Season 4

Season 4 of Game of Thrones was formally commissioned by HBO on 2 April 2013, following a substantial increase in audience figures between the second and third seasons. However, substantial pre-production work on the season had already taken place previously to this point, including the writing of at least six of the scripts (by March 2013), and the booking of some of the filming dates. The season will again consist of ten episodes and will commence production on 8 July 2013, running late into the year. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are to return as showrunners, having signed a new two-year contract with HBO prior to the commissioning of the third season.

The season will premiere in the first half of 2014.

Season 4 will be mostly based on the latter part of A Storm of Swords, the third book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin, but also some material may be added from the fourth and fifth books (which run concurrently alongside the end of the third book and each other).

Production
It has been confirmed that the production will return to Dubrovnik (King's Landing) in Croatia and Iceland, while it is assumed that filming will also continue in Northern Ireland. Whether filming would also resume in Morocco (Slaver's Bay) is not yet known.

Returning
All regular cast members whose characters survive the events of Season 3 are expected to return for the fourth season. The following recurring characters have been announced to appear as well:


 * Andy Beckwith as Rorge
 * Dominic Carter as Lord Janos Slynt
 * Kate Dickie as Lady Lysa Arryn, Lady Regent of the Vale
 * Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne
 * Owen Teale as Ser Alliser Thorne

New cast members

 * Pedro Pascal as Prince Oberyn Martell, known as "the Red Viper of Dorne."

Casting for season 4 is underway, as confirmed by George R. R. Martin. Roles announced as being cast include:


 * Lord Mace Tyrell, the Lord of Highgarden, Lord Paramount of the Reach, and Warden of the South
 * Styr, the Magnar of Thenn

Producers

 * David Benioff: executive producer.
 * D.B. Weiss: executive producer. Benioff and Weiss signed a two-year contract in 2012, indicating that they will stay with the show to at least the end of the fourth season.

Writers

 * George R.R. Martin: episode 2.