Season 5

Season 5 of Game of Thrones was 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 commissioned two seasons at once for a major drama series.

The season consists of ten episodes. It began filming in July 2014 and concluded on 12 December 2014. 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 premiered on April 12, 2015.

Season 5 is based mostly on the fourth and fifth novels of the A Song of Ice and Fire book series, A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons, respectively. The storylines of the two books run concurrently but follow different sets of characters.

Production
Location scouting for Season 5 took place in Croatia and Spain. Filming in Croatia will continue in and around Dubrovnik, Split, and Žrnovnica, and will expand to new locations around Imotski and Šibenik. The Spanish locations which were scouted are in Andalusia, namely the Alhambra of Granada, the Alcázar of Seville and the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos of Córdoba.

On July 2, 2014, U.S. ambassador to Spain James Costos confirmed at an economic forum meeting that Game of Thrones will be filming in the country. HBO later confirmed the same day that Seville was selected as the primary filming location, as well as other sites in the surrounding province of Seville. Further reports strongly indicate that the Alcázar of Seville will serve as the Water Gardens, the seaside palace of House Martell located just outside of Sunspear, the capital of Dorne. Alcázar is the oldest palace still in use in Europe, acting as a part-time residence for the present Spanish royal family. The site was first fortified in 712, and the Almohads expanded it in the twelfth century, making it a royal residence in 1248. Extensive additions were also made in subsequent centuries. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. The Alcázar was previously used in Ridley Scott's 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven as the filming location for the court of the king of Jerusalem.

Locations have been scouted in Seville as well as the nearby town of Osuna. Fresco Film Productions put out an open casting call via Facebook for extras in the area. Rosario Andújar, the mayor of Osuna, stated in El Mundo that several filming locations which have been scouted include the Plaza de Toros (a bull ring with sandstone walls, over a century old), the university (built in 1548, with four towers and influenced by the Italian Renaissance, La Colegiata (a church founded in 1535), and the Canteras de Osuna (the old quarries that supplied stone for the town).

On July 3, 2014 it was reported that filming will briefly return to Iceland, but apparently will not feature any major characters, instead focusing on landscape shots. Line producer Snorri Þórisson confirmed that the show intended to film a battle in Iceland in the month of November, but that with rewrites, the scene grew too large (the scene may now be filmed somewhere else, filmed with a combination of greenscreen, or pushed to Season 6). It is difficult to film protracted battle scenes in Iceland during the fall due to the very limited daylight hours.

On July 13, 2014, it was confirmed that filming would begin in September in the town of Sibenik, Croatia. The location is most likely to represent parts of Braavos with St. James Cathedral rumored as the House of Black and White.

On July 27, 2014, in an interview with Sophie Turner, she confirmed that she would start filming in Belfast on Wednesday July 30.

On August 9, 2014, it was confirmed that the production team in Spain would be filming in one of Osuna's active bull-fighting rings, the Plaza de Toros, but that actual filming in the ring might not take place until October. Bull fights are held at the Plaza de Toros annually, events which end with bulls actually being killed in the arena.

On August 11, 2014, WatchersOnTheWall.com reported that 86 year old actor actor J.J. Murphy died a matter of days after filming his first scenes as Denys Mallister, the commander of the Shadow Tower, the westernmost active castle on the Wall. The same day, Benioff and Weiss made an official statement via HBO's twitter account that the role will not be recast: "We will not be recasting J.J. Murphy. He was a lovely man, and the best Denys Mallister we could have hoped for. And now his watch is ended." Apparently Season 5 will continue to use those scenes that Murphy already filmed, and possibly rewrite other scenes to work around his absence. This will make Denys the second posthumous character appearing in the TV series (as well as the second cast member who has died): actress Margaret John, who played Old Nan, died only two months before Season 1 premiered, though all of her scenes had already been completed.

On August 24, 2014, WatchersOnTheWall.com reported that filming would again return to Diocletian's Palace in Croatia. The cellars of the palace were previously used as the underground passageways in Meereen during Season 4.

On September 3, 2014, Kristian Nairn (Hodor) revealed that he will not be returning in Season 5: "We're not actually in Season Five, by the way. We have a season off. We have a year’s hiatus...Solely because, I imagine, our storyline is up to the end of the books. - So I get a year off now." There was concern that Bran Stark would not appear either, since his storyline had almost reached the end of its material from the fifth and most recent novel, A Dance with Dragons, but Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who plays Bran, seemed to imply he would be back. However, it was later confirmed Bran would indeed not be in the fifth season. On October 6, 2014, Art Parkinson (Rickon) confirmed that he and Natalia Tena (Osha) would not be returning in Season 5.

On October 14, 2014, Game of Thrones production units were observed filming in Córdoba, Spain, at the Roman Bridge of Córdoba. Benioff and Weiss confirmed that Córdoba will represent at least some shots of the Free City of Volantis. The city is located at the mouth of the massive Rhoyne River, and is famous for its "Long Bridge" which crosses over it.

That same week, Benioff and Weiss spoke in a special event at the Teatro Central de Sevilla. They confirmed that there would be flashbacks in Season 5, despite their previous assertions that there would never be flashbacks on the TV show. They did experiment with using flashbacks in the unaired pilot episode, but afterwards felt that it broke up the dramatic pacing. The books themselves do not have straightforward "flashback scenes", but POV narrators will remember or recall past events at length (i.e. when Jaime explains why he actually killed the Mad King, in "Kissed by Fire"). A drawback of this has been that they cannot always easily fit long expository speeches recounting large blocks of backstory into episodes (without resorting to Sexposition), so several major backstory events have only been briefly mentioned in passing (such as Rhaegar Targaryen). By Season 5, however, they have reached a point where there was no way to easily explain certain backstory events other than with flashback scenes. This apparently confirms earlier casting reports which indicated that there will be flashback scenes featuring Young Cersei. What remains to be seen, however, is if these flashback scenes will be presented as objectively true, with an omniscient camera, or if they will be based on the subjective recollection of the characters, Rashomon-style.

Adaptation

 * See main article on "Game of Thrones (TV series)"

While developing Season 4, Benioff admitted that "Season 5 gives him nightmares". However, once they actually had outlined the season, Benioff and D.B. Weiss revealed "the fear started to dissipate." Season 5 will be "drawing heavily" from A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons, the fourth and fifth books of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire saga.

The book series was originally planned as a trilogy (A Game of Thrones, A Dance with Dragons and The Winds of Winter), but Martin realized his plot of "book one" would have to be expanded into three novels (A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords), which means the first three books are "Act One" of a three Act story. In fact, the climax of A Storm of Swords concludes many of the plot lines begun in A Game of Thrones. Furthermore, what Martin originally planned as the middle novel grew too vast to be published as a single tome, so he cut it into two books that take place concurrently: in very rough terms, the fourth one (A Feast for Crows) follows all of the characters in the Seven Kingdoms while the fifth one (A Dance with Dragons) covers the storylines that take place elsewhere (such as the Night's Watch at the Wall, Tyrion as he escapes to the Free Cities, and Daenerys in Slaver's Bay). Season 5 will present the events featured in these two books in chronological order, intercutting between the two clusters of storylines.

On the one hand, the combination of the fourth and fifth novels could easily span two seasons, since this fusion would be longer than A Storm of Swords, which was adapted into the third and fourth seasons (although the latter dipped into the following two books as well.) On the other hand, whereas the Red Wedding happens around the middle of the third novel and provided a convenient climax for Season 3, there are no similarly game-changing or climactic events in the middle of A Feast for Crows or A Dance with Dragons.

Ultimately, judging by filming news and trailers featuring characters and events that belong to the climax of the fifth book, it seems that at least several storylines will reach the end of the fifth and most recent book. Other storylines, however, may not yet reach the end of the latest material, as the TV series has never rigidly followed the outline of the novels. Specifically, while Bran Stark's and Sansa Stark's storylines were already nearly out of published material by the end of Season 4, Jon Snow is still not finished with all of his storyline from the third novel, and the ironborn have been put on the back burner for the last two seasons, appearing for just a few minutes in each of them. Therefore, the rate at which each storyline exhausts its material will probably vary from one to the next, as it has in previous seasons.

Cast

 * Main article: Season 5 cast

Starring cast

 * Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister (3 episodes)
 * Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister (2 episodes)
 * Lena Headey as Queen Regent Cersei Lannister (3 episodes)
 * Emilia Clarke as Queen Daenerys Targaryen (2 episodes)
 * Kit Harington as Jon Snow (3 episodes)
 * Aidan Gillen as Lord Petyr Baelish (3 episodes)
 * Charles Dance as Lord Tywin Lannister ("The Wars to Come")
 * Natalie Dormer as Lady Margaery Tyrell (2 episodes)
 * Stephen Dillane as King Stannis Baratheon (3 episodes)
 * Liam Cunningham as Ser Davos Seaworth (3 episodes)
 * Carice van Houten as Lady Melisandre ("The Wars to Come")
 * Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand ("The House of Black and White")
 * Alfie Allen as Reek ("High Sparrow")
 * John Bradley as Samwell Tarly (3 episodes)
 * Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark (3 episodes)
 * Maisie Williams as Arya Stark (2 episodes)
 * Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane ("The Wars to Come")
 * Hannah Murray as Gilly (2 episodes)
 * Conleth Hill as Varys (3 episodes)
 * Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth (3 episodes)
 * Jerome Flynn as Ser Bronn ("The House of Black and White")
 * Michiel Huisman as Daario Naharis (2 episodes)
 * Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei (2 episodes)
 * Dean-Charles Chapman as King Tommen Baratheon (2 episodes)
 * Tom Wlaschiha as Jaqen H'ghar (2 episodes)
 * Michael McElhatton as Lord Roose Bolton ("High Sparrow")
 * Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton ("High Sparrow")
 * Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell
 * Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont ("High Sparrow")

Selected guest starring cast

 * Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Lord Mace Tyrell (3 episodes)
 * Ian Beattie as Ser Meryn Trant (3 episodes)
 * Dominic Carter as Janos Slynt (3 episodes)
 * Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett (3 episodes)
 * Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle (3 episodes)
 * Brenock O'Connor as Olly (3 episodes)
 * Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne (3 episodes)
 * Owen Teale as Ser Alliser Thorne (3 episodes)
 * Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm (2 episodes)
 * Paul Bentley as the High Septon (2 episodes)
 * Tara Fitzgerald as Queen Selyse Baratheon (2 episodes)
 * Joel Fry as Hizdahr zo Loraq (2 episodes)
 * Ian Gelder as Ser Kevan Lannister (2 episodes)
 * Kerry Ingram as Princess Shireen Baratheon (2 episodes)
 * Finn Jones as Ser Loras Tyrell (2 episodes)
 * Anton Lesser as Qyburn (2 episodes)
 * Ian McElhinney as Ser Barristan Selmy (2 episodes)
 * Eugene Simon as Ser Lancel Lannister (2 episodes)
 * Will Tudor as Olyvar (2 episodes)
 * Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Ser Gregor Clegane (2 episodes)
 * Ciaran Hinds as Mance Rayder ("The Wars to Come")
 * Jonathan Pryce as the High Sparrow ("High Sparrow")
 * Lino Facioli as Lord Robin Arryn ("The Wars to Come")
 * Faye Marsay as the Waif ("High Sparrow")
 * DeObia Oparei as Areo Hotah ("The House of Black and White")
 * Toby Sebastian as Prince Trystane Martell ("The House of Black and White")
 * Alexander Siddig as Prince Doran Martell ("The House of Black and White")
 * Nell Tiger Free as Princess Myrcella Baratheon ("The House of Black and White")
 * Rupert Vansittart as Yohn Royce ("The Wars to Come")
 * Peter Vaughan as Maester Aemon ("The House of Black and White")

Yet to appear
Returning cast:
 * Richard Brake as the White Walkers' master.
 * Mark Gatiss as Tycho Nestoris
 * Sarine Sofair as Lhara

New cast:
 * Enzo Cilenti as Yezzan zo Qaggaz. Announced July 25, 2014
 * Jessica Henwick as Nymeria Sand. Announced July 25, 2014
 * Rosabell Laurenti Sellers as Tyene Sand. Announced July 25, 2014
 * Keisha Castle-Hughes as Obara Sand. Announced July 25, 2014
 * Hannah Waddingham as Septa Unella. Announced October 9, 2014
 * Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Malko. Announced October 17, 2014
 * Birgitte Hjort Sørensen as TBA. Announced March 15, 2015.
 * Ross O'Hennessy as the Lord of Bones. Announced March 25, 2015.

New minor cast:
 * Gary Pillai as a merchant captain. Announced August 6, 2014
 * Gianpiero Cognoli as Master Eaton. Announced September 17, 2014
 * Emma Maguire as a Winterfell worker. Announced September 17, 2014
 * Slavko Sobin as a Meereenese fighter. Announced September 21, 2014
 * Oengus MacNamara as TBA. Announced October 2, 2014.
 * Paddy Wallace as a Kingsguard. Announced October 19, 2014
 * Peter Silverleaf as Elboneno. Announced October 19, 2014
 * Allon Sylvain as a foreign merchant. Announced October 19, 2014
 * Bobby Asghar as Catacomb Master . Announced October 20, 2014
 * Annika Hillbrink as a sword fighting wight. Announced October 27, 2014
 * Nick Boulton as the fighting pit announcer. Announced November 3, 2014
 * Zoe Smedberg as a wildling female. Announced November 8, 2014
 * Lacy Moore as a Braavosi Madam. Announced November 10, 2014
 * Nigel O'Neill as a Baratheon General. Announced November 10, 2014
 * Maggie Hayes as TBA. Announced November 10, 2014
 * James McKenzie Robinson as Joss. Announced November 15, 2014
 * Aifric O'Donnell as TBA. Announced November 18, 2014.
 * Tristan McConnell as Gordy. Announced November 22, 2014
 * Barrie Martin as a wildling / wight. Announced November 23, 2014
 * Jamie Darlington as TBA. Announced December 9, 2014.
 * Gemita Samarra as Brea. Announced December 9, 2014.
 * Irma Mali as TBA. Announced December 9, 2014.
 * Ollie Kram as a Braavosi prostitute. Announced December 9, 2014.
 * Tim Loane as TBA. Announced December 9, 2014.
 * Christian Vit as the Lead Dornish Guard. Announced December 9, 2014.
 * Jake Abraham as a Meereenese peddler. Announced December 9, 2014.
 * Simon Millar as a wildling. Announced December 16, 2014.
 * Murray McArthur as a wildling elder. Announced December 18, 2014.
 * Hattie Gotobed as Ghita. Announced January 5, 2015.
 * Garry Mountaine as Brusco Bouncer. Announced January 6, 2015.
 * Jack Hickey as a young Bravo. Announced January 6, 2015.
 * Roman Beguns as a gladiator. Announced January 7, 2015.
 * Fisun Burgess as a Meereenese peddler's wife. Announced January 7, 2015.
 * Zahary Baharov as Loboda. Announced February 2, 2015.
 * Ian Lloyd Anderson as Derek. Announced February 4, 2015.
 * Jonathan Byrne as Brant. Announced February 4, 2015.
 * Fausto Labraña as a Dothraki pit fighter. Announced February 6, 2015.

Reportedly cast characters

 * Varamyr Sixskins
 * Luther
 * Simpson

Crew
Regular directors Neil Marshall, Alex Graves, Alik Sakharov, and Michelle MacLaren are not returning for Season 5. Notably, this is also the first time since Season 2 that no episodes are directed by the executive producers, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. MacLaren's departure also makes Season 5 the first since Season 2 with no female director. MacLaren is the only female director who ever worked on the TV series, producing two episodes in Season 3 and another two in Season 4.

George R.R. Martin stated he would not be writing an episode, as he has done in every previous season, because he wants to focus on finishing The Winds of Winter, the sixth novel in the book series. Meanwhile, Dave Hill, the former assistant for Benioff and Weiss and the writer of the Histories & Lore short videos, was brought forward to write an episode after Benioff and Weiss were impressed with his story ideas involving Olly and Ygritte in the fourth season.

The entire production crew that worked on Season 5, spread across several countries, consisted of roughly 1,000 people. Of these, about 750 worked in Northern Ireland - that is, about 250 worked exclusively in other countries, but many of those who worked at the production's home base in Northern Ireland also visited filming locations in other countries. Of these, the entire costuming department includes about 100 people (including major designers, embroiderers, hairstylists, cleaners, cloth-agers, sorters and fitters, and metal armor forgers). As for the cast in Season 5, the show employed 166 actors who had speaking roles, and another 5,000 extras for crowd scenes.

Credits

 * David Benioff: executive producer
 * D.B. Weiss: executive producer
 * Bernadette Caulfield: executive producer
 * Frank Doelger: executive producer
 * Carolyn Strauss: executive producer
 * George R.R. Martin: co-executive producer
 * Vince Gerardis: co-executive producer
 * Guymon Casady: co-executive producer
 * Greg Spence: producer
 * Chris Newman: producer
 * Bryan Cogman: producer
 * Lisa McAtackney: producer
 * Michele Clapton: costume designer
 * Deborah Riley: production designer
 * Ramin Djawadi: composer
 * Nina Gold: casting director
 * Robert Sterne: casting director

Writers

 * David Benioff & D.B. Weiss: episodes 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 and 10
 * Dave Hill: episode 4
 * Bryan Cogman: episodes 5 and 6

Directors

 * Michael Slovis: episodes 1 and 2
 * Mark Mylod: episodes 3 and 4
 * Jeremy Podeswa: episodes 5 and 6
 * Miguel Sapochnik: episodes 7 and 8
 * David Nutter: episodes 9 and 10