Even though the leaks of the Season 7 scripts for Game of Thrones didn’t put a dent in its ratings — in fact, the season shattered viewership records left and right — the powers that be at HBO are trying every trick in the book to keep the upcoming Season 8 scripts on lockdown. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau seemed to double down on those claims in a recent interview, telling a Scandinavian talk show that the cast won’t even be reading from physical copies of the script while filming — although as to whether or not he was being serious is anyone’s guess.
“[After] the hack happened … now we’re not even going to get the script. Now we are going to do a scene, we will be told what’s going to happen and then we roll,” Coster-Waldau, who plays Jaime Lannister, told the hosts of Skavlan. “We’re all going to have earpieces for the scene and then someone’s going to tell you the line and then you’re going to do the line.”
Given that it was only last week that Liam Cunningham, who plays Davos Seaworth, said that he had received all of the scripts, it’s possible that Coster-Waldau was doing a bit of exaggeration for the hosts, highlighting the extreme measures that the show has had to resort to in order to keep scripts from being leaked. Cunningham did point out that extra security features mean the scripts are in digital-only form and can’t be opened outside of Titanic Studios in Belfast, but earpiece-only rehearsing is a little too impractical for filming. So is Coster-Waldau trolling us all? Signs point to yes, but we may never know.
Speaking of Cunningham, he recently told TV Guide about one character that almost certainly won’t make it to the screen in Season 8 of Thrones: Davos’ wife, Marya Seaworth, who hasn’t been mentioned since Davos’ son Matthos was killed in the Battle of the Blackwater.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Cunningham said. “We’ve got six episodes left and we’re ramping up to World War III in Westeros. The introduction of my fabulously beautiful wife, I’d imagine, is not going to be seen.”
It makes sense — Marya is hardly mentioned in the Song of Ice and Fire series either, and since we’ll be down to the nitty-gritty and fighting the army of the dead in Season 8, we can believe that there’s no time to introduce such a minor character. However, since Davos is a noble man, chances are high that if he survives the season (and pray to the gods he does), he’ll be returning to his loving wife offscreen.
All these interviews on what’s NOT happening? #FakeNews
Poor Mrs. Seaworth. She probably hasn’t seen her husband in years. Davos will have to bring a boatload of that fermented crab meat back home after the war is over to make up for his absence.
somehow the scripts will released …an internet cockroach will find the way to go under the door , to stay hidden and to spying in everything there..lol
Salladhor Saan has been spotted visiting Marya since old Davos ran off to play the game of thrones
Making the 8,
Davos 💖 Missandei. It is known. (Sorry GW)
I have always thought that Davos is a widower.
Inga,
That’s just what he tells the ladies on the side to throw then off.
*them*
Nik what a troll lmaoooooo
Whenever NCW says something like that I remind myself of the “duck interview”.
I believe that they probably trust the MAIN cast completely with hard copies of the scripts. They’ve been as upset as anyone with leaks. I can understand limiting access to them like they’re stating, but I would also think the stars may have the access they need that’s not digital.
Mr Derp,
The Penelope to his Odysseus
Clob,
I just jope that all those security measures won’t cost 5 mln. per episode, otherwise they will have to cut Ghost for budget constrains once again.
Davos is a sailor- a woman in every port!
Missandei is his next target- poor Greyworm.
Nice to see you again, Mr. Derp.
I’m grateful HBO is going to cloak-and-dagger lengths to protect themselves and us. IMO anyone who has to memorise text, much less actors, needs paper. Earpiece buds? It looks like Nik has joined the trole call. And RIP, Marya Seaworth. We hardly knew ya. Well, maybe Bran did.
Duck interview?
Stark Raven’ Rad,
Thanks! Nice to be seen. You’re the only person who’s replied to anything I’ve said in the last few weeks. I mean, I haven’t been using my best material lately I admit, but I was starting to think something was wrong. Lol. So thank you for that.
I think the duck thing was from an interview NCW gave prior to season 5 when he picked up a stuffed animal duck and told everyone it was a hint of things to come in season 5 or something like that. Unsurprisingly, hardcore fans ate it up and actually thought he was being serious. I don’t really know much other than that, or if there even is anything more to it.
The answer to the question “is NCW trolling” should be assumed to be yes if no further evidence is given.
Same applies to Sophie Turner, lol.
The Cersei to his Jaime…oh, wait…
Mr Derp,
But Mr. ____, I’ve tried! I’ve tried! It seems your name frequently triggers the algorithm that diverts comments to alphabet heaven.
(This also happens quite often when I include the names of classic films or Oscar winning actors, so you’re in good company.)
erin,
what is the duck interview?
YouOughtaKnowJonSnow,
NCW gave it prior to Season 5. At one point, he held up a rubber duck and told the audience it was a hint for what was to come in Season 5.
Some book fans bought it, as in the books, there’s a character called Rolly Duckfield – who himself is part of another (seemingly important) storyline from the books which would be introduced in Season 5, but eventually wasn’t.
NCW is a great troll, because he can do it with a straight face. Sophie and Maisie are both shit at being convincing. 😄
But he went over the top this time. Imagine the cast being fed lines one at a time! It would likely end up causing a “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?” situation….which I would also watch.
Even the “only at Titanic Studios” thing would be weird. Actors have so many different unique ways of reading and rehearsing, I can’t imagine them being quite that limited.
So far, so good, a week into filming and not a single leak has got out, only 8 months of filming to go then….
Pigeon,
Ha, tell that to the cadre if Sansa haters who were convinced based on her interviews that Sansa would fall for LF/would betray and (try to) kill Jon for the last several seasons..
Hahaha, gotta love Nik for having a bit of fun, messing with the fans… trolling, if you like.
Yeah, I also immediately thought of the now famous “duck interview” – I’m not sure Nik intended to troll about Rolly Duckfield specifically, I think it was just an opportune, chance, throwaway thing, but parts of the fandom went into meltdown about fAegon, haha!
NCW is a serious actor, loves GoT, but he’s not taking it all too seriously and has some fun “trolling” the superfans who do, haha.
As to poor Lady Seaworth… Apparently she’s still running the Seaworth estate in the Stormlands. You’d think the Lannister regime – Tywin and certainly Cersei – would have attainted Davos but we don’t hear about it. (In the books Davos also has three young sons growing up there, and he never seems overly worried about them… hmm…)
Jon Snowed,
I don’t think they’ve begun actual filming yet. Liam Cunningham said they’d have rehearsals for a week after the read-through before filming commences on 16 or 19 October (Liam was unsure about the date.)
But I share your sentiment, I hope nothing much leaks. I don’t mind hearing actors have been spotted at locations but I don’t want script leaks.
my sentiments entirely. i don’t mind a few leaks, but full page scripts as it was with season 7 takes all the surprise factor away. Now it will be the last season of the biggest show on television. Imagine if a big death or a big endgame for a character leaks..that would be so anticlimactic..
The infamous duck incident. It’s at the very end of the promo:
http://nikolajfangirlteam.tumblr.com/post/114673732527/hbo-nordic-qa-with-nikolaj-coster-waldau-thanks
Thi Targaryen,
If there is no leak, I’ll probably have to get a life insurance before next season airs. Not sure, I’ll survive another Red Wedding or Shireen’s death or anything like that. Jon’s stabbing put me into depression for some six months until I saw that infamous photo from the battlfield set. So, if there are no leaks, I’ll probably have to stop watching the show for health reasons.
Wolfish,
Hahaha, thank you, Wolfish, for the original “duck interview” footage!
Well, it’s clear Nik is being his nice self and low-level trolling the manic fans. After the duck incident, I take everything he says with huge grains of salt. We should remember that NCW really loves the show, is invested in it. Why would he spoil anything? But he can use his position and sense of humour to “fake-spoil” lotsa things just for the laughs. Onya, Nikolaj! hahaha!
talvikorppi,
You’re welcome!
I felt kinda dirty after finding myself on an NCW tumblr fan page, though. I’m having some Arbor gold to sanitize my person.
Wolfish,
I’m having some Dornish red for the same purpose.
Ah, I hope we do see Marya. I’ve had a vision of Davos’ last scene being him walking down a grassy knoll, finding his wife at home, exchanging a beautifully meaningful look, a desperate and comfortable hug at the end of his journey, and a simple kiss. The everyman’s ending.
Raul,
That would be beautiful indeed, and exactly what I’ve always imagined for him in both books and show.
OT: It seems that Kit Harington and Rose Leslie aren’t the only Game of Thrones cast members who will be tying the knot in the near future. Sophie Turner’s engaged (to Joe Jonas). Congratulations to her!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaRwF_1gGJd/?hl=en&taken-by=sophiet
Jared,
😀mazel tov to them!
Can’t believe there were actually people who believed what Nikolaj was saying. He’s a well-known troll .
Inga,
In the book Davos has 7 sons and his wife lives at Cape wrath with their 2 youngest sons.