Interview/News/Press

Weekend roundup: Dormer on Margaery not having a “clue what [she’s] going to do;” plus Maisie Williams, Liam Cunningham and Emilia Clarke!

Posted on by Petra

marge

In the news: Natalie Dormer talks to The Irish Times and Tipsy Talk about a “dirty and rough-looking” Margaery in Game of Thrones season 6 and the importance of representation in media. Maisie Williams and Liam Cunningham discuss the balance of CGI and practical effects on Game of Thrones, GoT artist Adrien Van Viersen posts a season 5 storyboard sequence and Emilia Clarke winks at Jon Snow’s return.

In an interview with The Irish Times, Natalie Dormer discussed her career, her love of Irish soda bread and her thoughts on Margaery Tyrell.

“She’s a sincere human being,” Dormer said. “She genuinely has a good heart. Being politically savvy doesn’t make you a bad person. But I think that when women are portrayed that way, that’s how it often seems. Women have to strive in the public eye. But that doesn’t make them bad people.”

In an appearance on Tipsy Talk with Hazel Hayes, Dormer talked about Margaery’s less-than-glamorous journey in season 6.

“It’s great to play someone who doesn’t have a f***ing clue what they’re going to do … you’ll see Margaery dirty and rough-looking in that dungeon trying her damndest to get out.”

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She went on to discuss the “emerging” prevalence of women in the film industry on both sides of the camera and the need for representation.

“It’s not just gender equality. It’s ethnicity, its sexuality: it’s just about having a portion of representation in our storytelling. It’s not even about saying we need more female writers – although of course we do – we just need people to be brave to change the ‘John’ to ‘Jane.’ I honesty think sometimes it’s that simple.”

Maisie Williams and Liam Cunningham talked to The Independent about the pros and cons of working with special and practical effects.

“Standing with a green screen I find so tricky,” Williams said. “Particularly when you’re trying to work with someone else, as you’re both imagining something totally different – neither of you are imagining exactly what they’re going to put there.” Williams explained how working against a green screen disrupts an actor’s eye line.

“They’re like ‘look out to the castle’ and you just think ‘well, how far away is it? Is it right here?’ and although you can ask all of those questions it never looks right. You watch it back and you think ‘I can tell I’m looking at a green screen’, even though for an audience member it may not register.”

Cunningham pointed out that Game of Thrones‘ use of green screen is actually quite small.

“We’re still making a very expensive TV series but it’s not, you know, Lord of the Rings, with two or three million dollar budgets – our use of CGI is very little though. The boat that we travel on to Braavos is actually in a car park – they’ve obviously got to use [VFX] to get the sea right – but there is such beautiful attention to detail from the costumes, from the sets, from the props – they’re magnificent.”

 

In other news, artist Adrien Van Viersen posted samples of his storyboards from the season 5 episode “The Dance of Dragons.” The storyboards depict scenes from Daenerys’ escape from Daznak’s Pit- visit his website for more of the storyboard artwork from the episode.storyboard

Speaking of Daenerys, Emilia Clarke presented the Best First Feature Award with director Nate Parker last night at the Independent Spirit Awards.

While on stage, Parker started pestering Clarke over Jon Snow’s possible resurrection next season. Finally, he asked her to wink if Snow is still alive. Teasing the audience and fans, Clarke winks just as the cameras cut away.

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Petra

110 Comments

  2. I know many people are upset that we have no season 6 footage so far but I have to say I’m really excited about this.The less we see from it the less wil be spoiled.Of course we will have a season 6 trailer at some point,I just hope it doesn’t give away many important events.

  3. I think Liam is grossly underestimating the budget. 2-3 millions dollars lol? The Season budget is around 100 million now, so where is he pulling those numbers? 3 million doesn’t even cost a single episode.

    And Dormer is a little chatter box recently it seems. Are Dormer, Maisie, and Liam the only one doing interviews?

  4. Ser Gerold Dayne,

    I’m with you. Excited to be in the dark this season. A trailer is not going to make or break the next 7 weeks for me, nor is it going to make the season more enjoyable. Of course, I will be stoked out to see a trailer, but I’m increasingly feeling like the “less I know the better”.

  5. In fact, Vinyl’s Season 1 budget was 100 million, so GoT Season 6 is probably well above that now.

  6. Thank you for publishing these articles. Since HBO is keeping us in the dark w.r.t the trailer, I am really glad that Watchers on the Wall delivers. You guys rock!

  7. Emilia Clarke is so good to us fans, seriously she always give us awesome winks…like she did for the last years, she’s just amazing.

  8. Anyone happen to have a link of Emilia presenting? Ive been looking at youtube but they don’t have it!! Curious.. is that on purpose?

  9. Jack Bauer 24: And Dormer is a little chatter box recently it seems. Are Dormer, Maisie, and Liam the only one doing interviews?

    Dormer is publicising her (apparently terrible) new film The Forest, so she’s obviously getting a lot of GoT questions along the way.

  11. I find it funny that in Dany’s storyboards, she uses a spear that has pierced Drogon as leverage to vault onto his thorny back. She definitely has confidence in his pain threshold! 🙂

  15. Which new characters are you guys most excited about? Mine would be Aeron and Euron, since it’s a new storyline that I didnt expect them to include. Also, I’m weirdly stoked about Arnolf Karstark. I can’t really explain why, cause he was a very minor character in the books. Guess I love continuety, and thought of seing the northern families expanded is just great. The same goes for houses Umber, Cerwyn and probably Manderly. It adds complexity to the world. Randyl is a case where I dont really know what to expect, since his role in Feast and the context was very different from what they seem to have planned now. The frey son who is probably merret Will also be interesting. Very stoked they’re doing Riverrun siege, I probably expected that the least.

  16. Ooooooh!!!! Liam mentioned a gown Melisandre wears that is made from fabric woven with a design of millions of tiny skulls. I cannot wait to see that!

  19. Damphairintheshowplease!,

    Euron. But here’s the weird thing. I don’t really like him in the books but I didn’t find Oberyn that interesting in the books either. So i’m more exited too see how they write him. Hopefully it will be as great as Oberyn.

    Bloodraven, because Max von Sydow.

    Dothraki, I always liked them.

  24. Natalie Dormer has gotten like 10 minutes of screentime in the past two seasons of GOT but promotes it like she’s a lead. Bless her.

  28. It’s all GRRM’s fault! If he had only published Winter already, then Margaery could have read what she was supposed to do…..

  29. Hodors Bastard,

    heh, I bet that is something that looked good in comic-book style drawing boards: and then looked excruciating when they animated it further! It is funny how just small differences in media can make something look so much more plausible or so much less plausible.

    Rygritte,

    Williams/Arya has looked at the Twins and the Eerie in this way already: Williams might well be referring to that. (She probably has looked at other castles this way, too: but those are the two that I remember.)

    At any rate, there is no reason to think that Williams is referring to a specific scene from this season: this reads/sounds like a general example of what you have to do as an actor when doing greenscreen work.

  34. Rygritte,

    I find it interesting she mentions a castle, too. Given it’s been a while since we’ve even seen her see a castle, it’s possible she could be referring to this season, and if so, the castle you mentioned seems like a decent bet. Last season the CGI she had to deal with involved the boat, the Titan of Braavos, Braavos, in general, and the HoBaW. Maybe she’s thinking back to a couple of years ago, but she certainly could be referring to more recent filming.

    As for the characters I’m really looking forward to seeing, BR is at the top of the list. Like Mihnea, I’m also surprised by how I’m looking forward to Euron. I suppose that stems from the idea he wouldn’t be included if he didn’t have something important to do and something that it wasn’t easy to give to another character.

  35. Deesensfan,

    The pilot was watched by 0.764 million people and we’re talking about a show that has names like Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger involved. Admittedly, HBO sells subs, not ads, so they don’t care all that much about ratings, but however you put it, that’s not a good number. Just as a reference point, GOTs pilot had 2.22 million and that was considered just alright back in the day.

  36. Did anyone notice Liam saying , the boat we travel to bravos on ? Do you think he means as in previous seasons or this season ? If it is I wonder why he would be in bravos .. hmmmm

  37. Margery and her grandmother are the obvious strong women on Game of Thrones – for those who are looking for that sort of thing.

    Olenna didn’t like who she was betrothed to and banged her way into a better engagement. Margery takes good advice from her grandmother, and mostly ignores her buffoon of a father. These women are not preoccupied with getting back at anyone because they take control of their lives the best they can, and they don’t lie to each other and themselves.

    ….Then Cersai came along and blew it all to hell.

    But, Olenna did kill her son, Cersai just doesn’t know it. How could these two anticipate the depths of Cersai’s madness? Margery did go a bit far with the cattiness after she married Tommen. I chalk that up to inexperience, and by then, Olenna had left the city and could no longer closely advise her.

  38. Maisie is talking about a previous season. She talks about noticing on film that she’s looking at a green screen, indicating these are episodes she’s already watched. None of the cast has seen any of S6 and likely won’t until the premiere.

  40. Just read on imdb that Art Parkinson will be in ep.1 of season 6, so, hopefully, we will have at least one scene with a considerably grown Rickon, Osha, and the Umbers.

  42. 3eyes:
    Just read on imdb that Art Parkinson will be in ep.1 of season 6, so, hopefully, we will have at least one scene with a considerably grown Rickon, Osha, and the Umbers.

    Don’t trust imdb for unaired stuff especially since they put everyone in the first episode (and there is no way all of the listed appear in this episode).

  44. I believe Maise and Liam talk about the past in regards to the green screens (he sailed with Stannis to Bravoos to get money from the iron bank).
    I am looking forward to Euron and the kingsmoot. And finding out out which character
    Ian McShane will portray.

  45. Laura,

    Good catch, she sure did. I’ll still hold out faint hope she was referring to something shot for this season, though. 😉

  47. mau,

    Where else then? Last time we saw Rickon, Osha and Shaggydog were heading to Last Hearth so it’s lost logical place for them to be.

  48. Never commented before, but I felt compelled to convey my appreciation of this website. You guys do a great job and this site keeps me excited about what I think is the best show on television (although Rome was a close second). Keep up the good work!!!

  49. Interesting to note that Natalie perceives Margaery as essentially a sincere character motivated as much by a wish to do good as to attain power. I’ve often wondered how much of her philanthropy is genuine concern for the smallfolk and how much is public relations. Since we don’t get her PoV in the books, her motivations are pretty ambiguous – though I think that she comes off as a bit more calculating and manipulative in the TV version.

    Presumably the actress has gotten some guidance from the directors to the effect that Marg is supposed to be more ethical and less cynical than most adept players of the Game. Does anybody recall any scenes indicating that she knows about Olenna’s role in Joffrey’s death? My impression is that Olenna did not confide that in her, but something might’ve slipped by me.

  51. Watchers of no Trailers:
    Never commented before, but I felt compelled to convey my appreciation of this website.You guys do a great job and this site keeps me excited about what I think is the best show on television (although Rome was a close second).Keep up the good work!!!

    Nice name lol.

  54. Rygar,

    OFF TOPIC:
    What did you do?! Deleted yourself or got yourself a ban? You are off the registered users list. LOL

    I sent Don a PM. Let’s see.

  55. Geralt of Rivia:
    mau,

    Where else then? Last time we saw Rickon, Osha and Shaggydog were heading to Last Hearth so it’s lost logical place for them to be.

    Yes. They were heading there, but we know

    that the Umbers will side with Ramsay.

  56. Firannion:
    Does anybody recall any scenes indicating that she knows about Olenna’s role in Joffrey’s death?My impression is that Olenna did not confide that in her, but something might’ve slipped by me.

  58. Rygar,

    Your status shows “deleted.” If you deleted your id again, that would certainly account for you having problems loggin in. I mentioned it over there, again.

  62. mau,

    I don’t think that was confirmed. It was posted on another site, but never confirmed here, even though it was discussed many times.

  68. El-Bobbie,

    Ha! She’s awesome. 🙂

    As much as I love LOTR I’m actually really glad GoT doesn’t do everything with CGI. I love their props, sets, and costumes. I would geek out of my mind if I could take a look around their prop warehouse or wherever they keep that stuff.

  71. mau,

    They post too many rumors, but without making it clear they’re rumors, for my tastes, not to mention things that are just false (maybe not intentionally, but still). I didn’t think you were trying to spread false rumors, or anything, I was just clarifying we’d received no confirmation here. My unwillingness to believe things posted elsewhere is on me.

  73. mau,

    Ah. Interesting.

    I had thought there was a possibility Osha and Rickon went to Bear Island, instead, but that was just me trying to think around the obvious.

    I don’t think that’s a spoiler, but I put it under code, anyway.

  74. Firannion,

    I think her point is that the character can be calculating and manipulative (and ambitious) while still having genuinely good intentions. It’s a means to an end sort of thing—PR and manipulation are the main tools she has to achieve her goals (especially as a woman in Westeros), but that doesn’t mean that her goals are malicious or entirely selfish. She wants herself to do well, but she also wants the people to do well.

  77. What episode do you think we’ll see Rickon, Osha, and Shaggydog again? Early, mid, or late season?

  78. Wimsey: something that looked good in comic-book style drawing boards

    I still can’t stop wondering how Dany managed to find a comfortable position to straddle Drogon….all those odd, jagged shapes and phallic spinal plates and thorns. Riding D certainly must have…um…empowered her.

    Enjoy the Oscars all! The Martian and Mad Max…whoo-hoo!

  82. Sophie’s looking hawt. No way around it, give her a few more years and she’s just as hot as Margot Robbie, Natalie Dormer and Olivia Wilde.

  84. Tyrion the Myrions:
    Jack Bauer 24,

    I don’t think that look is for GOT though,there is a long time until the season 7 shoot anyway .

    Yeah there’s no way he’s going to be blonde in GoT lol. I’m so looking forward to Euron though that I’ll post anything Pilou haha.

  85. TheTouchofFrost,

    Oh good. :/

    It’s always interesting to see who should die and doesn’t, who shouldn’t die and does, and the likelihood of whether it’s realistic or not. (Can fantasy be realistic? Lol).

    If 2 or 3 of my favourites make it to the end, I’ll be happy. And surprised.

  90. Hodors Bastard: Jean Grey should stop thinking and projecting out loud. Sheesh! Control that mind, woman!

    LOL! And then she turns into Famke Janssen, which is my favourite part, and….what? Goddammit!!!!!!

  95. steve:
    Jack Bauer 24,

    A quick search seems to indicate, Game of Thrones is approx $6-$8 million per episode. So $60-$80 million a season.

    It’s above that now. No way they gave Vinyl $20 million more when GoT has a ton of CGI. Even if it was $80 million, Liam was off by about $77 million 🙂 I really don’t know why he was thinking $2 million covers Thrones.

  96. mau,

    It’s not like Umbers are Karstarks. Karstark swould’ve handed him over to the Boltons but Umbers might be playing them. There is something fishy about this as Umbers can holds their cards close to them and seemingly siding with Boltons. Basically taking on Manderly’s role from the books. If they are sheltering Rickon, Osha and Shaggydog. It makes all the better sense. There is literally nowhere else to go and Umbers will be playing a big role in the North arc.

  97. Aryamad,

    I can’t tell you how excited I was to be so close to the costumes at last year’s GoT expo. I stared at Marg’s wedding dress (complete with metal ‘thorns’ on the roses) and Dany’s dress (with scales) for a very long time… Just breathtakingly intricate.

  99. mau,

    When Olenna says to Margaery: “I couldn’t let you marry that beast”, she is playing with Margaery’s necklace… Clever!

  100. 100th comment! Yeah!

    By the way, is it strange that I found Margaery’s dungeon-look quite arousing?!

  103. Geralt of Rivia,

    I agree with this. I think it very likely

    the Umbers are saving face for now, but will ultimately support the Starks. We know from filming spoilers that there will be a meeting among northmen, and hopefully a certain speech given- and the Boltons will ultimately have few friends in the north (who gives the speech in the show does not matter) Karstarks may be the only house to continue to support the Bolton’s, due to Robb handing out that execution. But the Umbers will stay true.

  105. Ravyn,

    Not sure. The cast are normally very guarded and don’t often drop stuff like this. Sophie has always seemed the weak link though. Then again, she oversells everything that’s going to happen every season. We shall see.

    Pigeon,

    With Jaime being my favourite, I’m already resigned to him not living through it. Just hope he makes it until near teh very end as he’s one of the more interesting/likeable characters left alive. Honestly, couldn’t care less about Sansa. She’s been very dull throughout every book and season. Her character may have a big pay off but I have no investment in her so it won’t really resonate with me as much as it could.

    mau,

    I dunno. I don’t think that there will be a game changer like Tywin going. Pycelle and Kevan are as good as dead.I think Tommwn will be no more at the end of the season too. Bronn is in serious peril ( as ever) and I think we’ll see the end of the Boltons and most likely Melisandre and Davos with Brienne and/or Jaime being an outside shot at being ended. Everyone else should make it through this season though and should be involved in someway in the end game. But, who knows…in the books Rakharo and Irri are still alive never mind the plethora of others who died more recently on screen!

  106. TheTouchofFrost,

    Yeah I thought it more than likely that Jaime would go last season (very relieved to be wrong), and 100% that Jorah would be offed (mega-relieved to be wrong). I try and keep my expectations at the worst scenario level to stay sane. LOL.

  107. Hodors Bastard: I still can’t stop wondering how Dany managed to find a comfortable position to straddle Drogon….

    Jeyne Westerling had good birthing hips (albeit skinny in the eyes of a middle-aged man): Daeny has good dragon-riding hips!

    This probably is going to be an important consideration for the three heads….

  108. Pigeon: Yeah I thought it more than likely that Jaime would go last season

    Jaime probably has some big-sister issues with which to dispense before he cops it.

  109. Wimsey: Daeny has good dragon-riding hips!

    Not to mention the chafing that is going to occur. Tyrion really needs to step up and design a unisex dragon-riding saddle.

  110. Wimsey: Jaime probably has some big-sister issues with which to dispense before he cops it.

    I got that impression….. 😉 Now if he would stop doing what she tells him, that’d be a good start. In 3…2…1….

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