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.

It has also been announced that the coastal city of Split, also in Croatia, has been added.

Returning
All regular cast members whose characters survive the events of Season 3 are expected to return for the fourth season.

Main Cast
Confirmed main cast members:
 * Kit Harington as Jon Snow
 * Lena Headey as Queen Cersei Lannister
 * Natalie Dormer as Lady Margaery Tyrell
 * Sophie Turner as Princess Sansa Stark
 * Maisie Williams as Princess Arya Stark
 * Alfie Allen as Prince Theon Greyjoy
 * Carice van Houten as Lady Melisandre
 * Sibel Kekilli as Shae
 * John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
 * Rose Leslie as Ygritte
 * Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane, "the Hound"

Recurring Cast
Confirmed recurring cast members:
 * Andy Beckwith as Rorge
 * Dominic Carter as Lord Janos Slynt
 * Kate Dickie as Lady Lysa Arryn, Lady Regent of the Vale
 * Kerry Ingram as Princess Shireen Baratheon
 * Art Parkinson as Prince Rickon Stark
 * Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne
 * Owen Teale as Ser Alliser Thorne
 * Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Snow
 * Kristian Nairn as Hodor
 * Josef Altin as Pyp
 * Tony Way as Ser Dontos Hollard
 * Charlotte Hope as Myranda
 * Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth

New cast members

 * Pedro Pascal as Prince Oberyn Martell, known as "the Red Viper of Dorne." Announced June 28 2013.
 * Octavia Alexandru as TBA. Announced July 2 2013
 * Mark Gatiss as TBA. Announced July 17 2013
 * Brenock O'Connor as TBA. Announced July 23 2013
 * Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand. Announced July 25, 2013.

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

 * David Benioff & D.B. Weiss: episode 1
 * George R.R. Martin: episode 2
 * Bryan Cogman: two episodes.

Directors

 * David Benioff & D.B. Weiss - Episode 1
 * Alex Graves - Episodes 2, 3, 8, and 10
 * Michelle MacLaren - Episodes 4 and 5
 * Alik Sakharov - Episodes 6 and 7
 * Neil Marshall: Episode 9, formerly reported as 10.