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Tag: HBO

  • Two More Animated ‘Game of Thrones’ Spin-Offs In Development

    Two More Animated ‘Game of Thrones’ Spin-Offs In Development

    It looks like Game of Thrones will continue to grow. It’s been three months since we got our first look at the first spin-off, House of the Dragon featuring Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy as Targaryen Royalty. It’ll be the first of many series that’ll further explore Westeros beyond the original HBO show. Currently, three other live-action shows are in development which includes one focused on warrior Princess Nymeria. They are also venturing into animation. Variety revealed that an animated series was in development for HBO Max. It looks like that isn’t all. The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively unveiled that two more animated shows are on HBO’s roadmap.

    One series stands out that will focus on the fictional Golden Empire of Yi Ti. It’s a location that the original series never visited that’s a region of Essos. It’s one of the oldest and most advanced societies in the fictional country. House of the Dragon features the character of Lord Velaryon, who famously sailed to Yi Ti and may offer our first live-action visit to the location.

    It seems that one live-action series will not continue development. The prequel Flea Bottom was nothing more than an idea, as it never got officially confirmed by HBO. THR reports that it was going to explore the King’s Landing slum. It’s uncertain how many of the variously hinted at series will see the light of day. There have been no updates on various of the shows that are in development until now. So, we’ll see which one will officially get a green light moving forward.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘The Last Of Us’ Voice of Tommy, Jeffrey Pierce, Joins HBO Series as a New Character

    ‘The Last Of Us’ Voice of Tommy, Jeffrey Pierce, Joins HBO Series as a New Character

    HBO’s The Last Of Us recently started production with Pedro Pascal and Gabriel Luna sharing a photo from the set. It seems they weren’t quite done casting yet, as Deadline has revealed Jeffrey Pierce, who voiced Tommy in the original game, joins as a new original character named Perry. He’ll be a rebel in a quarantine zone. As of now, he’s the second actor from the game series to join the adaptation. Unlike Merle Dandridge, he is not reprising the character he voiced, as she is returning as the leader of the Fireflies. The role of Tommy will now be played by Gabriel Luna.

    He’s not the only new addition, as Murray Bartlett and Con O’Neill will play survivalists from an unnamed isolated town. Chernobyl‘s Craig Mazin and Naughty Dogs’ Neil Druckmann are spearheading the project that will revisit the story of Joel, as he smuggles a young 14-year-old girl named Ellie through a devastated post-apocalypse. The pilot episode is getting directed by Kantemir Balagov.

    It’ll be curious to see if more voice actors return to reprise their roles from the game. We haven’t heard anything on the casting of Bill or Tess. They might even plant seeds from the sequel’s storyline, such as introducing Abby to some capacity. It’s uncertain how much the first season will explore from the original game’s story. Yet, the inclusion of the Fireflies leader would confirm the story ends where the original did. We’ll see if they also change elements from the original to push the HBO series into a unique direction from the series.

    Source: Deadline

  • HBO’s ‘Lovecraft Country’ Won’t Get a Season 2

    HBO’s ‘Lovecraft Country’ Won’t Get a Season 2

    This one really hurts. HBO’s Lovecraft Country is a one-of-a-kind series yet it seems that the show will not make a return with a second season. Mischa Green‘s work on the series was unrivaled. with the blend of horror, period drama, and social commentary to adapt Matt Ruff‘s 2016 novel. the series starred Jurnee Smollett and Jonathan Majors that became true standouts through the series. It even garnered a high 1.5 million viewership and the first season’s finale was the most-watched new episode on its first day. It managed to cross the 10M mark by October, but sadly it didn’t ensure that it’ll get the renewal. In February, they seemed to hint at the team were working on a second season, as stated by HBO’s Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys:

    Misha is working with a small team of writers and they’re coming up with a take. She had a book to go on in the first season, she and the writers wanted to go off and take some time to go out and figure out without a book with these characters, what’s the journey we want to go on. We all want to be sure she’s got a story to tell. That’s where she is right now, working on those ideas. I’m very hopeful, as is Mischa, so we’re giving them the time to work.

    It seems they might’ve had trouble adapting the story, as the first season covered the entire book. The series was produced by J.J. Abrams’s Bad Robot and Jordan Peele‘s Monkeypaw Productions. Even if we don’t currently get a second season, there is a chance they might return to the series in the future once more ideas have come together on how to continue Green‘s original vision. It was initially pitched as a mini-series. So, the second season wasn’t always on the board. Still, it’s a shame that the series that was giving a stronger focus on those that were left out of history won’t continue to carry that message.

    Source: Deadline

  • Gabriel Luna Shares First ‘The Last Of Us’ Set Photo as Production Begins

    Gabriel Luna Shares First ‘The Last Of Us’ Set Photo as Production Begins

    It’s a time to celebrate for The Last of Us fans, as cameras have finally begun rolling on HBO’s upcoming live-action adaptation. The news was shared by actor Gabriel Luna, who is set to portray Pedro Pascal’s brother Tommy Miller in the series. Along with the announcement came an image of Luna, Pascal, and Nico Parker sitting together in a car. The placement of the actors, mixed with the knowledge of who they’re playing, indicates the show will directly adapt the opening sequence of the original game. In the now-famous scene, protagonist Joel, Tommy, and Joel’s daughter Sarah desperately try to escape the chaos of the infection’s initial outbreak. Fans of the franchise know how that sequence ends, and new viewers should be excited to find out.

     

     

    The series pilot is currently being directed by Kantemir Balagov, a Russian filmmaker best known for his work on the historical drama Beanpole. The only other known cast members are Merle Dandridge, who is set to reprise her role from the original game as Firefly leader Marlene, and Bella Ramsey, the Game of Thrones star who will take up the iconic role of Ellie. Franchise creator Neil Druckmann helped to bring this adaptation to life, alongside HBO veteran and former Chernobyl showrunner Craig Mazin. Also back from the video game series is composer Gustavo Santaolalla, who will also take charge of the show’s music. There is no current release date for the series, but now that it has officially begun production, fans should expect more information on that sooner than later.

    Source: Instagram, Deadline

  • Merle Dandridge to Reprises ‘The Last of Us’ Role in Upcoming HBO Series

    Merle Dandridge to Reprises ‘The Last of Us’ Role in Upcoming HBO Series

    HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation has found its Marlene in Merle Dandridge. A prominent character in the first installment of the game back in 2013, Marlene is the leader of the Fireflies, a revolutionary militia group developed after a fungus outbreak that swept the planet. Initially thought of to be one of the good guys, who would help both Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) develop a cure for the disease, she turns into the final antagonist of the first game.

    After several casting choices that seem to deviate from the profiles that the characters in the game series brought us, bringing Dandrige on board feels interesting. It would seem that even with all the changes to the source material such an adaptation usually entails, Marlene is someone that the production team, which was also heavily involved in developing the game series, feels should be brought to life on the small screen with little to no differences to its video game counterpart.

     

     

    HBO’s The Last of Us doesn’t yet have a release date but with several key casting choices already made, we should maybe get updates on the production’s timeline in the coming weeks. It’ll be interesting to see how much the adaptation changes from the original games, as they might take some unique directions with the franchise. There is also the question of how much of the story will take place within the series’ run time, as they may split up the original game through multiple seasons. They could even explore the time between the 2014 game and its sequel to flesh out the characters. Hopefully, we’ll find out more in the coming weeks.

    Source: THR

  • RUMOR: ‘Superman and Lois’ Director Lee Toland Krieger to Direct ‘Green Lantern’ Pilot

    RUMOR: ‘Superman and Lois’ Director Lee Toland Krieger to Direct ‘Green Lantern’ Pilot

    DC’s Green Lantern Corp has had a rough go of it ever since the live-action film hit screens all the way back in 2011. The big-budget film had hopes of spawning a franchise but got met with dismal reviews and flopped at the Box Office. It seemed like the Lanterns’ time on the screen has already passed. There were only bits of news teasing a new film. It all ended when DC announced that HBO Max began development on a series. It would span decades within the DC Universe, featuring Green Lanterns from across the DC Universe. The first castings found their way online and now we have our first tease of the production team.

    A new report states that the series may already be assembling directors for the first season. The Direct reports that Lee Toland Krieger, who previously worked on CW’s Superman and Lois, has been tapped to helm the pilot of the upcoming series. He also is lined up for more episodes. Having someone whose previous works within the DC universe is reassuring for fans, especially as Superman and Lois wowed so many fans with its cinematography on a limited budget to bring the Man of Tomorrow to the small screen.

    Green Lantern currently has no release date but will release exclusively on HBO Max. The series will span decades highlighting lanterns in each setting like Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, Sinestro, and recently cast Finn Wittrock as Guy Gardner and Jeremy Irvine as Alan Scott.

    Source: The Direct

     

  • Amanda Segel to Write ‘Game of Thrones’ Spin-Off ‘10,000 Ships’

    Amanda Segel to Write ‘Game of Thrones’ Spin-Off ‘10,000 Ships’

    HBO is busy producing its first spin-off based on its popular Game of Thrones series, House of the Dragons. It will explore the time long before the events that started in Winterfell. Yet, they have realized there is a lot of franchise potential to explore the different timelines and locations throughout its history. They are developing three other series titled Tales of Dunk and Egg, 9 Voyages, and 10,000 Ships. It looks like the latter of the series has entered some form of production, as Deadline uncovered that Amanda Segel, the co-executive producer of Helstrom and Person of Interest, will write the project titled 10,000 Ships. It will focus on the story of Princess Nymeria and her journey from Essos to Dorne.

    We’ve spent some time on the sea in various Game of Thrones episodes, but a full series focusing on it could be quite a curious challenge. HBO is moving forward with its various spin-offs with The Mentalist‘s Bruno Heller tackling the 9 Voyages project. It also may also run by the title Sea Snake and Flea Bottom. George R.R. Martin is also involved with the project’s development. There is still no further news on Tales of Dunk & Egg or the rumored animated series. It’ll be curious how they will release these series as we could see them switch out between them similar to how Disney+ goes from one series into the next. The expansion will continue to grow the history of Westeros in curious ways without relying on the original’s cast.

    Source: Deadline

  • Graham McTavish Confirms Involvement With ‘Game of Thrones’ Spin-Off ‘House of the Dragons’

    Graham McTavish Confirms Involvement With ‘Game of Thrones’ Spin-Off ‘House of the Dragons’

    It looks like HBO has been sneaky with some of their recent castings, as actor Graham McTavish has revealed he joined the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel. Production has already started and we got our first look at Emma D’Arcy and Matt Smith on the set. There has been no sighting of the actor on set, but he gave away his involvement in an interview with the UK fashion magazine Stylist for his new documentary Men in Kilts.

    I’m really having a lot of fun. We’ve just started. It’s a very big project, so we’re getting to know each other. They’re lovely people. It’s great, but I can’t tell you too much. I can’t tell you really anything about the story! But it involves a lot dragons.

    If anyone talks about dragons nowadays, it is a sure-fire connection that it involves Game of Thrones. His role is uncertain as of now. There is also a fun in-joke between the Outlander actor and his co-star Sam Heughan. He has tried to audition for the original series seven times and never landed a role. Perhaps his friend can help him finally nab a role of a lifetime that he’s been gunning for all this time. It’ll be interesting to see what role McTavish takes on in the series. Hopefully, the actor gets to keep his majestic beard as he stands among the rest of Targaryen royalty. Not everyone in that family needs long white hair at this point.

    Source: Stylist via The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘House of the Dragon’: Set Photos Offer First Look at Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy as Targaryen Royalty

    ‘House of the Dragon’: Set Photos Offer First Look at Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy as Targaryen Royalty

    All eyes have been anxiously awaiting the first look at HBO’s Game of Thrones spin-off. We’ve seen a plethora of series getting announced throughout the last months, such as Tales of Dunk and Egg and, most notably, House of the Dragons. The latter has entered production and already rounded out its cast with some heavyweights, which includes Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, and Matt Smith. After a long wait, we finally got our first look at the upcoming spin-off, as some set photos have found their way online through the Daily Mail. They offer us a look at Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy on the beach in very familiar-looking Targaryen outfits.

     

     

    The series will take place 3,000 years before the original show and explores Targaryen’s history before Emilia Clarke‘s Daenerys Targaryen started her conquest of Westeros. Smith is playing Prince Daemon Targaryen and is sporting the iconic ice-blonde hair that the family is famous for. They are filming at Holywell Bay Bech in Cornwall. D’Arcy is playing his wife and niece Rhaenyra Targaryen. Their designs hint at a parallel between them and their successors, who would face a grim fate.

    We still know very little about the upcoming project, but we can expect a lot of murder and dragons once it releases. It is uncertain if the other projects are in some form of early production. We don’t know where exactly the story will take place, as we could see the Targaryens travel throughout Westeros or they may focus on Dragonstone Beach, which seems like the fitting location for this shoot. Hopefully, we get some more set photos that might tease Dragonstone Castle in the near future.

    Source: Daily Mail

  • HBO’s ‘THE LAST OF US’ Adds Directors Jasmila Žbanić and Ali Abbasi

    HBO’s ‘THE LAST OF US’ Adds Directors Jasmila Žbanić and Ali Abbasi

    The upcoming HBO series The Last of Us has found its directors in Jasmila Žbanić and Ali Abbasi. Žbanić’s latest feature was nominated for Oscar for best international film feature while Abbasi won the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard Award for directing in 2018 with his movie Border. Bringing in international talent to lead such a big relevant series is indeed interesting, as the show continues to take a very different route from the gaming franchise. By choosing Bosnian and Iranian directors, one might be driven to think that the atrocities both those countries had to endure sometimes throughout their history might give us some incredible and relevant insight into the world The Last of Us is trying to bring to the small screen.

     

     

    It is based on a game where humanity was decimated due to a mutated strain of a highly contagious fungus, the main characters Joel and Ellie (played by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey) try to make their way across the United States of America trying to find a cure that might bring society back from the ashes. Through it all, they will come face to face with the worst that humanity has to offer, as their initially tense relationship grows into a bond that will forever unite them. The series was announced as being in development at HBO last March, getting a series order about six months ago. It is still undisclosed when it will premiere.

    Source: Variety