Season 6

Season 6 of Game of Thrones was formally commissioned by HBO on 8 April 2014, following a substantial increase in audience figures between the third and fourth seasons. The fifth and sixth seasons were commissioned simultaneously, the first time HBO has done so for a major drama series.

The season consists of ten episodes. It began filming in July 2015 and will conclude late into the year. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss return as executive producers and showrunners for both seasons five and six, having signed a new two-year contract with HBO in early 2014.

The season is expected to premiere in Spring 2016.

Season 6 will be based on the hitherto unreleased sixth novel of the A Song of Ice and Fire book series, The Winds of Winter, along with a significant amount of leftover material from the fourth and fifth books, A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons, which run concurrently but follow different sets of characters.

Plot




Adaptation
While prior seasons followed a format of adapting roughly one book's worth of material per year (or one large book across two seasons, in the case of Season 3 and most of Season 4), Season 5 condensed together most of the fourth and fifth novels in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons, resulting in most major storylines catching up with the end of the fifth and most recent novel. This means most storylines will draw upon the as-yet-unpublished sixth novel, The Winds of Winter. George R.R. Martin did give the TV producers a general outline of events that will happen in the final two unpublished novels, but fundamentally the TV adaptation won't be based on full text versions, nor is there currently any way of discerning how accurate it is going to be compared to the future novels (i.e., if the actions of one character in Season 6 are actually a condensation of the actions of two different characters in the sixth novel). Though Martin has released about half a dozen preview chapters from the sixth novel, it isn't clear if they can really be the basis of any future material in the TV series, due to already existing differences between the book series and the TV adaptation.

As of Season 5, some characters and storylines have caught up with all published material: Jon Snow and the Night's Watch; Daenerys Targaryen and Meereen, including Tyrion Lannister; King's Landing, including Cersei Lannister (yet excluding Margaery Tyrell after her imprisonment and some secondary characters, such as Kevan Lannister); Petyr Baelish and the Vale; Sansa Stark, whose storyline was merged with Jeyne Poole's, the one forced to marry Ramsay; Stannis Baratheon and Melisandre; Davos Seaworth, who was involved in other subplots in the North which were cut or delayed; Roose Bolton and Ramsay Bolton; Bran Stark, Hodor, and Meera Reed, who already almost caught up at the end of the fourth season; and Theon Greyjoy.

However, other characters and storylines have not yet caught up: Arya Stark has two chapters in the fifth book after going blind at the end of the fourth, though parts of the first chapter from the sixth novel were featured in Season 5 (in which she kills Meryn Trant, instead of Raff as in the novels); and Samwell Tarly and Gilly arrive in Oldtown at the end of the fourth novel, after a long journey, most of which was adapted in the fifth season before even leaving Castle Black (such as their growing relationship, learning of Daenerys ruling in Slaver's Bay, and Aemon's death), except for their brief stay in Braavos, which may feature in the sixth season.

Although most of the storylines from the fourth and fifth books were included in Season 5 in some form and to some extent, there was simply too much material to fit it all in one season, so several subplots were omitted entirely from it. Tyrion's storyline as he was heading east to Meereen introduced a major new subplot involving a political shakeup in the Free Cities, but this was cut completely from Season 5, and it will probably be omitted in the future. While House Martell and Dorne's substantive plot was technically included, it was drastically condensed, omitting most of its characters and their machinations (to the point that Doran Martell only appeared briefly), and sending in a main character —Jaime Lannister— as the new lead of the subplot, instead of Doran's daughter and heir Arianne Martell. Meanwhile, House Greyjoy and the ironborn and House Tully and Riverrun haven't been a major presence in the show since Season 2 and Season 3 respectively, even though they have major subplots starting in the fourth novel (with Yara Greyjoy as a new major character and Brynden "The Blackfish" Tully in charge of Riverrun, as he wasn't present at the Red Wedding massacre). Previously thought to be omitted, casting and filming news reveal these plots were merely delayed to Season 6. However, it is unclear how the TV series will incorporate them, as they were interlinked with the already adapted storylines (e.g., reacting to things Cersei does as Tommen's regent, before she is arrested and removed from power), or whether or not these subplots will progress far enough they reach material from The Winds of Winter.

Another major new element in Season 6, confirmed by casting reports, is that it will include several flashback scenes to the earlier life of Eddard Stark and Robert's Rebellion. These flashback scenes were presented in earlier novels. For example, Eddard's climactic final duel against the Mad King's Kingsguard was originally recounted as a flashback by Eddard's POV narration in the first novel.

Production
For the first time since Croatia was introduced into the production for the second season, the country was not used for any filming. Previously, Dubrovnik had been used to recreate King's Landing (and briefly Qarth), while Klis, Split and Šibenik depicted Meereen and Braavos. This season turned to new Spanish locations instead.

In Northern Ireland, production would run for five months, from late July to early December. Interior shooting returned to Paint Hall Studios, Belfast, while location shooting took place at Garron Point (previously Runestone) ; Magilligan (reprising its part as the Dothraki sea); Moneyglass (at the Winterfell set) ; Maghermorne (at the Castle Black set) ; Saintfield (previously the Godswood and the forests in the North) ; Ballintoy (reprising its part as Pyke) ; Sallagh Brae in Larne (where a small sept set was built) ; Glenarm (previously the Vale) ; Carnlough Harbour (as a Braavosi canal), Shane's Castle (once more as the foundations of the Great Sept of Baelor) ; Carncastle (previously the fields around Winterfell) ; Saintfield (as the site for "The Battle of the Six Armies" , a climactic Northern battle) , which demanded the show's lengthiest shoot for a battle scene ; and Corbet (as Riverrun, for which they built an extensive exterior set, while in the third season the castle was realized only with Gosford Castle's gardens, interior sets and a distant matte painting for a single shot).

In Spain, location scouting focused on Girona, Peñiscola, Navarra and Almería. The following locations underwent filming between July and late October: in Girona, the Benedictine abbey of Sant Pere de Galligants and the adjoining Galligants street (as a Braavosi bridge) , the Plaça dels Jurats (as a Braavosi theater stage) , the streets of Ferran el Catòlic, Sant Martí and l’Escola Pia (as Braavosi marketplaces) , another local street (as an alley in Oldtown) , and the Girona Cathedral (as the exterior of the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing)  ; the Santa Florentina Castle in Catalonia (as Horn Hill) ; the Bardenas natural park in Navarre  (as the Dothraki Sea) ; the Zafra Castle in Guadalajara (as the Tower of Joy) ; in Peñíscola  (as Meereen) , the Portal Fosc, the Plaza Santa María, the Plaza de Armas and the Parque de la Artillería ; in Almería , a plain in Sierra Alhamilla (as Vaes Dothrak)  , Mesa Roldán , the Alcazaba , the Tabernas desert and the municipalities of Sorbas and Pechina ; and, in the Costa Brava, Montgrí Castle and Besalú (both of which would undergo exterior shots similar to those that created the Long Bridge of Volantis.)

Cast
Returning starring cast
 * Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
 * Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister
 * Lena Headey as Queen Mother Cersei Lannister
 * Emilia Clarke as Queen Daenerys Targaryen
 * Kit Harington as Lord Commander Jon Snow
 * Aidan Gillen as Lord Petyr Baelish
 * Natalie Dormer as Queen Margaery Tyrell
 * Liam Cunningham as Ser Davos Seaworth
 * Carice van Houten as Lady Melisandre
 * Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand
 * Alfie Allen as Prince Theon Greyjoy
 * Sophie Turner as Princess Sansa Stark
 * Maisie Williams as Arya Stark
 * Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Bran Stark
 * John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
 * Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane
 * Hannah Murray as Gilly
 * Conleth Hill as Varys
 * Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
 * Jerome Flynn as Ser Bronn
 * Michiel Huisman as Daario Naharis
 * Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei
 * Dean-Charles Chapman as King Tommen Baratheon
 * Tom Wlaschiha as Jaqen H'ghar
 * Michael McElhatton as Lord Roose Bolton
 * Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton
 * Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont

Returning guest starring cast
 * Jonathan Pryce as the High Sparrow
 * Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell
 * Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Mace Tyrell
 * Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm
 * Alexander Siddig as Prince Doran Martell
 * Owen Teale as Ser Alliser Thorne
 * David Bradley as Lord Walder Frey
 * Natalia Tena as Osha
 * Art Parkinson as Rickon Stark
 * Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne
 * Gemma Whelan as Princess Yara Greyjoy
 * Finn Jones as Ser Loras Tyrell
 * Ian Gelder as Ser Kevan Lannister
 * Eugene Simon as Brother Lancel
 * DeObia Oparei as Areo Hotah
 * Keisha Castle-Hughes as Obara Sand
 * Jessica Henwick as Nymeria Sand
 * Rosabell Laurenti Sellers as Tyene Sand
 * Kristian Nairn as Hodor
 * Faye Marsay as the Waif
 * Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett
 * Brenock O'Connor as Olly
 * Brian Fortune as Othell Yarwyck
 * Rupert Vansittart as Lord Yohn Royce
 * Lino Facioli as Lord Robin Arryn
 * Hannah Waddingham as Septa Unella
 * Josephine Gillan as Marei

New major cast members
 * Ian McShane as TBA. Announced August 1, 2015
 * Max von Sydow as the Three-eyed raven. Announced August 3, 2015.
 * Sebastian Croft as Young Eddard Stark. Announced August 9, 2015.
 * Pilou Asbæk as Euron Greyjoy. Announced September 1, 2015.
 * Freddie Stroma as Dickon Tarly. Announced September 4, 2015.
 * Richard E. Grant as Izembaro. Announced September 7 & 11, 2015.
 * Essie Davis as Lady Stork. Announced September 11, 2015.
 * James Faulkner as Lord Randyll Tarly. Announced September 16, 2015.
 * Samantha Spiro as Lady Melessa Tarly. Announced September 16, 2015.
 * Rebecca Benson as Talla Tarly. Announced September 16, 2015.

New minor cast members
 * Sam Coleman as TBA. Announced July 2, 2015.
 * Ricky Champ as Flynn. Announced July 23, 2015
 * Fergus Leathem as TBA. Announced August 9, 2015.
 * Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as TBA. Announced August 26, 2015.
 * Andrew Bryan as a Bolton officer. Announced August 26, 2015.
 * Tristan Heanue as TBA. Announced August 26 ,2015
 * Souad Faress as TBA. Announced August 27, 2015.
 * Eddie Eyre as Ser Alfred Hunrith. Announced August 27, 2015.
 * Robert Render as TBA. Announced August 28, 2015.
 * Eddie Jackson as TBA. Announced August 29, 2015.
 * Glen Barry as a theater troupe member. Announced August 29, 2015.
 * Brendan O'Rourke as a theater troupe member. Announced August 29, 2015.
 * Ross Anderson as a theater troupe member. Announced September 7, 2015.
 * Michael Heath as Kesh. Announced September 9, 2015.
 * Eva Butterly as a theatre troupe member. Announced September 10, 2015.
 * Eline Powell as a theater troupe member. Announced September 10, 2015.
 * Kevin Eldon as a theater troupe leading actor. Announced September 11, 2015.
 * Leigh Gill as Bobono. Announced September 12, 2015.
 * Kevin Horsham as a Westerosi sea captain. Announced September 15, 2015.
 * Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir as a Braavosi musician. Announced September 17, 2015.
 * Ragnar Þórhallsson as a Braavosi musician. Announced September 17, 2015.
 * Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson as a Braavosi musician. Announced September 17, 2015.
 * Raül Tortosa as a Tyrell bannerman. Announced September 17, 2015.

Reported new characters
 * High Priestess Kinvara.
 * Smalljon Umber.
 * Lord Arnolf Karstark.
 * Aeron Greyjoy.
 * Young Lyanna Stark.
 * Young Benjen Stark.
 * Young Hodor.
 * Qhogo, a Dothraki.
 * Akrat, a Dothraki.
 * Bower, a servant.
 * Lachlan, an outlaw leader.
 * Japeth, an outlaw.
 * A wry, articulate Lord.
 * A Septon (A "priest" who fits the description of Septon Meribald).
 * A Dothraki Khal (a "fierce warrior" who fits the description of Khal Jhaqo).
 * A legendary fighter who fits the description of Ser Arthur Dayne.
 * A hapless man who fits the description of a son of Walder Frey.
 * A Child of the Forest.
 * A large boy.
 * A 7 year old boy.
 * A hunter.
 * A submissive maester.
 * A green recruit.
 * A sympathiser (1).
 * A sympathiser (2).
 * A sympathiser (3).
 * A housemaid.
 * A father.
 * A rugged pirate.
 * A smart male theatergoer.
 * A young stunner.
 * A sublime courtesan.
 * A long-haired Dothraki warrior.
 * A young warrior.
 * An Oldtown maester.
 * A young Lhazareen member of the Dosh Khaleen.
 * A young Dothraki warrior.

Crew
On March 27 2015, author George R.R. Martin said he would again not write a script for Season 6, as he wished to concentrate on finishing The Winds of Winter as soon as possible. On June 4, Miguel Sapochnik indicated he was already preparing to direct next season. Jeremy Podeswa made similar statements in June 12. On June 19, the showrunners confirmed that April Ferry would be the new costume designer for Season 6, replacing Michele Clapton, who decided to leave after five seasons. On June 22, newcomer Jack Bender announced he would direct two episodes for season six. The full list of directors and which episodes they would oversee was released in Entertainment Weekly on June 25. There will be five directors, each doing two back to back episodes, as in Season 5. Jack Bender and Daniel Sackheim are working on the TV series for the first time, while the other three directors previously worked on the series in Season 5; none worked on the first four seasons.

Producers

 * David Benioff: executive producer
 * D.B. Weiss: executive producer
 * April Ferry: costume designer

Writers

 * David Benioff & D.B. Weiss
 * Bryan Cogman: 2 episodes

Directors

 * Jeremy Podeswa - episodes 1 and 2
 * Daniel Sackheim - episodes 3 and 4
 * Jack Bender - episodes 5 and 6
 * Mark Mylod - episodes 7 and 8
 * Miguel Sapochnik - episodes 9 and 10