Little gets the Redhead into a froth, but news that HBO is creating a mini-series out of George R. R. Martin’s bestselling ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ novels was met with barely disclosed excitement in the Evans-Cuff household. The novels, set in a fictional and mystical land of kings and mercenaries and soothsayers and madmen, are indeed a thrilling “must read” (which almost, almost converted me to Fantasy novels) – so I trust that “Game of Thrones” will live up to our domestic hype.
And yet: where would you choose to film a mythical, medieval world of machievellian machinations where winter is indeed coming? Not Northern Ireland, surely?? Yet Northern Ireland First Minister, that hapless cuckold Peter Robinson, has announced that’s exactly what’s going to happen, stating: “In June, HBO will begin filming Game of Thrones in the Paint Hall – a nine part television series that could potentially be worth £20m to the local economy.” Read the full article on the Belfast Telegraph site. Paint Hall is a former Belfast shipyard converted to a movie studio, and most notably the site of production of City of Ember which, serendipitously enough I actually watched for the first time last night….
The casting for the film is complete and mostly pretty spot on. Live for Films also reports that the N.I production is now looking for extras – especially male, horse-riding ones. Details here. I could relocate for a bit. Honestly. Giddyup.