behind the curtain in season 6, when she removed her ruby choker and revealed herself to be an elderly, infirm woman who uses magic to appear young and beautiful. But exactly how old is she, and what has she spent the bulk of her life doing?

Redditor Smack8001 may have an explanation to some of the mysteries surrounding this character. What if — bear with me here — Melisandre is actually an undead wight, brought back from the dead like Beric Dondarrion and Jon Snow after her?

Wooh boy. Strap in.

Wights are servants of the White Walkers, zombies raised to do their bidding. For the most part, all they want to do is murder mankind. But not all wights are created equal. Benjen Stark was raised by the Children of the Forest, and retains enough of his mind to help members of his family who happen to go beyond the Wall. Also, A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin has said that there’s more than one way to make a wight. Listen to what he had to say about Beric Dondarrion, who’s been brought back to life numerous times by Thoros of Myr, in an interview with TIME:

His memories are fading, he’s got all these scars, he’s becoming more and more physically hideous, because he’s not a living human being anymore. His heart isn’t beating, his blood isn’t flowing in his veins, he’s a wight, but a wight animated by fire instead of by ice, now we’re getting back to the whole fire and ice thing.

So according to Martin, there’s a difference between wights brought back by the White Walkers or the Children of the Forest, who use ice, and those brought back by the followers on the Lord of Light, who use fire. Excepting Benjen, all of the ice wights have been of the mindless zombie variety. But the ones brought back by fire — Beric, Jon, and one more in the books — have more control over themselves. Is Melisandre one of these kind? Smack8001 tries to answer that question by comparing her to Beric:

Beric and Fire Wights:

1. Their memories fade.
2. They become more and more physically hideous.
3. They accumulate scars.
4. Their hearts do not beat.
5. Their blood does not flow.
6. Beric’s reanimation is associated with the magic of the Red Priests of R’hllor.
7. Beric loses his identity over time.
8. Beric is able to, or at least partially responsible for, reanimate Catelyn Stark also as a wight.

Melisandre:

1. She drinks what appears to be poison and it does not affect her. (against Maester Cressen)
2. She does not need to eat.
3. She draws a distinction between herself and “mortal men”.
4. She has an unnatural warmth to her body. (scene with Jon Snow)
5. She is older than she appears.
6. She wears a ruby, which is associated with glamors.
7. She is associated with the magic of the red priests of R’hllor.
8. She draws a distinction between her kind of “life” and the normal life of other creatures. (again, scene with Jon Snow).
9. Her identity is completely wrapped up within the worship of the Lord of Light.
10. She does not feel cold.

Whether it’s the lack of need for food, the loss of memory or an inability to feel cold, these traits point to one thing: a fire wight’s body no longer functions like that of a normal person’s, despite looking normal on the outside. The similarities may go further, as in the novels, Dondarrion also possesses the ability to raise the dead, albeit at the cost of his own “life.”



The theory would go a long way towards explaining Melisandre’s penchant for secrecy, and her preternatural sense of calm — once you’ve been to the other side and back, it’s easy to be unflappable. (And I guess it technically makes Stannis a necrophiliac…gross.) As a fire wight, Melisandre would also be naturally opposed to the ice-based White Walkers, a purpose to which Beric is also now dedicated. A conflict between fire and ice wights would fit into the title of Martin’s series, as well.

On the flip side, there are plenty of holes in this theory. For one thing, if Melisandre was indeed raised from the dead at some point, why was she so gobsmacked when she found out that Thoros could do it, and later when she was able to do it herself? She acted like she’d never heard of this power before. Although it could have been a very long time since it had happened to her. (There’s also the intriguing question of how Melisandre would have died in the first place — a question for one of the spinoffs.)
Also, in the novels, Beric raises Lady Stoneheart from the dead by breathing life into her, and then dying himself. In contrast, Melisandre raised Jon Snow with a ceremony, and continued her life afterwards. That’s one way in which the two are dissimilar. But then again, that discrepancy could be explained by saying that Melisandre is a Red Priest who knew her way around a resurrection spell whereas Beric was not.



Or maybe we’re just reading too much into this. But isn’t that the way with A Song of Ice and Fire theories? It’s a tantalizing idea that could potentially play a major role in the final season of Game of Thrones.

Ben Crompton (Dolorous Edd) teases a “brilliant” Game of Thrones season 8

 Game of Thrones star Ben Crompton, who’s portrayed Eddison “Dolorous Edd” Tollett since season 2, was recently Ashington, England championing the “Movember” campaign, which encourages men to look after their health. While there, Chronicle Live caught up with him to talk about Game of Thrones season 8.

The first bit of news we can take from this is: yes, Dolorous Edd will appear in season 8. Hooray! Last we saw Edd, he was at Castle Black, admitting Bran and Meera through the Wall. Although the White Walkers have now made their way into Westeros, Crompton was quick to remind us that Castle Black, at least for the moment, is untouched. “Eastwatch has been penetrated, that’s the one by the sea, so Eastwatch is broken. Edd is manning Castle Black.”

Crompton also confirmed that he was at the season 8 read-through — the same one that made Kit Harington cry — and that the production has “just started filming.” And all of that is great, what’s coming down the pipe for the final six episodes? With security the final season tighter than it’s ever been, Crompton wasn’t about to give away any spoilers, he did say that he knows what’s coming, and it sounds like it’s going to be something to remember.

I can just tell you it’s brilliant – honestly there’s a couple of things there that are like nothing else that’s been seen on telly.

Season 8 filming: New pictures of that gigantic mystery set, complete with trebuchet

Filming on Game of Thrones season 8 is now underway. Not long ago, fans spotted a huge, mysterious new set going up in the Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the show does much of its shooting. Behold:

Intriguing. Now, Wiki of Thrones has obtained new images that give us a closer look at the set than ever before.

First, let’s take a look at the front of the edifice again:



So the set consists of two discrete sections with a gap in the middle. Odds are that it’s a castle, and that the gap is a gate. But which castle? Winterfell has its own set at Moneyglass, so it’s probably not that. The Red Keep? The Eyrie? Storm’s End? Something else? The set has yet to be finished, so it’s still too early to tell.

But whatever it ends up being, the set is freaking huge, beyond anything the production has built before. It’s the final season, so they might as well go big.

Here’s what it looks like from the other side:



The photographer is really in the weeds now. Get it? In the wee…sorry.
If we were the betting type, we’d say that the production plans to film a large-scale action scene on this set. That’s party because we don’t know why it would go to the trouble of building something this enormous if they didn’t plan to put it through its paces. You don’t need to build a costly set like this just so characters can walk by it — it’s cheaper to use a location or employ some selective CGI for that.

The other reason is because there’s a big siege weapon — a trebuchet, to be specific — on the lot nearby. You can see it on the lower right-side of the screen in this photo…



… and here’s a new, close-up pic from Wiki of Thrones.



The arm of the trebuchet is lowered in the new shot, but that’s it, standing taller than the fence in front of it even in its relaxed position.

Maisie Williams looks forward to what she’ll do when she’s “free” of Game of Thrones

With only one season of Game of Thrones left, its stars have begun to look to the future. Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) recently chatted with BBC Newsbeat about her post-Thrones plans, and echoed comments made by costars like Kit Harington and Sophie Turner when she said that’ it’ll be “nerve wracking to know that I won’t have that support blanket and safety net,” but is nonetheless looking forward to being “free.”

 I’m really excited for Game of Thrones to finish and there’s going to be time for me to do whatever I want. That’s just incredibly exciting and it will be nice to pick roles that I want to do. I can show the world what sort of actress I want to be and shape my career a little bit.

Next year, you’ll be able to catch Williams as the mutant Wolfsbane The New Mutants, an X-Men spinoff. But in addition to doing blockbusters, Williams has also started her own production company and is looking forward to to working on independent features. “Coming back [to Britain] and listening to all the films nominated and getting back into watching independent films just makes me realise how much I miss it,” she said. “It’s the only place I’ve ever really wanted to be to be honest.

I’d love to do a British independent film, I’d love to make it and I’d love to be in it. There are a couple of directors that I’d love to work with – Dexter Fletcher being one. I’d like to just do some work here, for Britain.

Williams has had some time to think about this while she waits for the Game of Thrones filming machine to start up in earnest. Although we know that production has begun, it appears that it hasn’t gotten around to her scenes yet, so she’s enjoying downtime at home while she can. “I’ve been lucky enough to be home for a whole month now, which has been wonderful.” With rumors that season 8 filming could go as late as August 2018, she should probably enjoy it while she can.



Elsewhere, Williams’ onscreen sibling Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran Stark) has been named one of TIME’s 30 Most Influential Teens. Appearing on one of the world’s most popular show’s has its perks. Mr. Wright, how do you feel about this news?

Oh. Well, congrats anyway.

Mark Gattis (Tycho Nestoris) reveals his idea for a Game of Thrones ending

Filming on Game of Thrones season 8 is underway, and actor Mark Gatiss will likely be a part of it. After all, his character, Tycho Nestoris, works for the Iron Bank. In season 7, Nestoris acted on behalf of the bank in extending a new line of credit to Queen Cersei Lannister, right after she she paid off the crown’s debt with a generous “donation” from Highgarden. That allowed the monarch to procure the services of the Golden Company, a legendary mercenary army, to help fight her wars. Euron is ferrying that army across the Narrow Sea as we speak, and he’s doing it on the Iron Bank’s dime.

So the Iron Bank will likely have a part to play in the end of the show. Gatiss even has an idea for how it could end, an idea he pitched to showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, as he revealed on an episode of Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch in the UK. “I pitched to Dan and David, the showrunners, that I should be the last person alive in the show because obviously if anyone survives it is the banks.”

They just laughed at me. I could imagine one final shot where I just walk among the bodies of absolutely everyone, turn to the camera and say “next.”

Game of Thrones turning out to be a lesson about the supreme power of commerce would be a bit of a downer. I don’t think we have to worry about it coming to pass, either, given Benioff and Weiss’ reaction. Still, considering the Iron Bank’s fearsome reputation and thousand-year history, it’s not impossible to see Gattis’ view…



Time will tell if Gattis’ vision becomes reality, but one way or another, the Iron Bank will have its due.

 

Season 8: Huge new castle set rises in the Titantic Quarter in Belfast (UPDATED)

With the cast gathered in Belfast to film Game of Thrones season 8, fans are on the lookout for anything that might indicate what they’re going to shoot and where they’re going to shoot it. Los Siete Reinos has some fascinating new photos of an enormous set going up near the Paint Hall in the Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the show does much of its filming.

We’ve seen this set before, but it was in much smaller then. Here’s what it looked like the last time LSR checked in on it.

The new photos show that it’s come along quite a ways:

That…that is big. Although the set isn’t dressed yet, it looks like the facade for a castle, and an uncommonly large one.

LSR cautions that there’s no guarantee that the set is for Game of Thrones, but considering the expanse of it, and how frequently Game of Thrones makes use of this area, it’s a very good bet. But what might it be? The Red Keep? Storm’s End? Moat Cailin? Casterly Rock? And why would the production feel the need to build it? If they’re going to the trouble of constructing something rather than filming it piecemeal and using CGI to create the rest, odds are something big will go down there, possibly an action scene.

UPDATE: Okay, it’s definitely for an action scene. How do we know? Because Paulo Ross snapped a couple more pictures of the set…

…and you can clearly see an enormous trebuchet nearby — look on the right of the image below:


The trebuchet, a siege engine, is taller than the shipping containers to the right of it and the structure behind it. Whoever’s using it means business.
The other photo gives us a better sense of the castle set:



It’s made in two parts that have yet to be connected. Could we be looking at the entrance to a castle or city?

The production is building more of the Winterfell set this year, too — big is the name of the game.

Watchers on the Wall Awards Season 7: Best Dramatic Scene – Preliminary Round

We have a huge Watchers on the Wall Awards category for you all to mull over, this sleepy Sunday! Best Dramatic Scene celebrates the greatest Game of Thrones scenes of the year, the most pulse-pounding, heartrending, memorable moments that had us all glued to the screen. Our readers provided dozens of suggestions for Best Dramatic Scene this year, and now it’s in your hands to narrow our choices down to five! Which scenes left the biggest impression on you? Make your choices!


The standard rules: Select up to FIVE nominees from the poll. You can choose fewer if you like, but you cannot choose more than 5. (Visit the initial WotW Awards post for a complete explanation of the rules and process.)

At the end of 72 hours (Wednesday 11/01/17 at 5PM Eastern Time), whichever five scenes have the most votes will continue on to the finals. The results of the poll will be revealed when it’s time to choose the winner of Best Dramatic Scenes in a few weeks.

Thanks to Greatjon of Slumber for tallying up the initial nominee suggestions. Time to vote!

Kit Harington Reflects on ‘Thronesmania’ and Revisits the Unaired Pilot

In an interview with The Guardian, Kit Harington is wistful, in his reverence for the show that has largely been his career highlight for the past 8 years. He was a recent graduate of drama school when he signed on to what is now a worldwide phenomenon. Still, it took a wild to build: “Maybe the most special year was the first,” says Kit. “We weren’t being recognised in the street, we didn’t know what we were doing, we were having a great time.” Eight years and seven seasons have passed since he filmed that pilot, however. But as we’ve heard time and again, the original pilot wasn’t exactly considered a masterpiece…


“They [the pilot] made a lot of mistakes. It didn’t look right, didn’t feel right, had nothing different about it.”

Reportedly, in the pilot he was clean-shaven with a wig.

“They say [David and Dan], if I ever piss them off too much, they’ll release it on YouTube. Every now and then, they send me a screengrab, just as a threat.”

YouTube reaction videos were the talk of the town during Red Wedding and Mountain vs. Viper seasons (3 and 4) but can you imagine if Kit recorded himself watching the unaired pilot? It would be a sight to behold.

While this interview was conducted before the eighth season began filming, he reflects on how Jon will react once he finds out his lover is his aunt:

“I really hope that he just nods slowly and goes, ‘Damned right.’ Something really horribly inappropriate, and you find out Jon’s had a really sick mind the whole time. That’s the way I’d love to play it. I’ll try it for one take, anyway.”

                                                  Photo credit: Kit Harington by Norma Jean Ray for Esquire

He goes on to talk about the level of fan fervor and how it’s gotten to be quite a distraction when leaving the hotel for film shoots:

“Like, being in Spain and there being a crowd of 500, maybe 600 fans camped outside the hotel every day, and you have to get through them. It feels like being Bieber or something.”

While his new drama Gunpowder has just started airing on BBC1 in the UK, the question looms as to whether any future project Kit does will reach hype worthy of GoT level.

Details released for ‘Game of Thrones: The Touring Exhibition’ in Barcelona, and Ian Beattie reveals a surprising fact about Meryn Trant’s demise

A line of Unsullied costumes is only one of many features of ‘Game of Thrones: The Touring Exhibition,’ which makes its global debut on October 28 in Barcelona.

There’s little else that fans of Game of Thrones love more than getting to peek behind the curtain at the ins and outs of the world’s most popular show – and those lucky enough to visit “Game of Thrones: The Touring Exhibition” can experience the most up-close-and-personal view of Thrones that you can get without actually being a part of the show. As we reported in September, the exhibit will make its global debut in Barcelona on October 28, and today we learned more detail about what it will include – and got a few tidbits from former cast member Ian Beattie (Meryn Trant) at an inauguration event for the exhibit.


The 10,000-square-foot interactive exhibit contains costumes, authentic props and more and guides attendees through 10 settings against backdrops that recall the majestic scenery of Westeros:

Setting 1: Pre-show

Visitors begin their experience with a pre-show that includes a montage of dramatic scenes from the show, culminating with the reveal of the Winter Forest, the formal start of the exhibition.

Setting 2: Map Table

Maps and markers used by nobles to plot strategy and war remind visitors of the competing Houses and what has unfolded over the course of the story so far.

Setting 3: The Kingsroad

Highlights include costumes worn by Arya Stark and Sandor “The Hound” Clegane and Needle, Arya Stark’s sword.

Setting 4: King’s Landing

Featuring set decorations, props, and costumes from Joffrey Baratheon’s fateful wedding to Margaery Tyrell, this chamber features the wedding gown of Margaery, the wedding attire worn by Joffrey and his sword, Widow’s Wail, and the litter used to carry Joffrey throughout King’s Landing.

A replica of Jaime Lannister’s golden hand is featured in the King’s Landing room.

Setting 5: The Noble Houses of Westeros

Visitors can explore the noble houses of Westeros, with a multitude of props, costumes, and weapons used by House Bolton, House Baratheon, House Greyjoy, and House Martell. Highlights include costumes worn by Stannis Baratheon and the red priestess Melisandre, the silk costume worn by Ellaria Sand, the leather armor worn by Oberyn Martell, and Shireen Baratheon’s toy stag, carved for her by Davos Seaworth.

An up-close view of Melisandre’s necklace, on display in the Noble House of Westeros room.

Setting 6: The Targaryen Chamber

The giant skull of an ancient dragon guards the entrance into Essos, where the Mother of Dragons and her attendants and armies are showcased. This chamber includes costumes worn by Daenerys Targaryen and Missandei, armor worn by the Unsullied warriors, dragon eggs given as a wedding gift to Daenerys, and Khal Drogo’s arakh.

Costumes worn by Daenerys and Missandei, as well as Unsullied armor, are on view in the Targaryen room.

Setting 7: The House of Black and White

This setting is the Hall of Faces, lined with the preserved faces of the dead, ready to be worn by the Faceless Men. Visitors can see costumes worn by Arya Stark and Jaqen H’ghar, and features a unique photo opportunity that allows visitors to add their face to the others preserved in the Hall of Faces.

Setting 8: The Wall and Castle Black

Visitors can visit the ancient stronghold of the Night’s Watch, Castle Black, where they can explore costumes worn by Jon Snow and Alliser Thorne, Jon’s sword Longclaw, and an interactive photo feature that captures them scaling the Wall.

Visitors can see costumes from Jon Snow and Alliser Thorne in the Castle Black room.

Setting 9: Beyond the Wall

In the frozen lands beyond the Wall, visitors can view costumes worn by Bran Stark and the costume and harness worn by Hodor, the costume worn by the Night King, wildling daggers, White Walkers’ swords and spears, and dragonglass daggers.

Setting 10: The Throne Room

The final setting of the tour features the structured leather dress worn by Cersei Lannister when she took the throne, the costume armor worn by Joffrey Baratheon during the Battle of the Blackwater, and — most exciting of all — an exact replica of the Iron Throne.

The exhibit runs from October 28 to January 7, 2018.

---

While the exhibit officially opens to the public on Saturday, an inauguration event was held on October 25, which was attended by Ian Beattie, who played the ill-fated Kingsguard Ser Meryn Trant, and Tom Wlaschiha, also known as the mysterious Jaquen H’ghar. Los Siete Reinos interviewed the two, and while the Wlaschiha story won’t be available until tomorrow, the website released several quotes from Beattie about his time on the show.

“There is an interesting dichotomy,” Beattie said. “The knights of the Kingsguard are supposed to represent courage, chivalry, and many other values; Meryn has none of them. It’s a reflection of how bad King’s Landing is doing, how bad the system’s doing. It’s a great detail the ‘Game of Thrones’ creators are very much aware of.”

Beattie also touched on Trant’s death at Arya’s hands in season five, saying that “one of the points of that scene isn’t just ending this pathetic guy, but that while we’re cheering for his death we begin to worry about Arya’s future. It’s one of those twists; yeah, he deserves it, but then you it makes you think.”
In the interview, Beattie also revealed a surprising bit of information about Trant’s demise.

“I was on set in season two and D&D told me they had plans for my death in the future. I thought I was going to die that very season, but Benioff and Weiss told me: ‘You’re going to die later. Arya’s going to kill you.’ I told nobody for three years,” he said.

Watchers on the Wall Awards Season 7: Best Supporting Actor – Preliminary Round

Watchers on the Wall Awards preliminary round voting continues this week with another great category- Best Supporting Actor! But before we start celebrating our favorite supporting men of season 7, let’s get another category sorted: Best Leading Actor. For Leading Actor, we’ll be skipping the preliminary voting, because there are just four candidates, based on our readers’ nominations, the characters’ season 7 storylines and their screentime. They’ll be going straight to the final round (taking place in a few weeks). The nominees for Best Leading Actor are: John Bradley, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, and Kit Harington. Congrats, fellas!

Now, onto the voting for Best Supporting Actor:

The standard rules: Select up to FIVE nominees from the poll. You can choose fewer if you like, but you cannot choose more than 5. (Visit the initial WotW Awards post for a complete explanation of the rules and process.)

At the end of 72 hours (Sunday 10/29/17 at 1PM Eastern Time), whichever five actors have the most votes will continue on to the finals. The results of the poll will be revealed when it’s time to choose the winner of Best Supporting Actor in a few weeks.

Thanks to Greatjon of Slumber for tallying up the initial nominee suggestions. Time to vote!

Game of Thrones Season 8 deploys huge siege engines for a likely battle sequence

We have only seen trebuchets once before; mounted on the slavers’ ships in the siege of Meereen

Whatever it is the Game of Thrones production is building next to their studios, it’s big. You don’t build an entire castle set for a quick appearance — the only times sets of this magnitude have been built, they were either permanent locations, such as Winterfell and Castle Black, or structures specifically designed for a battle sequence, such as the battlements of King’s Landing built in Magheramorne for the Battle of Blackwater Bay.

Considering the next season will also be the last, permanence is not a likely quality for any set, so it must be the alternative: the kind of 360º cohesive set designed for a dynamic action setpiece. And if there was any doubt, now a new siege engine has appeared nearby. They are preparing for a battle. Or a siege, at the very least!



Watchers on the Wall commenter Apollo brought these new photos to our attention, taken by Northern Irish reporter Paulo Ross, which not only show the trebuchet but also offer a much better sense of the distribution of the new castle set. Here’s a closer look:

Judging by the shipping containers around it, the trebuchet appears to be about 25 foot high!

There is an opening between the walls with a rise at their end; perhaps for a gigantic entrance

Though the trebuchet is near the new castle set, it’s currently not in the exact same location, so there is no way to know if they will belong to the same sequence. However, there is little doubt the trebuchet will be moved somewhere, as shipping containers weren’t really a thing in the Middle Ages, so it’s likely that the siege engine will end up as one of the many props in the larger castle set, which is on the other side of the road.

With each new photo we form a better picture of what this new set is supposed to be: initial reports suggested that the sequences set here would involve a controlled fire; two massive defensive walls seem to headline this elaborate set; and now a siege engine has materialized nearby. It very much looks like a castle is going to be sieged in season eight, and the sequence will be big enough to warrant building all of it!