We may be a few months from the end of production, but casting news are still coming in! Harry Strickland (commander of the Golden Company, the mercenary group Cersei now seeks to employ with the help of the Iron Bank’s loan and Euron’s fleet,) may be the only named book character cast for season eight, but there have been many other roles. A strange trend among them is that the casting department seems to be looking for improvisation skills, which is rare for a show as tightly scripted as Game of Thrones. Today’s roles keep this up—though there are well-trodden Thrones-type characters too.
First of all, there are five characters in an improv-heavy scene all about haggling over land. Admittedly, that’s not much to go on, but the need for improvisation skills and the mundane context likely means this isn’t a scene of lyrical, baroque language and high-stakes political drama, but more of a humorous skit with smallfolk characters. Nothing can be ruled out, but no mention is made of anyone in the main cast being involved.
We also bring you three other new characters, who are more defined than the previous roughly sketched out improvisers and fit the Game of Thrones mold to a tee.
The first of these is a strong soldier, for a male actor aged 30-40. The production is looking for a “physically intense performance from a strapping squaddie type.” An imposing presence and actual combat skills are specifically required, so this soldier is not the typical random guard; he’ll be involved in an action scene. Rehearsals begin on April 30 and the shoot will take place in Belfast on the week commencing on May 23.
Then there’s a young village girl who will play a rather typical part in Game of Thrones. Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the girl will be attacked by a man in a physically intense scene for which the actress, aged 18-25, will have to go naked above-the-waist. Though the aforementioned soldier doesn’t sound like this villager’s attacker, their rehearsal and shooting dates are exactly the same, so they must share their one scene.
Finally, there is a clean-shaven grieving man, aged 30-40, who will be involved in a highly emotional scene. They are looking for someone who won’t go over-the-top. The lucky actor will shoot the week commencing on June 18, in Belfast.
While the casting department seeks to cast eight more minor roles for season eight, what the rest of us want is for a year to magically pass so we can finally watch the epic ending to this story. Meanwhile, though, filming and casting news will have to do, so: do you have any theories about the scenes in which these characters will be involved?
Haggling over land? Please, let it be the old Frey estate!
I don’t keep up much with the filming dates and locations, but it sounds like the soldier and village girl will be filming King’s Landing scenes, but not sure about the grieving dude. I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong, which is likely.
Not sure about the other 5 improv actors, but I agree that it could be over Riverrun or something like that. Although, now that I think about it, this could be after everything is over in episode 5 or 6. Perhaps these 5 are arguing over an abandoned castle like Highgarden after the wars have ended?
Squaddie type from Dany’s army fights off a couple of hapless villager extras to rape the young woman. Grieving husband/betrothered brings this to the King in the North for justice. See, it just writes itself. 🙂
OK, that was tongue in cheek. Realistically, have no idea, and don’t care to speculate too much either. We’re off books, so these could be anything.
I have no ideas. I guess we know when and where they’re filming so that’s something… It does all sound like stuff that would be done when things have really gotten messy and people are fighting, raping, drinking like there is no tomorrow. Although, it also sounds like stuff that goes on when things are going well in their land too. 😛
Little bit of chaos, methinks.
This just confirms how little we actually know about season 8 and that makes me so happy.
https://youtu.be/PEZiiKpE-jY
New video of Emilia Clarke “spoiling” season 8 of GOT
Video tour of her taking us through the set of season 8, and being blocked from going anywhere.
Lol, shes so adorable
So its confirmed It Will end in june then?
zandru,
That was my exact thought, some minor Freys haggling over land, if true, it looks like we will see some of the Riverlands again, yay speculation!
Tysha ?
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. The fact that we haven’t heard of any shoot past June doesn’t mean filming stops on June; it only means filming will continue at least until June. That said, at this point it seems more likely. The original August wrap date came a long time ago, while the June date is recent (and it comes from someone who should know, Lena Headey.)
The haggling scene kind of brings to mind the feud Jamie mediated between the Lords Bracken and Blackwood.
It’s probably not that, because Jamie doesn’t even have an army right now and I doubt he’s going to be negotiating any sieges of minor lords. But it was a landmark on his journey to maturity in the books so who knows? Maybe they’ll do something along those lines.
Dolorous Methuselah,
So glad you’re thinking of Jaime and his journey… But I agree, these are probably nothing to do with him.
Waiting for S8 this long is weird enough, then, when S8 finally airs, anticipate my favourite character’s death every episode – he’ll perish, I’m 99% sure. But how and why? Gods, this is torture! 😀
People haggling over land sounds very much post-war to me. So does a grieving man, although he may fit somewhere inbetween the fights, too. Rape attempt shouuld be related to the Golden Company, though we have seen the Norttheners going rougue as well. The interesting thing about that that the filming date (May 23) seems to coincide with the filming in Italica ruins (Dragonpit), so it’s going to be interesting to find out which director will be filming where. It still looks like a sequence in some inn, as the filming is supposed to be indoors, and that makes me think of Ep4, because that’s where we are getting the setup for the final showdown.
Luka Nieto,
From what we see, I won’t be surprised, if the filming wraps in August – July at best. King’s Landing sequence won’t start before June, and if they have spent 55 nights for the alleged Battle of Winterfell, and King’s Landing should be on a similar scale. One month at least.
Just saying hi and miss you all. It’s been a ridiculously busy time for me, and I have LOTS to catch up on. But I can’t wait to meet you all at Con of Thrones!!!
Hello! First of all thanks for sharing all those casting and filming news with the audience. They are so really interesting. I have always been in love with filmmaking and in this particular filming too. The story is greats and everybody seems very motivated. I’d like to ask a question on how the casting depatment chooses actors for those roles? Is it through the casting agencies? I mean can you apply on your own or they are contacting the agency. I’m just interested. Thanks:)
“First of all, there are five characters in an improv-heavy scene all about haggling over land. Admittedly, that’s not much to go on, but the need for improvisation skills and the mundane context likely means this isn’t a scene of lyrical, baroque language and high-stakes political drama, but more of a humorous skit with smallfolk characters.”
————————-
“Want something?”
“We’re haggling over this land.”
“If I’m standing on it, it’s my land. Now f*ck off.”
And the one thing they all have in common is they’re all going to suffer agonizing deaths.
Because that’s how GOT rolls, baby.
Yep, I mean this must be for episode 6; no one is going to be humorously haggling over land in episodes 1-5…
The grieving man might be an older Brandon Stark, grieving after so much loss from the bloody end we all know is coming….