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, 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 some material from the fourth and fifth novels, A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons.

Production
For the first time since Croatia was introduced into the production for Season 2, the country was not used for any filming. Previously, Dubrovnik had been used to recreate King's Landing, and Klis, Split and Šibenik depicted Braavos and Meereen. This season turned to new Spanish locations instead.

In mid-to-late July, production began in Northern Ireland. Interior shooting returned to Paint Hall Studios, in Belfast, while location shooting took place at Garron Point (previously Runestone), Magilligan (the Dothraki sea), Moneyglass (at the Winterfell set) , Ballintoy Harbour (previously Dragonstone and Pyke) , Maghermorne (at the Castle Black set) , Saintfield (previously the Godswood and forests in the North) , Glenarm (previously the Vale) , Carnlough Harbour (as a Braavosi canal) , Shane's Castle (as the foundations of the Great Sept of Baelor, previously also used as the crypts of Winterfell) , and the fields near Carncastle (previously the fields around Winterfell).

Earlier, Spanish location scouting commenced in Girona, Peñiscola and Almería. On June 3, 2015, it was confirmed that filming would partly take place in Peñiscola and Girona. Next, the locations of Mesa Roldán in Almería and the Bardenas semi-desert natural park in Navarre were also confirmed. On July 9, more Spanish locations were revealed: the Santa Florentina Castle in Barcelona; the Zafra Castle in Guadalajara (later confirmed to be the Tower of Joy ); and the Alcazaba of Almería. On August 17, the locations in the Old Town of Girona were specified: the Benedictine abbey of Sant Pere de Galligants, a more than a thousand year old monastery which will serve as an interior location; the nearby squares of Plaça dels Jurats and Plaça de la Catedral, next to the the Girona Cathedral; and a number of historic streets. In August, the crew built a Dothraki set in El Chorrillo, a hamlet in the Alhamilla mountains of Almería, in order to prepare for filming in mid-to-late October. Later, a number of other locations in and around Almería were announced: the Tabernas desert and the municipalities of Sorbas and Pechina. At the end of the month, the sets for a Braavosi marketplace and theater stage were built in Girona, in preparation for shooting in early September.

Returning starring cast
All starring cast members whose characters survive Season 5 are expected to return for the sixth season.
 * Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
 * Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister
 * Lena Headey as Queen Mother Cersei Lannister
 * Kit Harington as Lord Commander Jon Snow
 * Emilia Clarke as Queen Daenerys Targaryen
 * Aidan Gillen as Lord Petyr Baelish
 * Natalie Dormer as Queen Margaery Tyrell
 * Liam Cunningham as Ser Davos Seaworth
 * Carice van Houten as Melisandre
 * 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
 * Hannah Murray as Gilly
 * Conleth Hill as Varys
 * Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
 * Jerome Flynn as Ser Bronn
 * Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane
 * 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

Returning guest starring cast

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

New cast members

 * Ricky Champ as Flynn. Announced July 23, 2015
 * 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.
 * 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.

Reported new characters
In past TV seasons, casting calls frequently gave the names of major characters who were going to be introduced. Apparently fearing that this was leading to too many spoilers, however, starting with Season 6 HBO did not actually include the names of characters in their casting calls, only aliases and descriptions - though several of these descriptions are specific enough that the identity of the character can be discerned with reasonable certainty:


 * A pirate who fits the description of Euron Greyjoy, the "Crow's Eye".
 * A father who fits the description of Lord Randyll Tarly, the Lord of Horn Hill.
 * A mother who fits the description of Lady Melessa Tarly.
 * A sister who fits the description of Talla Tarly.
 * A brother who fits the description of Dickon Tarly.
 * A priest who fits the description of Septon Meribald.
 * A leading actress with a traveling theater troupe.
 * High Priestess Kinvara.
 * A fierce warrior who fits the description of a Dothraki Khal, presumably Khal Jhaqo.
 * A large boy.
 * A 7 year old boy.
 * A Child of the Forest.
 * Qhogo, a Dothraki.
 * Akrat, a Dothraki.
 * Bower, a servant.
 * Lachlan, an outlaw leader.
 * Japeth, an outlaw.
 * A legendary fighter who fits the description of Ser Arthur Dayne.
 * A Lord of a Noble Northern House who fits the description of a member of House Umber.
 * A Lord of a Noble Northern Stronghold.
 * A hunter.
 * A submissive maester.
 * A green recruit.
 * A sympathiser (1).
 * A sympathiser (2).
 * A sympathiser (3).
 * A housemaid.
 * A father.
 * A hapless son to cruel father, with a long nose and skeletal features.
 * This could fit the description of a member of House Frey - there are numerous Freys in the novels and the TV series has often turned them into composite characters, so this might not be a one-for-one match to a book character.
 * A blonde baby

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

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