EXCLUSIVE: Leading Game of Thrones actor and Emmy winner Peter Dinklage will not return to HBO’s flagship program for a fourth season in 2014. In a press conference the morning of April 1st, 2013 show creators David Benioff, Dan Weiss alongside George R.R. Martin made the announcement to stunned members of the media.
“Today is both a sad day and an exciting one for HBO’s Game of Thrones,” Benioff began. “Sad because we’ve all gotten to know Peter on set and love him dearly as a friend. We’ll miss him sorely. Exciting because we’re heading in an entirely new direction with the character of Tyrion Lannister for season 4.”
Members of the press began to stir and murmur in anticipation of what the show creators, who had seemed so stable and reliable up until this moment, had to say next. Producer Dan Weiss continued the explanation adding, “It was a unanimous decision between David, myself, Peter and George. We want to take Tyrion in a more comedic, farcical direction and everyone including Peter agreed that he just wasn’t the man for the job. I’ll let the other guys speak for themselves but for me the choice was as clear as a crystal crown. Warwick Davis will be our new Tyrion Lannister!”
Just then Warwick Davis, a British comedian best known for his roles in Star Wars, Harry Potter and the HBO comedy Life’s Too Short, stepped into the room to flashing cameras and even more commotion from members of the press. Warwick then took a seat next to Martin.
When asked whether he approved of this decision, George R.R Martin responded enthusiastically:
“Warwick was actually my pick back in 2009 when we first began looking at potential cast members. It finally hit me last week while taking an indefinite break from writing The Winds of Winter to catch up on some of my favorite movies. I think it was his epic role in Willow that finally convinced me. Such wit. Such… tenderness.”
Warwick has reportedly asked for 1 million dollars per episode, amounting to nearly 20 percent of the show’s 50 million dollar per season budget. “We felt that Warwick’s experience and star power was well worth the investment,” Weiss said. “We’ll be seeing a lot less of the dragons and direwovlves due to the new budgeting that will have to be done to compensate. But in the end it’s a small price to pay for this kind of acting gravitas.”
The producers also noted that, in an effort to maintain continuity, Warwick Davis’ face will be digitally transposed over Mr. Dinklage’s in all future releases of Game of Thrones on DVD and Blu-Ray.
At this point many members of the media began to shout out pertinent questions such as “How does Peter feel about all this?” and “Are you fuc@!n6 serious right now?” but the Game of Thrones show-runners were already on their way out the door, waving and patting each other on the back as they went.
Peter Dinklage himself could not be reached for comment in a recent interview the actor expressed feeling anxious about devoting so much time to a single project:
“I’ll tell you true.. Game of Thrones has been a wonderful experience all around, certainly. But I do wonder if I’m not limiting myself in some ways. I recently had to turn down a part playing Kelly’s newest love interest on The Big Bang Theory. I love that show! It killed me to have to turn it down.”
This reporter, for one, stands in shock and awe at the decision handed down this, the first day of April. Today was supposed to be a great day for Game of Thrones fans with season 3 kicking off last night and an almost assured announcement regarding a fourth season. I suppose we should all just take a deep breath and trust in the wisdom of the producers and creators that brought us this wonderful show in the first place.
We’ll update this piece when we know more about the fate of Tyrion Lannister.
Goodbye, Peter.
UPDATE: April Fools!
I know, I know this was one of the cruelest jokes anyone could have played on the first of April.. and just hours after the season 3 premiere! Everyone would be devastated if something happened to Peter and his relationship with Tyrion Lannister. To be fair we did give you some hints along the way (give it a re-read if you were fooled!). Though we understand that many of you couldn’t get past the headline without tears of rage/sadness filling your eyes leaving you unable to read and/or think straight.
We apologize for any hurt feelings, friends lost or keyboards/monitors smashed as the result of our little April fools gag. We know most of you took it in stride. Rest assured that Game of Thrones will premiere next year airing around the same time as last year’s start and you’ll be watching it online with HBO GO as easily as ever. You can even stream Game of Thrones for free online with HBO Now, these days.
We felt like trolls all day but we hope the majority of our readers had a good little laugh. We promise we won’t ever do this again… on our honor as Lannisters. Until next year…
BIG mistake. Tryion was the show. His voice just vibrated through every scene he was in. We have heard the new season isn’t so good. Maybe the producers should have stopped at three seasons instead of going on. It WAS a wonderful show.
You fooled me for a full year! Didn’t read the title carefully. Replacing a bad a$$ actor and wasting a fifth of your fundings. On top of that less dragons! I was irate, & I got close to 80 people believing what I thought was true- terrible joke but thinking back… You would have loved the reactions of the enraged fans of GOT I’d convinced. The irony in your joke & everyone’s reaction, well played
Omg, I just about cried reading this until I took a second look at the title.
NOT FUNNY I was scared.
To be fair both Davis and Dinklage are great actors , but Game of Thrones wouldn’t be the same if Peter didn’t play Tyrion .
i’d rather be murdered than watch that other little prick.. DINK is the man. he makes the series.
Don’t be so nasty, Warwick Davis is a brilliant actor,
This is stupid! I’m sure it’s also offensive to people who suffer from Dinklage’s disorder.
You bastards had me going.
put their heads on a spike !!!!! wasnt a big fan , however got hbo on the go on the iphone and watch all 3 seasons over the last week..wow..cant wait til april!!!!!
yah just read the books everybody going ” wahhhh id stop watching the show” like seriously is the sense of entitlement in this day and age that ridiculous… I expect them to do this show the way I want, and they better spend 11 million per episode. Like just be FucX1n9 grateful that they are even adapting it at all and if you really love the story, go buy the books cause honestly, this is an amazing show but, It doesn’t even come close to the Books especially since they have cut out like 75% of the characters and story lines, not to mention changing sooooooo many things that they arent even really telling the same story anymore … Like Gendry being Edric storm???? and Mel going to get him(WTF)
and whats with all the Robb stark scenes ? He’s not a POV character so I hate seeing his conversations with Talisa.. And who the F is Talisa anyway ummmm Unnecessary switch Like Naming her Jeyne must have just been too confusing for the writers, not to mention she doesnt Die in the books, same with Dany’s Silver, why are D and D taking these liberties into theyre own hands like follow the story to a Tee cause George is a better writer than any of your network adapters and hes wrote it this way so far for a reason. That’s not to say I would stop watching the show if they continue down this path of changing almost everything about the story, But rather I would just pick up the books and read to remind myself of how much better they are than the show…
I never understood this brand of fanboyism. Did you expect D&D to send you a thank you note for white knighting on their behalf? Artists, including people who work in television, are obligated to please their fans, fans are not obligated to like a damn thing. The idea that fans of something have no right to voice their displeasure with certain decisions is just retarded. Just like you, Sponce.
i was like, are you fking kidding me? then i went, oh oh oh its april fool
I understand that this was an april fools joke…but if they ever did replace peter…I would stop watching and cancel HBO…
I have stopped watching anyway, all the good characters are gone.
No.. didn’t you see? It was an April fool’s joke.
NOOOO! Noo, god, please no! No! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
(I see it’s a joke).
Phew
This was not funny btw
why!! i panicked a bit. Moving forward only Peter can play Tyrion. It’s bad enough Martin kills everyone you get attached too, he can’t possible take away the the characters that make his books come to life.
BASTARDS !!!!! :)
goodness, good thing it is just a joke, GOT will not be the same without Tyrion Lannister, he is by far the most interesting character, because you will keep guessing what he is up to next. Unlike the other characters, you can pretty much sum up their next move….
Who doesn’t love a lusting, alcoholic, imp?? Who?!?
No! NO!
If he leaves it won’t be the same show it will lose so much
It was an April Fool’s joke.
agreed
My heart stopped for a second
Fuk you all i just read that it was april fool i thought it was a real deal until today since april wtf is wrong with you people
fu really i nearly was crying when i read it first ! never ever do this again plsssss =)
But i still think they did crash (ruin it) Game of thrones in seson 3 episode 9
Very nice delete my comment that must be HBO WHO dos this
Did just seson 3 episode 9 and really ill not see any more of game of trones this idiot who write this should be shot stupid stupid and now i see they take 1 more head actor’s out out how stupid do they think people are sry no more im out
I’m still trying to get used to Ian Whyte replacing Conan Stevens as Gregor Clegane.
Glad this is a joke, Peter is my favorite actor in the series.
Who da fak is Kelly from the big bang theory?
Can someone please confirm… Peter is NOT leaving the show? Right?
No, he’s not. That’s why the title says “April Fools”, and there’s a whole paragraph at the end explaining that it was an April Fool’s joke…
How absurd. Don’t you have anything better to do?
Hurry upstairs now, your mom is calling you for lunch
Do you really have nothing better to do than smear crap all over the Internet?
Hurry upstairs, your mom is calling you for lunch….
Fuck you
Game of Thrones would be nothing without him/he is the most interesting and attractive person on the show
LAWL that was really cruel of them :P
Haha really f*****g funny
Next time save to your self dude
LMAO! that’s a good one all most had a heart attack there.
I’m astonished anyone actually believed this. People are so gullible.
I like imp turtles that ride trains
Love this. Reading all these comments is more entertaining than any talk show I have ever seen. I want to grab a bag of popcorn and start screening “Jerry” over and over…. continue on….
Only just read this article and came very close to smashing fuck out of my netbook. Glad its only an april fools.
You bastard.
Ahahahahah
please learn the difference between “between” and “among”
It was a unanimous decision between David, myself, Peter and George.
There is nothing wrong with the usage of between here. They are all distinct, individual people. You must be a lot of fun at parties.
Well I’m out for the 4th season then
My heart sank whilst reading this, lol. He’s my favorite actor on the show. I like Warwick, but come on. Damn, I’m gullible.
Where do whores go?
If anyone truly believed this, then they’re not very bright.
Where’s my wildfire you baffoons? You gave it away though. Not the best April fools joke. If I didn’t fall for it, it wasn’t that good.
I thought his joke came up a bit short…anyone?
OMG, I was about to hit the roof, and then I read that it was an April fool’s joke. THANK GOD! I just could not believe that Peter would want to leave such a beautifuly done show as GOT for BB, LOL! We love him in the show; he’s a part of it.
Lol warwick davis can never compare to Peter
Well, the comments just goes tah sho’ yah… humor is dead…as wouldah been most of the peeps if this “ruse'” were true…me included…now, please let’s git on widdit…!
SCREW U JOFFERY BAD JOKE ON UR UNCLE HAHA jokes on you i wouldl’t “choke” pfffffff lil babybackbiotch
i dont think i would even watch it if they replaced peter, hes the perfect fit for tyrion! Knew it was a joke all along tho no way would they replace the most fitting person for tyrion
Ugh! I am too pissed off for words.
you bastards!
I figured this would be an April Fools joke. It’s Dinklage that really makes the show. They wouldn’t just get rid of him like that and I don’t think he’d really leave either.
FFS i was so pissed for a minute… then I was like wtf, how can you put somones face over someones, thats so stupid, then I saw April fools. Super lucky!!! No one can f*&$&$&img replace Peter Dinklage. He is by far the best character in the show!! WE LOVE TYRION!! Dont do that again ;)
oh no YOU DIDN’T…
it was a good one.
Thank you for the joke. Honestly, the character is a heavy weight on the show. Nothing could be gained by making him comedic in nature. Pretty certain the role cannot be performed by anyone better. THANK GOD IT WAS A JOKE!
i read this last night and was all bummed out all day today and i come hom and this page is still up and i noticed the bottom and seen april fools. damn you!
I’m crushed, really crushed. I loved Peter Dinklage. This may be the end of Game of Thrones for me.
You’re not big on reading, it seems.
that was a good one! I was completely devastated!
I have read all the books and follow some blogs. I am a pretty huge fan of GOT. This has to not be real. I’m sorry but Peter IS Tyrion Lannister and to suddenly change the show into most of character Tyrion Lannister takes away from what GOT is! The show has already killed two characters from the book that weren’t supposed to be and gave a useless whore (in the book) a larger role on screen that wasn’t supposed to happen. This isn’t GOT.
I seriously advise you to rename your TV Series because this IS a joke.
Sincerely,
GOT FAN
That is stupid, Tyrion Lannister was the most brilliant one… That was a great load balance between the righteous vendetta of the Wolfs (Stark) and the unworthy Lions (Lannister)…
I was seriously upset! You got me!!!
You SUCK I was getting really Destroyed as I was reading this….you SUCK don’t ever do that again….Peter Dinklage…cut…less dragons & dire wolves …so glad it was just a joke!!!!
TBBT is a good show but if i must compare tbbt and GOT got will kick TBBT’s ass :D
ya! ya ! that is a really funny joke- if your Joffrey!
As I read this it is April 2 so not surprised. My father used to say don’t believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.
buddie i was soooo angry and sad first ned stark dies then they take away my favorite character this is by far the the worst prank i was soo upset and i dont even watch tv only game of thrones
Not cool. I only read this on April 2nd.
WHAT THE FUCK!
not cool bro. not cool.
So not funny.
1 mill per episode? are u f@cking crazy???? which sh@t bag can be a replacement actor and ask for so much?
Well.. you just caught us by surprise :)
I was startled, then instantly realised it could only be a joke and nothing more cause he is fuckin’ amazing and therefore irreplaceable! Go Peter Dinklage, Tyrion Lannister’s role truly becomes you
you had me until you said they would super transpose his face on the dvd. think a lot of fans would have been fooled if you would have left it out. a bit too far fetched.
I feel so silly! I was actually getting quite wound up reading that. I was abou to fire off an angry email! You got me..lol
DIDN’T LAUGH
I’ve given up on GOT books, and I won’t watch the series until it is complete. I dislike being held hostage to Mr. Martin’s ego, so I won’t be buying Winds of Winter if or when it is finally released. I’ll buy the whole TV series from HBO when it is completed–IF it is completed. I hate to be left hanging because the writers are too lazy or greedy to finish the story. I’m done.
Love The Big Bang Theory!!!!!!!
Thank Goodness!!!!That was a dirty trick, he is the reason I watch Game of Thrones, I do love the whole show , but he adds something special to it!!!!
OMG I just practically peed my pants until I saw the April Fools! Wow…I think I need to re-evaluate my life if it takes an article like this to scare me so much!
you ass holes..i was stopped in the middle of the article to start my hell letter to whom ever i could find..i’m relaxed now.
so mean! i was in tears. (but i do like willow as well!)
I had a brain freeze the entire time… April 1st is to hard a day!
I can’t believe it! I had to take a sick day off work to go to see the doctor to give me something to calm me down. Now i just feel used & dirty.
You best not be mocking Willow, FOOLS! That movie has a special place in my heart and kidneys.
Right, obvious joke…there is no actor or character on Big Bang Theory named Kelly anyway.
OMG I HATE HATE HATE WHO EVER DECITED THIS WAS A GOOD JOKE!!! lol I was so upset….then boom, April Fools!! I love Game of Thrones.
Im the biggest fool!!! I panicked right away!!!!! Fu :) :) Pardon my french! :)
:P ~~~~~
I am so scared that this isn’t a joke….. George’s comment ” while taking an indefinite break from writing The Winds of Winter to catch up on some of my favorite movies”
Seven hells! This would be nothing short of a tragedy for the realm.
I passed this on to my sisters before I finished reading it. I did not know it was a joke (NOT FUNNY) I could not get passed the first few sentences I was getting so mad. My sisters were pissed at me too. He is the best darn character you have and can NOT be replaced by anyone.
I would stop watching if they took off Dinklage–he makes this show!
Lulz Joffrey Troll!
Oh my goodness I about freaked out…and I was thinking to myself:
“The producers also noted that, in an effort to maintain continuity, Warwick Davis’ face will be digitally transposed over Mr. Dinklage’s in all future releases of Game of Thrones on DVD and Blu-Ray.”
How terrible would that look!!!
Warrick Davis can’t act, so I knew it was an April fool right there haha
This is the sort of joke that gets some people killed and other people sent to jail :P
The funny detail is that Peter was the only cast member who didn’t audition for the part because GRRM simply had to have him as Tyrion. To say that he initially wanted Warwick back in 2009 made me a 100% sure that it was in fact an april fools joke.
Arguing about whether TBBT is a “good” show is pointless, since it’s the simple matter of taste. And whether or not it is scientific is easy. I’m one month away from receiving my PHD in Maths and I’d have to say that most of TBBT “scientific” material is pretty basic stuff and sometimes even wrong (schrödingers cat misconceptions). Yet, it has a lot more “science” than any other sitcom (that I know of) and it reportedly helps young students head into the exact sciences direction which makes me very happy :)
If about 15 million people regularly watch something you’d have to at least consider they think it’s “interesting”.
Yall had me… I was getting MAD…
After reading lots of comments, my resolutions are:
1) Peter Dinklage = Tyrion Lannister… ALWAYS!! <3
2) I want to be part of the Marketing Crew of: TBBT, Nickelback, Justin Bieber, Hannah Montana and the list continues… (haha)
LOL LESS DRAGONS FOR A DIFFERENT MIDGET? YEAH RIGHT.
I believed this crap!
OMG! My boyfriend sent this to me – I’m a day late for April Fool’s day and I still almost had a heart attack! I love Peter Dinklage – we’re both from Jersey! In the Lanister tradition, You Sirs, are most cruel…
If you took out the sex, I bet 95% of the people that say Game of Thrones is the greatest ever would just think it’s boring nerd shit for fantasy geeks.
Boring nerd shit for fantasy geeks? Your calling yourself ZALGO & coming at us with that- or was this another April fools joke?
Coming at who like what? They’re not saying that’s what it is, they’re saying that without the sex (and violence I’m sure) that’s what most of the show’s fans would think of it.
Luckily my friend caught on that it was a joke before my computer went out the window.
LOL Wooowww got me.!
too funny…wasn’t warrwick the guy that played in the leprechon movies
That was a good one…
alright, saw this on the second so I wasn’t even thinking about it being a joke. And I was about to comment here something to the effect of “Alright, rage-quitting the series.”
When Warwick was asking for $1m per episode, I’m sorry, the veil was lifted, I carried on reading anyway, and thought it was great :’)
Wow That was not funny
Well played HBO
My screen was smashed for no reason…
So glad to hear this was a joke! I’d been hoping for the past 24 hours that it was!
His character does not appear in the 4th book, but does return in the 5th, so he most likely will not be involved in the filming next season,
I read this (and probably the next) season is a mixture of both Storm of Swords books, and Dance with Dragons. I imagine that’s so that all the characters get screen time and viewers don’t get confused by the unchronological order
You had me! You had me until “We’ll be seeing a lot less of the dragons and direwolves due to the new budgeting that will have to be done to compensate. But in the end it’s a small price to pay for this kind of acting gravitas.” Lol….After hearing Warwick Davis described this way, I instantly scrolled back to the top b/c I said this is BS! and very happily discovered that this was an all an April Fool’s joke after all! Lol…Thank God! :-)
Numpty’s, the biggest clue is it says (APRIL FOOLS!) in the tab title.
I think the biggest clue it was fake was that HBO would be willing to give Warwick a a decent gig.
Warwick Davis’ face will be digitally transposed over Mr. Dinklage’s in all future releases of Game of Thrones on DVD and Blu-Ray. This is what gave it away for me