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…
1,182 comments
Why would u change who his character is thats gonna be stupid, he is awesome!
Great prank! Really great! …how’d Warwick feel about it being a prank, though?
Big bang is one of the biggest hits on primetime TV it is a GREAT show
thank goodness it was a joke because if they did replace Peter as Tyrion Lannister, I wouldn’t watch Game of Thrones anymore…He is Tyrion Lannister and no one can replace him…it would totally ruin the show. A great big “sigh” of relief. Game of Thrones is one of my favorite series on HBO only second to Spartacus which is on Starz!!!
Omg I nearly died !! haha…love it !
Yeah, it’s a joke. otherwise they’d be giving the fourth season away. For those who haven’t read the book, he’s character gets killed. there you have it. so he won’t be back for the fourth season.
ahhhh had me going ; )
sooo glad it was just a joke!
Love Warwick, but I honestly would stop watching the show if they simply replaced him
I hate you! XD
I was so bloody sad to read this…was about to get out of the page before completing it..luckily scrolled down…thank God..hehehe..a good prank indeed…he has done full justice to that role and nobody can replace Peter…:)
PS: TBBT is awesome :) :)
that was a very bad joke man.i was heartbroken
lol i was in a massive rage till i scrolled down -_-
Doh! You got me good buggers!!! HA! Best April Fool in a long time, thanks for the emotional roller coaster ;-)
why the hell are you morons crying about tbbt, its a great show so stfu
Guys, stay calm and watch Breaking Bad!
alright you got me, I started to freak a little
Dont even kid.
I knew it, and FUCK u for doing it
this is just stupid
Omg!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost started crying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
u got me ppl… the imph is ma favourite character…
When he looked through the door and stepped on the stool, I thought of the episode in Life’s Too Short. Was that planned?
i’m glad this was a joke. peters character tyrion is one of the most important people to the story and no-one could replace him, it would make a mockery of the programe to even try.
Thanks, I almost punched through my laptop, snapped it into two or eight pieces, and threw it around my apartment all night long before I read the update.
I figured it was a joke when they said that they were willing to pay the Willow guy a million dollars an episode. He definitely does not have that kind of star power!
This pretty much read: Game of Thrones throws in the towel…
the anger was boiling inside of me! i got fooled..-__-
I almost broke my computer. This was the sickest April Fool’s joke ever!!
S.O.B. ya got me. I was all pissed. I was like, wow how insulting. When I read ya’ll was going for a more comedic style is what threw me off. Peter Dinklage makes that character/role. If that wasn’t a joke I’d say cancel the show. LOL Glad that was a joke.
I was about to flip a table!
I hate you
prolly april fools
Worst prank EVER!
Sacrilege! To even joke of such things is a tantamount to blasephemy! :P
I almost survived April Fools Day without being tricked… I almost cried seeing this… Well played!!!
F*ck.
Goddamn morons! What were you going to do it I had a heart attack and croacked?
holy crap!!!!!ppl on here should take a chill pill…you hate tbbt show coz the science is not valid? dumbasses…get this through your head…CO-ME-DY!!!as in your ass is supposed to laugh…not try n figure out the validity of string theory…dont get the joke or dont like it, change the channel…no ones stopping you. “one mans meat is another mans poison.” wanna watch real science, Discovery channel has some shows. granted you wont laugh coz you wanna learn instead…dont hate on the show coz your feeble mind cant grasp the complexities of tbbt writer’s humor and sarcasm….. and one last thing…. BAZINGA BITCHES…..:) and i mean that in the nicest way possible.
In other faux news – Rowan Atkinson is set to replace Kit Harrington as Jon Snow.
First of all, Big Bang Theory sucks. And second, you bastards.
Oh god. You guys got me good.
i was wondering who the hell kelly was in the big bang theory
Holy shit! I never get a trap in the April’s Fool before! Well played, Sir!
LOL
Why does Tyrion Lannister’s hair color change so much in the very first episode? When he’s introduced, he’s blonde blonde blonde and then halfway through the first episode his hair is already brown.
Magic. Who cares?
Thank God this is a joke because he’s the best actor on this show.
holy crap you had me until the part where it says “We’ll be seeing a lot less of the dragons and direwovlves due to the new budgeting…” . Good one guys.. soooooo glad it’s not true
That’s a funny joke, but I do like Warwick Davis. Just not as Tyrion. :)
I just got trolled!
MOTHER FUCKERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whew….okay something got me on april fools! So glad that was a prank.
nerds fighting about nerds
Before they even filmed this season Dinklage signed a huge contract for the next couple seasons at least- this is a big joke
they wouldn’t replace this season’s hero now would they? maybe even the season hero for killing the most hated character on the show (joffrey)
ya got me
this joke wasn’t funny! i almost had a heart attack. thank you to the genius who cooked this up.
I like how the majority of the comments are in relation to Big Bang Theory, and not the joke. :P
If that really happens I will stop watching it.
And this is my favorite damn show. The Dwarf rules!
Yeah, you’re going to have to actually TRY…
HAHA You couldn’t possibly get rid of the hero of this season…the one who will kill the most hated person on the show now can you???? Yes the last episode has him killing Joffrey, now why would you go ahead and replace him?
A Lannister word is no good, there moto is A Lannister always pays his debt..Not never tell a lie.. GoT is one of the best shows on cable/satellite today. I would hate to know Tyrian (Peter) was replaced, he is one of the characters that make the show., I have read all the books that have been published, Peter is the best man for the job.
Good one. Excellent April Fool’s joke. Well played.
If you were actually fooled by this, you are one naive motherfucker.
I was fooled… because they often do stupid shit in hollywood.
A very well written article for an April Fools joke
Asshats
And here I was thinking this was a discussion of Game of Thrones…I can to the wrong place!
This better be a freaking April Fool’s joke.
haha! Totally fell for that. So glad it’s not true though! =)
They got me good, they got me reeeeeeeeeeal good!!
Yeah
I’d heard they were replacing him with Tyler Mane and thought Well ok
He can act the part and he’s ugly enough with the right prosthetics on
his nose. But he’s a little tall, don’t you think?
Are you fucking kidding me i hate april fools
You almost got me. Though I would stop watching if Dinklage was let go. He is a fantastic actor.
I fucking hated reading every line in this article, untill i reached the last paragraph… You guys are sick fucks for messing with my emotions like that hahaha :) so happy it was a joke :P
I was a little bit into it but I then remembered IGN’s Zelda movie trailer a few years back plus I remembered what today was so they got me a little, but I wised up quick.
If only I saw it coming.. doh!
fuc you.. who ever did this
…u scared the shit outta me
dude…i totally fell 4 it & the irony of the situation is that i was going 2 play the same type of prank on sum1 earlier in the day but decided not 2 ~ so i fell 4 my own trick…i’m pretty sure that the 4 drinks i’ve had had absolutely nothing 2 do w/it…well played good sirs…xoxo
As to TBBT, the 80s/early 90s called, they want (their sh*tty actor) Johnny Galecki back.
april fools
APRIL F-in FOOLS micky fickies… Not funny
I knew it was an April Fools joke, but even if I hadn’t, once they called Penny “Kelly,” the jig would have been up. lol
YOU GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK. Oh my god. I was seriously in a huge rage when I finished this article, especially when you said that he was demanding 1 million an episode and that it’d lessen the featuring of dragons and direwolves. Oh my god I’m just so relieved that this was a joke. Hahahah. No one can replace Peter.
I WAS GETTING SOOOOOOO PISSED!!!!!!! OH MUH LAWDY! HAHAHAHAHAHA I LOVE PETERRRRR! I WAS ABOUT TO CRY! OH MY GOD!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAaaaaaa
I sure hope it´s april´s fool joke. Otherwise I´m starting a protest with other fans ;)
Phewf!!!! THAT WAS MEAN!!! I stopped breathing until the end of the article!!!!! THERE IS NO REPLACEMENT FOR PETER DINKLAGE!!!!!!
You guys suck!!!!!!
I was so pissed there for a second! Then I was like wait.. its April 1st. This has to be bs… and it was thank god! haha
This is kind of short notice,
Firstly… you had me for a bit. Then I thought, hang on, season 3 has just started, why would they announce this now. Then the date came to mind. Then the reason for replacing him was to give his character more comedy. The sarcastic humor of his character is great. You did have me a bit pissed off for a bit and I was about to post an abusing remark on the Game of Thrones Facebook. I say… you accomplished you joke….. pr#@ks.
Well, I won’t be watching Season 4 thanks to the overpaid actor who took all the value out of it for me. I’ll reread the books for my Throne pleasure. Good Luck Peter, Lords grace and Gods speed.
Haha you jerks!! And I was all depressed when i read the section about the dragons and direwolves! Now I’m just more excited about going to the Game of Thrones exhibition in Manhattan Weds.
I wish Peter were gonna be there… then I can ask him what many of us Tyrion fans want to know… “When is Knights of Badassdom” coming out?!!!
i hate you… digitally transposing Warwick’s face over Dinklage’s in all future releases. haha that one pissed me off.
Also, $1 million is not 20% of $50 million….
1 million PER episode X 10 episodes is 20% of the season’s 50 million dollar budget, sillyass.
I knew it was a joke when I read “1 million per episode.” That gave it away. Til that point they had me…
Wow, this is the only April fools joke that got me today. Well done.
Fuck you
OMG. I was just getting ready to write the biggest and cruelest complaint letter in history. Thank the old gods and the new that I kept reading. I thought the producers had lost their minds when they spoke about cutting out dragons and direwolves for more comedy. Peter is the halfman for the job and no one could play his role better EVER! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Season 1 & 2 and am completely hooked as season 3 begins this month in Australia. I know, I know… I could stream, but the loss of quality is too intense and I need every pixel i can get as my eyes are glued to that big screen. Thank you so much for bringing this series to us, It’s truely a work of art…. xox
OMG! I was so pissed… I was just telling my husband, “THAT’S IT! I’M NOT GOING TO WATCH GAME OF THRONES AFTER THIS SEASON!!”
I love Peter Dinklage!! HE IS MY FAVORITE CHARACTER! LOVE LOVE LOVE HIM!!!! So glad it’s not true…
Bastards!
FUCK YOUUUU. haha
Hahaha, when it got to 1 mill an episode and less of the dragons…a small price…it was an April Fools.
Fuckers!!!! Ok, ok, you got me! I was all pissed off about that.
Thank God! I was praying the whole time I was reading this was a joke. Peter Dinklage is exquisite and I don’t think I would watch the show without him.
That’s a terrible joke! I was like “WTF Noooooooooo! Can’t they just replace Ginger Stark instead???”
good joke, I got really pissed for a second…. lol
That was not f*cking funny!
this was so mean…. so mean. I told everyone I knew then I had to tell them HBO April Fooled me….
Oh this was the only one i fell for the whole day, really scared me at first haha
ive had to plug an external monitor and keyboard into my laptop upon the initial rage moment i had reading this…you trolled me well
WHAT!!! no one can do a better job than Peter and I think he is very funny!!
Assholes! Hey I was really looking forward to a change with the Willow actor….who know s right? I would have really missed Peter though. All bullshit aside bring back SEXY ASS JASON MOMOA AKA Khal Drogo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You piece of shits! I was getting pissed of lmao!
Was not as bad as the joke u played on us on the last episode of sopranos…
Is it sad that I saw Warwick Davis and cringed. Life is too Short is great and all, but he isn’t GOT material. No way anyone would give him a million per episode.
stupid joke
You can tell it was a joke because GRRM said he was taking a break to watch movies… not taking a break to post about football on his Livejournal.
you motherfuckers!!!@!!!
Haha…well played good sirs!
I. Hate. You. Lol, I actually believed it at first until I realised what day it was ha
u r all morons…this is a game of thrones article.
Haha! Awesome!
oh my gods, you fucking assholes lol
that’s the meanest trick ever! i kinda caught on in the middle though, when they sang the other guy’s praises too much.. i mean, no one but no one can play that role but dinklage. he breathed life to tyrion lannister.
STAHPPP WITH THE APRIL FOOL’S JOKES ALREADY
that’s the meanest trick ever! i kinda caught on in the middle though, when they sang the other guy’s praises too much.. i mean, no one but no one can play that role but dinklage. he breathed life to tyrion lannister.
Ugh, you got me. Thanks for that heart attack, HBO.
Wow, really. This is a thread about Game of Thrones and your all talking about Big Bang Theory??? If they really replaced Tyrion, thats it for me. He isn’t comedic any of the books, why should he be for the TV series. I’ve read them all, and the fourht one is definately not him be funny.
April Fools!
haha very good almost fell for it
DAFUUUUUQ!! I almost killed my dog for that!
All day. All day i’ve thought this was true. I broke up with my girlfriend, quit my job, then drank taka out of the bottle on the overpass until a cop snuck up behind me and pulled me to the ground. I was finally let out today 8pm central standard time. Thanks HBO.
you don´t play with that!!!!!!! he´s my favorite character <3
You fooled me for a scaringly long and agonizing second there, but no longer than that. Good prank!
After Reading All five of the books this was nothing
I’ll admit it took me to the part where he talked about being in shock and awe on the first day of April. Then it hit me, and I figured how ridiculous an idea it was to put Warwick Davis’ face over Peters on the Blu-Ray releases. Should’ve figured it there.
I was flipping out when I read this for the first time.
LOL!!Phew!Love Peter and his character on this show;Looking so forward to seeing him in the future .Nicolette LeBlanc
Just saying if it were true. Love you Peter! To be honest I was fooled! I was so pissed off I didn’t finish reading the article before I had to rant.
LMAO! I love practical jokes. Good one Mr. Klein :P
Eat shit and die! You motherfuckers are going to destroy the series. Peter has been the heart and soul of the show and you bastards what to take his face off the brilliant work that he has done. I hope season four burns in hell you fucking bastards!
was about to never ever watch this show again
haha GOT ME!
That was a great April Fool’s joke. I’m a Peter Dinklage fan and I was too upset.
Bastards. I so freaking hate April Fool’s Day.
Haha Fuck you!
You got me!!!!….that was SO wrong, but thanks for the joke. Whew! Besides I have never watch The Big Bang Theory so I would not have caught it. GAME OF THRONES is one of the GREATEST SHOWS ON EARTH!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for this stress, beware of revenge! xD
Oh my God, I nearly cried. My parents are probably wondering why I just yelled, “NO! I DON’T WANT WARWICK DAVIS!”
You suck.
THATS MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IT MUST BE APRIL FOOL LMFAOO
This made me furious even though I knew it was a joke haha
omg, thank goodness this is an April Fools’ joke, it was just too devastating to not have Mr. Dinklage as Tyrion. Thank you for the joke – it was a good one!