Sean Bean to Star in HBO’s A Game of Thrones
I think most fantasy fans will be pleased with HBO’s choice for the lead role in their upcoming adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones. Sean Bean has signed on to play Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark, who is known as the Lord of Winterfell, Lord Paramount of the North, and Warden of the North… got all that? I have to admit, I haven’t read the books, but they sound pretty damn complicated — all the more reason why it is better for them to be adapted as an HBO series rather than a feature film.
Bean is no stranger to fantasy epics, having starred as Boromir in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Odysseus in Troy, and Zeus in the upcoming Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. He joins a cast that now also includes Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister and Mark Addy as Robert Baratheon plus relative unknowns Kit Harington as Jon Snow, Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon, and Harry Lloyd as Viserys Targaryen. Thus far HBO has only committed to shooting a pilot episode, which will be directed by Thomas McCarthy (The Visitor). David Benioff (25th Hour, Troy) and D.B. Weiss (Lucky Wander Boy) are collaborating on the script. What do you think, is Sean Bean the right man to play… uh… Ned? For more info check out the unofficial fan blog Winter Is Coming.
Comments (4)
As much as I admire Sean Bean, he may be too old to do the charater justice. Ned is in his mid 30s in the book but then again, they are going to make everyone a couple of years older than in the books.
In any case, can’t wait to see what they will do. It could be epic but could also fail miserably (as did the horrible, horrible “Legend of the Seeker”).
Posted by koma on July 20th, 2009I really hope this series gets taken up, even more so now that I’m watching the Wire (season 4 now and counting). If you haven’t read the books, they actually have a very similar feel to the Wire (and from what I’ve heard, other HBO series?) where every character is unique and realistically motivated and their various stories weave together in a very natural way. Sean Bean is ideal to play Ned.
Posted by Bunyip on July 20th, 2009I love the idea of doing it as a series because it’s complicated but not very fantasy heavy series (think more Tudors than Lord of the Rings). If you’ve read the books you know that Martin bases the majority of the story on people and not on fantasy. I just hope that the writers know what they are doing and that they follow the books better then most book to tv (or book to movies do). Sean Bean can do evil well but Ned Stark is a straight and narrow kind of guy. We’ll see how well he does.
Posted by Rywiby on July 21st, 2009I’ve just been introduced to the wide and wonderful world that is A Song of Ice and Fire, and I cannot think of any series more fitted for filming. Sean Bean may not look exactly as I pictured Ned Stark (and, as one of my favorite characters, I have a strong image in mind) but he suits the role acting-wise. Bean will do very well as the quiet, honorable and practical Lord Stark. Eddard’s a very Nordic sort of character, living in the frozen North with a direwolf (take a regular wolf, amp it up 200 percent) as his sigil.
I’m a costume designer, and this series is a costume geek dream come true. If HBO does Martin’s work any sort of justice, get ready for the most kick-ass armore ever to grace the screen. I’m talking helms in the shape of Lions, armor enameled and studded with Sapphires, and all backed up by a very thorough understanding of armor. If we the audience are fobbed off with a few chainmail shirts and a hauberk or two, I for one am going to be very upset.
The guy with the lion helm? His armor is gold plated. And the throne they’re bickering over (hence the title) is mushed together from the swords of fallen enemies, and was forged in the breath of a dragon. A throne which can kill you if you lean back without looking? Now that is cool.
Okay, so maybe I drifted away from Sean Bean, but my point is that HBO will have to try awfully hard to wreck this story. Not that I don’t think they’re capable of it (have you watched Tudors? Holy anachronism, Batman!) but I’m hopeful that Martin will have enough to do with the script to see the full potential of the work.
Oh, and read it! It’s complicated, yes, but character driven and reads quick. It may be an epic fantasy, but it’s intended audience is entirely modern.
Posted by Anne on July 24th, 2009Leave a Reply