LOS ANGELES, April 10, 2012 – HBO has renewed GAME OF THRONES for a third season, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming.
“Series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss raised our expectations for the second season – and then surpassed them,” said Lombardo. “We are thrilled by all the viewer and media support we’ve received for the series, and can’t wait to see what Dan and David have in store for next season.”
Based on the bestselling fantasy book series by George R.R. Martin, GAME OF THRONES is an epic drama set in the world of Westeros, where ambitious men and women of both honor and ill-repute live in a land whose summers and winters can last years. The Emmy®- and Golden Globe-winning fantasy series began its ten-episode second season Sunday, April 1 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), with other episodes debuting subsequent Sundays at the same time.
Among the early critical praise for the second season, Newsday called GAME OF THRONES “the best show on television,” while the Los Angeles Times termed the series “a cinematic feast” and “masterful.” The Wall Street Journal hailed the show as “magnificent” and USA Today called it “near perfection.”
According to early data, GAME OF THRONES’ season two premiere has already accumulated a gross audience of 8.3 million viewers, and is on track to easily surpass the season one average of 9.3 million viewers.
Season two cast members include: Emmy® and Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage, Michelle Fairley, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Aidan Gillen, Iain Glen, Kit Harington, Richard Madden, Maisie Williams, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Sophie Turner, Jack Gleeson and Alfie Allen.
HBOWatch: This is the moment we all knew was coming but couldn’t wait for! We will all be graced with yet another season of Game of Thrones next year! No word on whether the rumored split season 3 is actually going to happen. Also nothing on the filming schedule which would give a lot away about a possible season 4 of Game of Thrones. But this is good news nevertheless! Storm of Swords is an amazing novel with tons of major plot points so we can’t wait to see them on screen. George R.R Martin has confirmed that the third book will be split into two seasons so be sure to read up on those remarks. Congratulations to everyone who’s worked on this amazing show! We can’t wait for more.
You’re probably asking yourself “When does Game of Thrones season 3 start?” A man can’t know everything. We’ll be getting word from HBO on exact release date some time this winter. But expect Game of Thrones season 3 to premiere in April 2013.
77 comments
Rob Stark DIes
Due to the amazing HBO first two seasons of GAME OF THRONES, I had to buy the books, and am in the process of finishing book 5. I am so looking forward to season three!!!!
I like the show so much more now having read the books. Good call, Jon!
:D 20 days before my birthday ;D but gowd dam it is such a long time away
It’s premiering on my birthday!!! What a gift from the universe!!!
It would, of course, make me feel better to know that I was not the only fifteen year old girl addicted to this show, but…
Trust me, not the only one
I am going to find something else. April is AWFUL!
I will continue to re watch until April at which time I will watch it all over again. This absolutely the best TV show EVER. Thank you so much to HBO
WOW THIS IS GONNA BE A VERY LONG WAIT FOR SEASON 3….EITHER TURN THE CLOCKS FOWARD OR RELEASE SEASON 3 EARLY !! IM ALREADY GOING THRU i WANNA SEE MORE FITS !!!!
THANKS FOR THIS SHOW ITS SOOOOO GOOD!!!
BECKIE IN TEXAS
please release release the third season.
i cant wait for so much long time for third season of game of thrones and 3 third must be released in next month please i am very impatient to watch the third season.
its all so good for those in the US of A who can watch it on tv. they dont show it in Australia and the first two seasons have me in even with the sinker.
surely, one can buy the full season three somewhere on the net, legally that is. question is, where, where where?
Couple Weeks ago i Watched Season 1 in 2 Days. Then i watched both Seasons in HD with my GF and she was amazed and became an instant addict. We decided to watch only 1 Episode a day and it was WAY too greedy. Impossible to wait another YEAR for Season 3.
I didnt read any books yet – and i know if i would start reading the first book now, ill finish them all within 1 month.
do you recommend to read the book first ? doesnt it take some pressure ?
Eric-I went back and read books 1 and 2 after season 2 finished. It really helps you understand the character’s perspective as it is written from their viewpoints. But let me warn you now, buy all the books because you will not be able to put them down. And as far as the “year wait” until Season 3, that must seem like nothing compared to the five year wait the readers had to endure for book 5. HBO…keep up the excellent job of this masterpiece…quality over quantity always succeeds!
This is the best series I have ever watched , its amazing !!! waiting until april it’s a long time , I hope the third season is as good as the 1st and 2nd so it will be worth waiting for , but if by any chance it could be launched earlier that would be better , I can’t wait , I dont know what am I going to watch in the meantime??? (I dont normally like reading the books , I preffer the series) I also agree on the series being 12 episodes rather than 10 :)
Excellent work! it’s a master piece…
I understand why people are angry etc i mean it should’nt take one year to make 10 x 10 hour episodes . and i myself think its going to be very painful waiting XD really you should either do 10 episodes every like 6-8 months or atleast like make every season 5-6 episodes and just do more seasons XD then it’ll take half the time :D
PS! what if i die or something before April!!!! ohhh its too hard to cope with!!! :D
Guyssss read the books! P.S Snape kills Dumbledore!!!
I am from South Africa, and absolutely love Game of Thrones. I returned from overseas with plans to watch the episode I had missed, only to discover the previous one was last for seres 2. This is definitely my best series and probably the best thing on TV for me since Twin Peaks almost 20 years ago!
I don’t know about anyone else but I think the very fact that A Storm of Swords will be split into two seasons to cover all the fantastic plot lines is fabulous! I’m an Aries (born in April) and not known for my patience. But I believe that the 10 month waiting period for all us fans will be worth it. I think we get so excited and can barely contain our pleasure, that we forget about the budgets, the locations, and all the hard working men and women who contribute putting together the series have to go to great lengths to keep it authentic. I am currently reading A Feast for Crows and am content to have that book to keep me occupied. As well, I have my own little blog and I also enjoy reading many GoT fan pages. April 2013 is going to be SWEET!
HBO, just to let you know in case you didnt already… Game of Thrones is by far, the single best night time television show ever produced and put to air since the dawning of humanity. And, to add to that.. this is coming from somebody who hates fantasy books/shows/movies and also hates any show set back in time or themed in another era/time. So the fact that Game of Thrones is my favorite show says a hell of alot!! And to think it was only by chance I watched the first episode upon insistence from a friend… All I can say is thank god! Keep up the amazing work.. you guys have all aready outdone yourselves with season 2 and i know u can do it again! Jamo
PS- take your time making season 3! I am going crazy at the thought ill have to wait a year to watch the next episodes however as they say things get better with time and i know itll be well worth the wait. So all you guys out there complaining.. have a think about how you’d feel if they scrambled some rushed half assed television show just to please impatient G of T fans! No thanks! Id prefer the show to be just as good or better then it already is now and i know you all would to.. so stop the whinging and find something else to do in your spare time until it returns. peace out.
Bullshit
Oh! Please for Christ sake.. Don’t tell me to wait for an year to watch Season 3. C’mon guys. Understand the restlessness and curiosity all of us viewers have right now. You may or may not find it same until next year. Reconsider your plans is all I can say.
I am from India.. Even here people are so addicted to this show. Don’t disappoint us. Please..
Folks, go ahead and read the books while waiting for season 3 to air ;)… this way you will know what happens next and, trust me, the books are far more complex and captivating ;)
I’d wait two years if it meant it would be better!……ok one and a half maybe.
Not a year, this is like heroin, we need more
Truly THE best show on television ever,……My congratulations to all actors production staff, everyone…brilliant job.
And of course Mr Martin to you…… my thanks.
Omg!!! I cant wait that long!! I absolutly love this show! Reading the,books now but seriously 10months? Me and my bf have bets on whats going to happen but since we are both reading the books neither one of us win! Lol cant wait for season 2 to be out on DVD ive watched season 1 like a million times! I just hope I still have HBO nxt April if not im going to cry! ugh now what am I going to do on a Sunday night???
Oh no, I have to wait till April next year. The second season ended on a high note,”the whitewalkers” were attacking
Look we all know it is a painful wait, but a show of this caliber should not be rushed. I was getting a little frustrated with season 2 but the finale was simply amazing! I had chills watching the horde of white walkers and the end and it was a brillant way to tie the very first episode to this finale. I could ramble on and on but I just want to say that this is a truly captivating story and Game of Thrones feels like a like a living breathing world.
P.S. Any openings for extras, hell id be the peasant cleaning horse poop in the background ;)
This is the best fantasy series in the world !!!
But please add some more battle scenes in Season 3 with more sword fighting…
Now that the white walkers have been officially introduced in Episode 20 Valar Morghulis i hope we see some more action in Season 3…
I do not follow other shows. as for your comment you prove to be lifeless piece of shit, fat American Idiot watching TV all day.
something wrong with you
Okay, so Half year is tragedy but 1 YEAR, for 10 hour long season, this is insane! I like this show but it is doomed to fail if they keep making 1 season every damn year.
many will quit or even forget lol… sad…
do you not follow any other shows? breaking bad, boardwalk empire, the walking dead and many others have a year long wait. This show is above those imo, all the locations, people they’re working with, all the effects and editing. If they could release it sooner they would. You’re just as fucking retarded as a pile of shit.
This is not fair, we need game of thrones everyday in our lives, please turn it into a daily soap opera…
If you don’t want wait just read the novels as i did and you will entertain too much as i entertained , the show was great and the novels are greater
The show will be at least 7-9 seasons recording to the books
The books now are 5 and it will end in the 7th or maybe 8th book as martin said
Am burning for the show more than the books.
Thanks HBO for the great show
& thank to martin for the books that created all of this <3
A F****** YEAR ? NOOOOOO PLEASE THATS WAY TOO LONG…IM HAVING WITHDRAWAL ALREADY :(
Nobody wan’t to read the fuking novels. Stop saying read the novels I want the show. Im a lazy american deal with it.
this really bites the big one, we only added hbo for this show, looks like hbo is losing a customer until 2013, ive already read all martains books, great author but hbo needs to get there stuff together!
I am desperately waiting for the DVD release of season 2 in Germany. The first season was awesome! Hope there will be lots of more seasons of this thrilling saga. And please: give George RR. Martin enough time to write the next part of it. I do not know what I am waiting for more!
Anyway, you did an excellent job with episode one. Keep up the good work!
Thats it. Im start reading the book!!!!
The big problem is not the time between seasons. Is the time along the next book of the series. I read all and now I must to expect 2 or 3 years for that. George RR Martin is not a prolifical writer, and this story is almost imposible to end. This world and his stories and legends is to much for a human life.
TV series is a piece of art. But 10 episodes/year…
Watch finale, brilliant and full of suspense, the reason for it success is the fact that the parts are played by british actors, it would have not lasted this long, if the roles were played by american actors, british actors are trained to play these roles so the characters played are natural and believable when we watch it, this should be a lesson for american film industry, for future shows and they success….
Whaaaa?
Peter Dinklage aka “Tyrion Lannister” is from NJ…
Oh dear… one whole year? this series is the best series ever created… Not much of a reader. Might even buy a book and start reading it… But still, a whole years wait? Could we atleast know why it will take a year? are you filming the whole season at once and releasing it season by season?
The world will end this year aswell…. go hurry make more GoT!!! <3
Yes, a long time to wait, but I m sure that it will be more joyfull to watch when it will be release with quality not fast made without, the small details make the movie a top one, so please take your time and make a more GREATER serie than the two other.
Thumbs UP :)
The thing is…..
I loved the first one…Second its a huge dissapointment..Watched 7 episod and notthing happened!8 was a bit better 9 was rocking (i had to watch 19 episode to see a fight!!!!!)and 10 is a scam…..
They show u som bits like big fight coming and the undeads and all the rest but i swear if they do this in the third season and i have to watch 8 episode befor anithyng happening i will never watchit again!
Put yourselfs together cos for shure im not going to buy s2 blueray for 1 episode i liked it!!!And now i wait 1 year to see if they can put a good season together!!More action!!!!!!!!!!!!!More more!!!!!
Agreed. First 8 were kind of drags. Even the battle scene from wasnt like any other hbo-standard (band of brothers for ex). But many of us watch this show not for boobs or blood but trickery and the whole suspense.
learn to spell….and maybey some grammer…..
This show is fantastic, and from what I read most people will agree. I know you are all doing your best but It does seem a bit bad to keep your viewers waiting so long, I remember how long the wait was before season 2 came out and right when it starting getting into the meat and potatos of the season, it ended. In my opinion you will upset your viewers by making them wait so long and find that the compliments will turn into complaints. Already in this thread alone its literally a repeat of how great it is and right into not being happy with having to wait so long to enjoy this series again. This could easily be a series that goes on for years but I will soon lose interest if I have to wait so long to enjoy it all the time. A lot of anticipation for such a short pay off. Books all read by the way so………now what?
Oh and to add, I re-watched both season 1 and season 2 while waiting for each episode to come out in season 2. I dont really even watch a lot of tv, this is the only show that I actually spend any time watching.
Well I do have one suggestion. Poke around our Game of Thrones articles and comment! Haha.. also the other thing to do: check out http://reddit.com/r/asoiaf They have theories about what’s next and talk about minor details that you’d never think of. Seriously blew my mind! Check out their top threads and hang out there… come back here and comment with crazy theories!
I guess can I ask a question, and I should note that this question is coming from a good place… Will there be any discussion or at least consideration of your viewers concerns about the wait time of these seasons or is this something that is just going to be…
thanks for the link!!! this forum is awesome!!!!
Yes, please make it at least 12 episodes. It’s a great show & deserves it!
More Daenerys!! She rocks my socks! lol :) Seriosuly. She’s one awesome chick. I loved what she did in the finale.. Served that guy right!
10 episode season seems too short, the show is so amazing that I could watch all day episodes forever…
Give them a couple of months and rewatch the entire thing. I did this with season 1 and found out I missed so much! Better yet.. read the books!
Excellent work on the 2 seasons for Game of Thrones. Exceptionally well made and unbelievably enjoyable to watch. It is these qualities, however, which cause me to complain and be so unhappy about the release date of season 3. 300 days is far too long to wait for a television series. It took Nellie Bly, in 1889, 72 days to circumnavigate the globe!
Let it be noted that i have read all the books. My suggestion is that HBO should contact FOX and enquire about how a successful television series such as ‘The Simpsons’ is able to produce so many episodes and seasons in so little time.
Regards, Darron
I feel your pain. Unfortunately nothing in the history of television can be compared to Game of Thrones. The budget, the locations, the special effects, the number of actors etc. Not a fair comparison to say that the Simpsons crank out 20 minute episodes each week haha. Have you tried the novels? They kept me entertained for an entire year!
So true, you simply can’t compare this to any tv series in the past. It takes time to produce this “near perfection” series, script, production itself and ofc post. i say take all the time you need, makes it even better.
HBO,
A two hour finale would have made more sense and been nicer for the fans. So many shows do 2 hour finales…why not this one??? I agree that a year is also too long to wait. Yikes.
Im hoping they decide to go 12 episodes next season. Could totally happen. The hype stays consistent all season long and they end up skipping things anyway. It may not be in the budget but I think 12 episodes (the same as True Blood, actually) would make a lot of sense.
GREAT SHOW…..BUT 10 EPISODES IS NOT ENOUGH, 12 makes more sense and more can happen to satisy the fans. The first episodes were slow and filled with unecessary detail. A two hour finale would’ve been better for the fans. And what’s even worse is having to wait an entire year. That’s way too long and irritating.
oh….and must say that the first few episodes of season 2 were slow. nothing happens util later on, and when it does, we get cut-off! the last episode was not satisfying enough, more should have happened instead of “hinted at”
Almost a year for the third season?… ¿Are you kidding us? No way!!!!! We want it at last in fall!!! Please!!!!!
Sorry folks! Game of Thrones season 3 looks like it will come in April of 2013. There should be previews and whatnot starting this winter. Read the novels if you haven’t!
Game of Thrones Series is pretty much like waiting for the next book to come out… a long, long wait. One full year is way too long to have to wait for season 3, especially when the seasons are so short… seems like it’s over barely before it’s begun or time flies because it’s something to look forward to on Sunday nights.
Great job so far. We are loving it.
Incredible show so many storylines to fit in an hour. It’s tough when the show ends. You escape reality for a little bit …. That’s what makes this show my favorite on. T. V. Love the reality based drama with a touch and spice of magic and fiction. Dragons intrigue everyone anyone who says otherwise is a fib. We are excited to see dragons. The disdain for Joffrey is so intense that further validates wonderful writing and great direction ! It’s tough when some of your favorite characters you build up then get killed. In. G o T it’s always suspenseful. Hope the series comes back sooner then 2013. It’s a huge hit in my house. Love game of thrones. ::::
No, no, no, you can’t do this to us. I have just watch the final episode of season 2 here in Mexico and you are telling me that i have to wait for a year to keep watching the best television show of all time. That’s beyond torture. Please film season 3 and 4 at the same time please. So this never happend again. Please! Thank you for this show, it’s awesome!
Have to wait for a year to keep watching the best television show of all time. That’s beyond torture.
But if you’re a fan of George RR Martin- here’s one book you won’t have to wait a year for. Motuo. In the tradition of James Hilton’s Lost Horizon (1934) and George RR Martin. Look for a 2012 release of Motuo by Kilburn Hall on Kindle, Nook, Apple iBook and Barnes Noble softcover.
Agree. Agree. Agree. Agree. no wait. film seasons 3-4-5-6-7-8… as many as u need. but together. this torture must come to an end. after one day im going insane. please, for the sake of all civilization, hurry! best show ever. thanks for putting so much thought to every detail. u should know, that i try not to let any thoughtful moment get unnoticed. that is what makes it so amazing.
Everyone will forget what was the movie till then sad :S.
Please, please, please don’t hurry even though I can barely wait. Don’t make the next seasons in a hurry to please the crowd, continue your exellent work with this masterpiece. I can wait years for a beautiful 3 season, don’t let it be a rushed flawed season just because people cant wait! I love you all and will read the books and see the prior seasons til they stick!!
You are right, for good things in live we have to wait jajaja.