One of the most charming sequels on the way among the 2026 movies is Practical Magic 2 starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock as witch sisters Gilly and Sally Owens. The film will reunite the two leading ladies alongside a lot of new faces. Kidman recently spoke about the experience and why it’s kind of wild how it all came together.

Practical Magic 2 wrapped filming back in September after Kidman first confirmed it was happening the summer prior. During a new conversation with Ariana Grande for Interview Magazine, Nicole Kidman gave this update about making it:

Not every movie set has so many women in them that get to be together and support each other, or get along as well as it sounds like Practical Magic 2 went. Nicole Kidman called the experience “so fun” before also saying this:

The original Practical Magic wasn’t a smash success when it came out. Back in 1998, it was a flop for Warner Bros. on top of being panned by critics (per Vulture). Since then, it’s become a spooky season favorite, and gained a lot more popularity among audiences. Going into its release next fall, we wouldn’t be surprised if the movie starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock is a commercial hit given how big of stars they are.

Previously, Nicole Kidman has talked about how she and Bullock decided to both live in London during the production of Practical Magic 2. The actress said that she adores Bullock, calling her “funny and so lovable.” It was also reported that they’ve become really good friends on this sequel shoot in particular thanks to the “network of support between each other.”

Kidman also has shouted out the director, Suzanne Bier, along with Joey King, who is set to play one of the daughters of Bullock’s character, Sally Owens. We don’t know who else anyone is playing, but Game Of Thrones’ Maisie Williams is also starring in her first high-profile role in years.

Other names to note are the return of Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest as Frances and Jet Owens, the aunts to Sally and Gilly. Cobra Kai’s Xolo Maridueña and Lee Pace are also in the cast as well. The movie is set to be once again written by Akiva Goldsman, along with the addition of Georgia Pritchett.

Practical Magic 2 hits theaters on September 18, 2026 alongside the next Resident Evil. Kidman sounds like she had a blast making it, and we hope that’ll translate in the movie itself.

It’s wild when you think about it, but Game of Thrones fans got to watch Maisie Williams grow up in front of our eyes as Arya Stark. The actress is 28 these days, and has understandably been moving away from roles as high-profile as George R.R. Martin’s fantasy character, but she just joined one of 2026’s upcoming movies, and I couldn’t be more excited to see her in a big movie.

Maisie Williams Has Been Cast In Practical Magic 2

Deadline reports that Maisie Williams will be in the second Practical Magic movie with the likes of Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, the latter of whom broke her silence about the sequel in late 2024. The movie follows the 1998 romantic fantasy about a pair of sisters (Bullock and Kidman) who are descendants of a long line of witches.

Williams’ casting announcement was joined by word that Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing from the original movie are coming back as the Owens’ aunts. Oh, and The Kissing Booth’s Joey King, Foundation’s Lee Pace, Cobra Kai’s Xolo Maridueña, and House of the Dragon's Solly McLeod are also in the cast.

It was announced that Joey King will be playing the daughter of Bullock’s Sally, but it was not disclosed who Williams or any of the new actors will be playing. Even though I have no idea what the Game of Thrones actor’s role will be, I love that she’s finally got a big movie for herself, and one that will have her back into the fantasy world – though this time through a much lighter and less serious lens.

Now I'm Just Getting More Excited For The Sequel's 2026 Release

I had wondered when the last time was that Maisie Williams had been in a proper big movie since the ending of Game of Thrones, and the last one for her was actually The New Mutants back in 2020, which was surrounded by controversy and chaos amidst the Disney/Fox merger. Even before Williams’ name was tied to the project, I’ve been excited about this movie.

I love that Bullock and Kidman will be back alongside the original writer of the ‘90s cozy autumn movie, who has teased that fans will be “very pleased” with what they are cooking up in their cauldron. Susanne Bier, who helmed The Perfect Couple and Bird Box, will direct it!

Could Maisie Williams be playing the daughter of Nicole Kidman’s character? Or maybe a friend of Sally’s daughter? Either way, there are not a lot of sequels I’m excited for, but this one is highlighted and circled as a 2026 must-watch for me, now even more because Williams is part of it. Practical Magic 2 is set to hit theaters on September 18, 2026.

George R.R. Martin is a busy man. When he’s not crafting new Westeros stories for the 2025 TV schedule like the upcoming A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, he’s plugging away on those final A Song of Ice and Fire novels (and yes, I’m still holding out hope they’re coming!). But recently, the beloved fantasy author dropped an intriguing hint about a potential new project with Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams—and all I can say is, where do I sign up!?

In a recent post on his famous blog, hilariously titled Not a Blog, Martin shared some highlights from his summer travels, including a visit to London, where he had the chance to reunite with the Arya Stark actress. Though he kept most details under wraps, the visionary novelist’s comments have already left fans like myself wondering if he and the New Mutants star might be collaborating on some sort of Game of Thrones project spinoff—or perhaps on a new venture altogether. According to the mega-star writer:

As if those few cryptic lines weren’t enough, Martin has been deeply immersed in a variety of creative projects lately, including House of the Dragon (though he has aired some grievances) and a stage adaptation of the tourney at Harrenhal titled The Iron Throne, both bringing his work back into the spotlight. While this could hint at another Westeros-related project, there’s also the possibility that Martin and the former Game of Thrones cast member might be discussing something completely fresh. Given The New Look veteran’s versatility as an actress and the prolific storyteller’s ability to create rich, imaginative worlds, the thought of a new collaborative project has a ton of appeal.

Some fans are indeed crossing their fingers for a potential Arya spin-off. Williams’ character remains one of the most beloved figures in Game of Thrones lore, and her mysterious journey west at the series’ end has always begged for more exploration. While HBO has previously been cautious about revisiting original characters outside the prequel format, with the long-talked-about Jon Snow spin-off being canceled earlier this year, a creative team-up between the former The Beauty and the Beast series screenwriter and Gen: Lock series performer might be the push needed to bring Arya’s post-Thrones story to life.

Of course, it’s worth noting that while George R.R. Martin is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, he’s also written several other captivating novels that could make fantastic upcoming book-to-screen adaptations—especially with Maisie Williams in the mix. His science fiction novel Nightflyers, for example, explores themes of isolation and mystery aboard a spaceship and would be a perfect fit for her intensity and range. Or there’s Fevre Dream, a gothic horror novel set on the Mississippi River, where the Bristol-born star could easily bring life to the gritty, suspenseful world of steamboats and vampires. Another intriguing option could be Windhaven, a collaboration with Lisa Tuttle about a young woman who dreams of flight in a society where only an elite few can soar through the skies.

Williams, now 28, has a knack for portraying adventurous, strong-willed characters and could make an ideal fit for one of the Best Seller’s lesser-known but equally compelling worlds. And I would be excited to see another property from America’s Tolkien getting the big screen or small screen treatment.

For now, fans will have to settle for George R.R. Martin’s teasing blog post and revisit Westeros by streaming all the GOT content available with a Max subscription. Don’t forget to check out our 2024 TV schedule to catch the exciting shows coming up in the remainder of the year!

There has been a lot of talk about "nepo babies" over the last few years, and while it may seem like every actor has famous parents. That is hardly the case though, of course. Many of our favorite actors come from much more humble roots. So let's celebrate those stars with this list of actors who came from blue-collar backgrounds. 

Sarah Jessica Parker

Growing up in Ohio Sarah Jessica Parker had a huge family, with seven siblings and step-siblings. She's talked about how there were times her parents struggled to pay the bills and were even on welfare for a time. Though her mom ran a nursery and her stepdad was a truck driver, they still found a way to support Parker's show business dreams and eventually moved to New York so she could star on Broadway. 

James Dean

James Dean is one of the most tragic stories in Hollywood history, and his upbringing was pretty rough too. His father left when he was a toddler and his mother supported the two of them as a single mother during The Depression. That is until she passed away when Dean was only nine. He moved to Ohio and lived with his aunt and uncle where things stabilized for him. After graduating high school, he moved to LA and embarked on his all-too-brief career. 

Maisie Williams

Though she found fame at early age with Game of Thrones Maisie Williams' family struggled when she was younger. She was raised in a council house (public housing in the UK) until she was cast in the hit HBO show at age 12. 

Jeremy Strong

Jeremy Strong may play a scion to one of the wealthiest families on TV in Succession, but in real life, he had a much more humble upbringing. Strong grew up in the blue-collar area of Jamaica Plain in Boston and his father was a guard in juvenile jails in town. Eventually the family moved to the more upscale town of Sudbury, where he went to high school and discovered acting. 

Samuel L. Jackson

For most of his career, Samuel L. Jackson was a blue-collar actor working as much as he could. That makes with his upbringing as the son of a single mother who worked in a factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Shania Twain

Shaina Twain is best known as a country singer, of course, but she's done a little acting over her impressive career as well. It's a career that has taken far away from her humble roots outside Toronto, Ontario, where the family struggled. Those struggles led to her finding gigs as a singer at a young age and the rest is history.

Samantha Morton

Samantha Morton had a rough upbringing in the UK. Nine of her formative years were spent in foster care when her parents, who were addicts, weren't able to care for her. She had a couple of scraps with the law herself but started getting acting work in her teens and it all came together. 

Dolly Parton

There is no more revered person in Hollywood (or Nashville) than the great Dolly Parton. She's often talked about her humble beginnings in rural Tennessee as one of 12 children. She has always praised how her mother kept the family together through hard times and when Parton was 18 she moved to Nashville and hit the big time pretty quickly as a songwriter and a singer. 

Adam Driver

Megalopolis star Adam Driver moved around a lot as a kid, living all over from San Diego to Indiana. His stepfather was a Baptist preacher, but he was mostly raised by his mother in Indiana. After the September 11th attacks, he joined the Marines and served, like many other actors have over the years, for a few years before being discharged for a medical reason and starting his acting career. 

Al Pacino

Al Pacino grew up mostly in the South Bronx, and anyone from New York can tell you that the South Bronx in the '40s and '50s was a tough place to live. By his own admission he got in trouble a lot, as often happens with kids with hard working parents. Even as a actor early in his career he couch-surfed with friends until he started landing gigs regularly. 

Dax Shepard

Dax Shepard's family experienced the American Dream, according to the actor and podcast host. His mom worked at GM while he was growing up near Detroit and the family struggled, but as he got older, his mom's career grew and she moved up the ranks from janitor to executive, so by the time Shepard was in high school, she was quite successful. 

Ice Cube

Any fan of N.W.A. knows about Ice Cube's roots in South Central LA as the son of a janitor and a groundskeeper. As a result of desegregation, Ice Cube had the opportunity to get bussed out of Compton and out to the suburbs, where he thrived in English class, something he would make good use of later in life as the principal lyricist for one of the most successful rap acts of all time. 

Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson, who has won the famed EGOT, was raised with her two siblings by a single mother on the South Side of Chicago. She started working in local theater at a young age and famously worked on the Disney Cruise line before auditioning for American Idol in the show's third season, which was, of course, her big break. 

Mel Brooks

The legendary Mel Brooks, like so many of his generation, was the child of immigrants. He was raised very poor in Brooklyn surrounded by people who worked in the garment industry. Instead of following in their footsteps, he went into show business and the world is luckier for it. 

Joan Crawford

Screen legend Joan Crawford would die a very rich woman, but she started life as the daughter of a construction worker in Texas. After her parents split up and her mother remarried, her stepfather got in trouble in Texas and the family moved to Kansas City where Crawford attended Catholic school as a work student. 

Jim Carrey

At one point Jim Carrey was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood, which is far cry from his humble beginnings in and around Toronto. For a time, Carrey has admitted, they were even homeless. Eventually his father found more stable employment and after dropping out of high school Carrey worked on his stand up routine and took shifts at a nearby factory. 

Misha Collins

Supernatural star Misha Collins grew up working class in Boston and he has said in the past that his family spent some time unhoused. He was lucky enough to gain admission to a prep school, which led him to the University of Chicago and eventually an internship at The White House during the Clinton administration before he concentrated on his acting career. 

Rosario Dawson

Rosario Dawson has been a part of two of the biggest franchises in Hollywood, Star Wars and the MCU. It wasn't always the big time for her though. Her mother was a teenager when she was born and never married Dawson's father, but did marry another man, from whom Dawson takes her last name. He was a construction worker first in New York and later in Texas. 

Jessica Chastain

Though she doesn't talk much about her upbringing, we do know that Jessica Chastain's stepfather was a firefighter and that her family life was a struggle growing up. She grew up in Sacramento with four siblings, though she lost one to suicide when she was in her early 20s. Chastain started acting as a kid and her career would eventually take off and she would become one of the most beloved and acclaimed actors of her generation. 

Daniel Kaluuya

Born of Uganda immigrants in London, Daniel Kaluuya was raised on a council estate in one of the city's most famous blue-collar areas, Camden. He didn't know his father growing up, but he excelled in school and started acting in plays while there. he started landing paying gigs in his teens and the rest is history.

Hilary Swank

Though she has humble roots as the daughter of an army soldier, Hilary Swank grew up in a stable household and even after her parents split up when she was 15, her mother moved with Swank to the LA area so she could try her hand at Hollywood. That bet paid off as Swank has been one of the best actresses around for decades. 

Charlie Chaplin

It could be argued that Charlie Chaplin was the first bonafide superstar of the silver screen. While he would eventually become Hollywood's biggest star and one of the most financially successful moviemakers of his era, his childhood was a hardscrabble upbringing in central London. His parents had no capacity to raise children and he bounced around reform schools and other group homes as a kid before finding his way, first in the theater then later in silent films. 

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez famously grew up "on the 6," meaning the 6-Train through the Bronx in New York City. Her father had a job as a computer technician and Lopez had a solid, yet definitely blue-collar upbringing. 

Woody Harrelson

Woody Harrelson has starred in some of the best roles in Hollywood over the last four decades, and one of them, Woody Boyd on Cheers, reflected his actual blue-collar roots in Indiana. The story of Woody Boyd and Woody Harrelson are pretty similar, as both were raised in rural Indiana. Harrelson was famously locked up in prison for most of his upbringing, and he eventually died in prison after Harrelson's career had taken off. 

Viola Davis

Viola Davis was actually born on plantation in South Carolina, if you can believe it. She was raised mostly in Rhode Island, however, but it was a hard upbringing which has described of being very financially unstable. 

Daniel Craig

Daniel Craig may be famous for playing suave, debonair, and sophisticated characters, but that's nothing like his upbringing. His father was a construction worker and bar manager, though Craig does have aristocratic ancestors. 

Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix (and his late brother River) had a wild upbringing. His parent were part of a cult called the Children of God and Phoenix spent much of his early life living in South America as his parents traveled as missionaries for the religious group. Eventually, the family left the cult, adopting the name "Phoenix" as a sign of their rebirth as a family in a new life.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is famously one of the richest people in Hollywood, but that's not how she started out. Her mother was a teenager in Milwaukee, but before long Winfrey found herself in Nashville living with the man she considers her father. While still a teen in Nashville, she started working in radio, which would eventually lead to her media empire. 

Bella Thorne

The whole reason Bella Thorne became a professional actor was to help support her family growing up. After her father was killed in a car wreck when she was ten, Thorne's mother was left to raise four children on her own. It was a tough upbringing, but the acting gigs started coming more and more often and got her big break on the Disney Channel's Shake It Up in 2010. 

James Caan

James Caan was in some of the best movies in Hollywood history. The list of Caan's best movies is incredible. His father was a deli meat salesman and he grew up in the blue-collar neighborhood of Sunnyside, Queens, in New York City. He found acting while he briefly attended Hofstra, where he would also meet Francis Ford Coppola, who would give the role of Sonny in The Godfather years later. 

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez was raised by a single mother who had Gomez when she was just 16. Gomez has never been resentful, it seems, and credits her with raising her under such trying conditions. Gomez caught the acting bug at a pretty young age and ws soon landing shows on kids shows, leading to the insanely successful career we all know and love. 

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington had the definition of a blue-collar upbringing as the son of a beautician and an employee of the water company in his hometown of New York City. His parent worked hard to make sure he got a good education and after graduating from Fordham, he embarked on one of the most successful Hollywood careers of all time. 

It’s not unusual for actors who do their own stunts to deal with minor injuries sustained on set while completing things like big fight scenes, but it turns out that way smaller acts could lead to bumps and bruises, as well. Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams revealed that she totally hurt herself with her own sword while trying to stab The Hound (actor Rory McCann), and said “it was so embarrassing.”

How Did Maisie Williams Embarrass Herself While Filming Game Of Thrones?

Game of Thrones cast member Maisie Williams was a wee lass of only 12 when she landed her breakthrough role of young badass Arya Stark on the hit fantasy series (which you can watch with your Max subscription). She’s now spent some time reflecting on both the end of the beloved drama (which she shared brutally honest thoughts about), her time on it and her life immediately after its divisive 2019 finale. 

Williams has now opened up to Armchair Expert host Dax Shepard about a time she embarrassed herself during a fight scene by hurting herself with her own sword. Apparently, the actress is right-handed, but Arya was not. When asked if she’d “ever done anything stupid” from not being good with her left hand, she replied:

That led to a lot of futzing around with the sword and trying to get the look of the action just right for the many people checking the scene out. She continued:

Ooooh…OUCH! While certainly not a major injury in the grand scheme of things, I can definitely see it hurting a lot if you “crack” yourself on the eyebrow with a sword. I can also see how the talented star (who you can now check out with your Apple TV+ subscription on The New Look) ended up being “so” embarrassed by it, since this accident didn’t even happen in the heat of filming a fight sequence, when things can sometimes spin a bit out of control.

This just goes to show how all-encompassing her time on GOT was, particularly considering how young she was. The Pistol star said recently that she feels “a lot more comfortable in my own skin” after being “so lost for so long” because of the show and not being able to “pin down what I felt my identity was within that.” It’s quite lucky that she’s now been able to more thoroughly process her time on Game of Thrones, as well as her identity after the show. And, let’s also hope that there are no more awkward sword incidents for Williams in the future.

Every few years a show on HBO becomes a bonafide sensation, and is the quintessential water cooler for those with the premium network or have a Max subscription. Game of Thrones was definitely in that category, and its spinoff House of the Dragon has followed suit. While the final GOT season is somewhat controversial, the epic Battle of Winterfell in "The Long Night" was a thrilling episode of television. And Arya actress Maisie Williams shared the intense story about how they made that battle happen. 

The Game of Thrones series finale didn't please everyone, with some fans feeling like the show should have ended with "The Long Night." Maisie Williams recently appeared on the Armchair Expert podcast, where she explained the logistical challenges of getting that battle sequences together...especially because it was alot of night shoots. As she offered:

Talk about dedication. While movie and TV sets are known for long hours, this is another level entirely. Namely because the crew was doing nothing but night shoots for months in order capture the violence and chaos of the Battle of Winterfell. At least actors had days off when they weren't needed!

There are a handful of Game of Thrones episodes which focus entirely on one epic battle, like the Battle of the Bastards or Battle for The Wall. But actually getting together these episodes are huge undertakings, as Williams shared:

Is anyone else's head spinning? While "The Long Night" was a thrilling episode of television, when it aired fans complained it was too dark to see Jon Snow and all the rest of the cast. But despite that, months of hard work happened in order to bring the epic battle to life on the small screen. While appearing on the same podcast, Maisie reveals an injury she got while filming the Battle of Winterfell as Arya Stark. In her words:

Smart money says she wasn't the only one who got injured while filming "The Long Night." After all, there were a huge amount of background actors battling, using sharp weapons that are prone for human error. But in the end those efforts paid off, as it was arguably the most popular episode from GOT's final season. 

Game of Thrones is streaming in its entirety on Max, and House of the Dragon is expected to return this summer. While we wait, check out the TV premiere list. 

HBO's Game of Thrones ran for eight legendary seasons, airing 73 episodes in total. The sprawling epic included dozens of storylines and even more characters. According to IMDB, 843 different actors appeared on the show, including these 32 who appeared in the most episodes. 

There are some surprising characters that don't appear on this list, like Ramsey Bolton (Iwan Rheon), his father Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton), Ollena Tyrell (Diane Rigg), and, of course, Ned Stark (Sean Bean), and Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa), who didn't live long enough to be on it. 

Warning: Spoiler alerts of course! 

Tyrion Lannister - 67 Episodes

Peter Dinklage's character, Tyrion Lannister, appears in more episodes than any other character on Game of Thrones. The cleverest member of the Lannister clan appeared in 67 of the 73 episodes. He's introduced in the very first episode and makes it all the way to the last one. 

Cersei Lannister - 62 Episodes

The villain we all loved to hate, Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) appeared in an amazing 62 episodes. For a character that was in the middle of all the palace intrigue, who made as many enemies as Cersei did, it's a wonder she made it as far as she did. Like her siblings, Cersei was introduced in the first episode of the show, and made it to the 72nd episode, when she was killed when the Red Keep collapsed on her and her brother Jaime. 

Daenerys Targaryen - 62 Episodes

Daenerys Targaryen's character arc from the meek sister of a pretender king to a strong leader to a bloodthirsty tyrant is one of the most controversial arcs in TV history. It all began in the first episode of the series and ended in the controversial final episode. Emilia Clarke's character was in a total of 62 episodes over that time. 

Jon Snow - 62 Episodes

The broody Jon Snow (Kit Harington), has one of the craziest storylines of the series, taking him from Winterfell to The Wall, to the Red Keep, and everywhere in between. Audiences met Jon in the first episode, along with the rest of the Starks, and he makes it all the way to the end. It might not have ended for Jon the way some people wanted, but at least he's alive at the show's conclusion. 

Sansa Stark - 59 Episodes

Another character with an insane story arc is Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner). It unfolds over 59 episodes, starting with the first and ending with the last. She goes from a sweet summer child in the beginning, to one of the toughest and coldest leaders in The North by the end. Sansa has a brutal life over the course of the series, but it leads to somewhere great. 

Arya Stark - 59 Episodes

Viewers first met the second youngest Stark child, Arya (Maisie Williams), in the first episode when King Robert came to visit Winterfell. Through 59 episodes over all eight seasons, Arya turns into one of the best assassins in Westeros after her travels take her from her home up north, to King's Landing, to Braavos, and back again, finally ending up at Winterfell for one of the biggest moments of the series, when she takes out the Night King. 

Jaime Lannister - 55 Episodes

It's no surprise that Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is on this list, with 55 episodes. Jaime and his sister Cersei first appeared in the premiere, making quite a mark for the things he would do for love. He also has one of the least satisfying story arcs, after ditching Lady Brienne to return to his toxic relationship with his sister. The Kingslayer almost finds redemption before giving it all up for misguided love. 

Jorah Mormont - 52 Episodes

Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen), Daenerys' faithful guard makes it 52 episodes in Game of Thrones. He appears by his queen's side in the first episode and through eight seasons of ups and downs, including a long banishment from Daenerys' Queens Guard. In the end, Jorah gets the noble death he deserves in the second episode of Season 8, defending the Mother of Dragons in the Battle of Winterfell against the White Walkers.

Samwell Tarly - 48 Episodes

Jon Snow's most loyal companion is Samwell Tarly (John Bradley). Jon meets Sam at Castle Black in the fourth episode of Season 1 and they remain the best of friends until the end. After a journey that takes him all over Westeros, Sam makes it to the end of the final episode. 

Theon Greyjoy - 47 Episodes

Possibly no one had a rougher time in Game of Thrones than Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen). That's not to say he didn't deserve some of the unspeakable things that happened to him, as he was pretty awful from the time we met in the first episode until he finally redeems himself in Season 8. Like so many others, Theon falls at the Battle of Winterfell after defending Bran for as long as he can. Theon made it a total of 47 episodes. 

Varys - 46 Episodes

Lord Varys, the Spider, played by Conleth Hill, is always lurking in the shadows. For 46 episodes of Game of Thrones, he is mixing things up behind the scenes. Audiences first meet the Master of Whisperers when Ned Stark attends his first small council meeting in Episode 3 of Season 1. Varys is still helping make decisions for the realm in the final episode of the series. 

Davos Seaworth - 42 Episodes

Ser Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham), the pirate-turned-knight is a fan favorite who first appeared in Episode 1 of Season 2 as an advisor to Stannis Baratheon. Though he comes from humble beginnings, he rises all the way to Master of Ships under King Bran in the final episode of the show. 

Brienne Of Tarth - 42 Episodes

One of the most noble people in all of Westeros is Brienne of Tarth, played by Gwendoline Christie. We don't meet Brienne until Episode 3 of Season 2, but from there, she becomes a key character in a number of different stories. She has one of the most satisfying conclusions when she is named Commander of the King's Guard in the final episode. 

Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish - 41 Episodes

Aidan Gillen's character, Petyr Baelish, better known by his nickname, Littlefinger, plays a massive role in the battle for the throne throughout the series. As Master of Coin, viewers first meet Littlefinger in Episode 3 of Season 1. Though he puts himself in danger a number of times with his conniving actions, he makes it 42 episodes, before dying at the hands of Arya in the Season 7 finale.   

Bran Stark - 40 Episodes

Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) plays one of the most pivotal roles throughout the run of Game of Thrones. In a way, he is responsible for everything that happens after he is thrown from the window by Jaime at the end of the very first episode, and in the end, it's Bran that becomes King at the end of the series, which surprised most fans of the show.

Sandor "The Hound" Clegane - 38 Episodes

Rory McCann's portrayal of Sandor "The Hound" Clegane is one of the best on the show. He's funny, tough, scary, and sometimes, even kind. It's a hard line to walk for an actor and McCann does it brilliantly for 38 episodes, from the first in the series until the second-to-last episode when he dies with his brother, The Mountain. 

Missandei - 38 Episodes 

Daenerys Targaryen's righthand woman, Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel), is one of the most loyal people on the show, serving Dany as both an advisor and a good friend. Fans first meet Missandei in the first episode of Season 3 and watch her through 38 episodes, until she is killed on Cersei's order in Episode 4 of Season 8.

Bronn - 37 Episodes

Jerome Flynn's Bronn is the ultimate survivor. While he's a sellsword when we first meet him, when he fights as Tyrion's champion for his trial by combat at the Eyrie in Episode 4 of Season 1, he ends up a high lord and Master of Coin by the end of the series after appearing in 37 episodes, right down to the final one. 

Podrick Payne - 35 Episodes

Podrick Payne (Daniel Portman) is a ladies' man, which is one of the funniest recurring jokes on Game of Thrones. He's also a loyal squire to Brienne until he is promoted to the Kingsguard in the final episode. The popular Podrick appears in 35 episodes in total, from Episode 2 of Season 2, until the end. 

Grey Worm - 34 Episodes

Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) is the former slave, freed by Dany, and becomes Dany's most loyal soldier. He appears in a total of 34 episodes, starting in Season 3 and making it to the final episode and living to see another day. 

Eddison Tollett - 34 Episodes

Viewers first meet Eddison Tollett (Ben Crompton) in Episode 1 of Season 2 as a member of the Night's Watch. Always faithful to Jon Snow, Edd is a key member of the watch, though not a major character in the show. Still, he appears in 34 episodes, until his death at the Battle of Winterfell in Season 8.

Tormund Giantsbane - 33 Episodes

Everyone's favorite Wildling warrior, Tormund, played by Kristofer Hivju, appears in 33 episodes. We meet him later in the series, in Episode 1 of Season 3, but luckily for everyone, he makes it to the end, traveling with Jon Snow north of what's left of The Wall to live with the other Wildlings. 

Grand Maester Pycelle - 31 Episodes

Grand Maester Pycelle, played by the great Julian Glover, is a weaseling character, loyal to the Lannisters. That is, until he is betrayed by Cersei and her defrocked Maester, Qyburn. Still, he appears in 31 episodes from Season 1 until his death in Season 6. 

Melisandre - 29 Episodes

As despicable as Melisandre (Carice van Houten) is, it's remarkable that she survives until Season 8. Appearing in a total of 29 episodes, the Red Woman's allegiances change a couple of times, though nothing will ever excuse what she did to Stannis' daughter. 

Tywin Lannister - 27 Episodes

Charles Dance's performance as Tywin Lannister is one of the best in all of Game Of Thrones. Over 27 episodes from Season 1 through his death in the privy in Season 8, Tywin is a villain everyone loves to hate. 

Gilly - 27 Episodes

Gilly (Hannah Murray) is one of the most sympathetic characters in the brutal world of Games of Thrones. The former Wildling daughter/wife of Craster escapes with Sam and her son and they survive together until the very end of show. Gilly appears in 27 episodes from Season 2 through the finale. 

Margaery Tyrell - 26 Episodes

Margaery Tyrell, played by Natalie Dormer, is a polarizing character in Game of Thrones. She has a knack for playing the game well and married not one, but two kings throughout her 26-episode run between Seasons 1 and 6, but ultimately she is outplayed by Cersei when she is killed in the Sept of Baelor explosion. 

Joffrey Baratheon - 26 episodes

There is no question that Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) is one of the greatest villains on Game of Thrones and in TV history. Almost from the moment audiences met him in the first episode, we hated him. That hatred only grew over the next 26 episodes that he appears in, until finally, we all get what we wanted when he is poisoned at his own wedding. 

Catelyn Stark - 25 episodes

Maybe the most tragic character on Game of Thrones is Stark matriarch Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley). She sees her husband die, her daughter held hostage, and her son Robb die. It's all too much for her take by the end of her 25-episode arc when she dies at the Red Wedding, after being introduced in the fist episode. 

Barristan Selmy - 25 episodes

Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney) is another close advisor to Dany. Though not as close to her as Jorah, he's still an important member of her Queen's Guard after his banishment from Joffrey's Kings Guard. His run lasted for 25 episodes until he is killed helping Grey Worm against the Sons of the Harpy.

Gregor "The Mountain" Clagane - 24 Episodes

Sandor Cleagane's brother, Gregor "The Mountain" Cleagane, is a knight of few words. Eventually, after his poisoning in a trial by combat, he's a man of no words. He's still one of the most fearsome knights in the realm. Three different actors played The Mountain throughout the 24 episodes he appeared in, Conan Stevens (Season 1) Ian Whyte (Season 2), and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (Seasons 4-8).

Gendry Baratheon - 24 Episodes

Although we meet the illegitimate son of King Robert, Gendry (Joe Dempsie) in Season 1, his character arc takes him in and out of the series, and despite appearing in seven of the eight seasons, he only shows up in 24 episodes. 

There are a handful of characters that just missed the cut here, like Ramsey Bolton, Robb Stark, and Stannis Baratheon, and a whole lot more fan favorites that are way down the list because they appeared in far fewer shows than you'd guess. But these are the characters that appeared the most. 

When I think of Arya Stark from Game of Thrones I think about her heroic journey, the incredible action she was involved in and some of GOT’s most violent deaths. Someone who is not on my mind in the slightest when I think of Maisie Williams' time on the fantasy epic is Sarah Jessica Parker, yes you read that correctly. However, for the actress who played the young Stark in the Game of Thrones cast the Sex and the City star and her perfume are deeply connected to her time on the HBO drama. 

So, while chatting with Williams about playing Catherine Dior in the 2024 TV schedule’s historical drama The New Look, she told me the sweet story behind why SJP’s scent brings her back to this pivotal time in her life. 

If you have done any research on Catherine Dior, you’ll quickly learn that she was believed to be the inspiration for Christian Dior’s perfume Miss Dior, as Vogue wrote. So, when I had the chance to speak with Maisie Williams about playing the designer's younger sister in Apple TV+’s The New Look, I asked if there was a special scent in her life that carries significant meaning. Her answer connected back to her days on Game of Thrones in a fun way as she told me:

Scent memories can be super impactful, and in an instant, a smell can transport you back to a specific time in your life. Personally, I love that it’s Sarah Jessica Parker’s perfume Lovely that does this for Williams. While she didn’t mention if she’s a fan of Sex and The City or And Just Like That… SJP's product obviously made a huge impact on the young actress, and now whenever she smells it, it takes her right back to the 2010s and her time on Game of Thrones. 

Maisie Williams was only 14 years old when she started working on Game of Thrones. It was her first role ever, and to this day her portrayal of Arya Stark is considered iconic. The actress literally grew up on the sets of the HBO fantasy epic, and like her character, she matured and got stronger before our eyes. 

Transitioning away from Game of Thrones was a struggle for Williams after it ended in 2019. However, now she’s thriving. In 2021 she started her podcast Frank Film Club with Maisie Williams, which is still happening, and in 2022 she starred in the min-series Pistol. Now, she’s helping lead The New Look alongside her co-star and GOT super-fan Ben Mendelsohn as well as powerhouses Juliette Binoche and John Malkovich. 

Now, maybe the Miss Dior scent can bring Maisie Williams back to her work on one of Apple TV+’s best shows of late, while Sarah Jessica Parker’s perfume continues to remind her of her legendary days on Game of Thrones. 

Game of Thrones was a cultural phenomenon for the eight seasons it aired on HBO, skyrocketing numerous actors to household name status for their performances in the George R. R. Martin book series adaptation. Maisie Williams was one of those actresses, as she spent her formative years playing Arya Stark — a role she was cast in at just 12 years old. Despite drawing critical praise immediately, and continuing to do so until Game of Thrones’ series finale in 2019, her career following the fantasy epic wasn't always easy, and Williams recently opened up about her struggles.

Maisie Williams struck gold with her first acting credit, famously beating out more than 300 other actresses to win the role of Arya Stark. Trying to transition out of that role as an assassin with epic knife skills wasn’t easy, however, and that’s something she’s only just now able to talk about. The actress told The Times (UK):  

With fame coming so quick to the young actress — who couldn’t have been more adorable in a photo of her first day on set — rejection wasn’t something she’d had to face before, so she struggled with that, on top of the urge to compare her talents to those of the actors around her. She struggled with finding herself back then, she said, continuing: 

Now 26, Maisie Williams feels more comfortable in her identity, which likely came with age as well as possibly some distance from the beloved tomboy character she became so intrinsically associated with. Since Game of Thrones wrapped — with an ending that the Arya Stark actress had some brutal thoughts about — Williams has moved on to a number of projects. 

She played Rahne Sinclair (aka Wolfsbane) in the X-Men series The New Mutants, starred in the revenge drama Two Weeks to Live (available to stream in the U.S.) in 2020, and joined the cast of Pistol, the biographical drama about the British punk band the Sex Pistols, where she played Pamela “Jordan” Rooke. Up next Maisie Williams will co-star in The New Look, a biographical drama about Christian Dior, alongside “Game of Thrones freak” Ben Mendelsohn on Apple TV+.

Despite Arya Stark’s fans hoping for a spinoff, no plans seem to be in the works for Maisie Williams to reprise that role, but Game of Thrones fans can still look forward to House of the Dragon Season 2, which is slated to hit the 2024 TV schedule sometime this summer. In the meantime, you can get caught up on Season 1 or relive Williams’ days as the badass warrior by streaming Game of Thrones with a Max subscription. 

Maisie Williams has been up to a lot since Game of Thrones ended, though it seems like everyone is still talking about Arya Stark all these years later. Ben Mendelsohn geeked out over working with her on The New Look because of it, and we all go gaga when she shares throwback pics with Sophie Turner. However, the actress has done a lot more than play the toughest member of the Stark family, of course, and recently she expressed interest in returning to a former role she portrayed in Doctor Who. 

Williams is one of many famous actors who appeared on Doctor Who, and there's always a chance for her to return once again. The actress was asked about potentially returning in a future adventure during an interview with Collider, and she shared her thoughts about the possibility of coming back to portray her character Ashildr for more episodes:

Maisie Williams appeared in four episodes as Ashildr in Season 9 of Doctor Who, and she could appear in more if given the green light to do so by Russell T. Davies. Her character was confirmed to be immortal, or at least able to have a lifespan that far exceeded the existence of the galaxy, so anything is possible. Those who missed her appearances can revisit the Twelfth Doctor's episodes with a Max subscription, where episodes prior to the 60th Anniversary are currently.  

As interested as Williams is, she's seemingly missed the boat to join the Doctor Who Season 14 cast. Filming started on Season 15 back in October, so with the expectation that scripts would be finished, there may not be an opportunity for her to return soon. 

Assuming Maisie Williams isn't being tight-lipped about some secret project, and plans don't change, she may need to wait until Season 16, when an offer could be slid her way. I guess that's assuming we don't get any specials in between the seasons, which is always a possibility. 

When it comes to what Ashildr could do, I'd like to see a scenario that somehow brings her back with Clara Oswald, considering that's who Jenna Coleman's character traveled with before her inevitable demise and exit from the series. Many fans have dreamed of a scenario where Coleman could return as well, but we will just have to wait and see. 

Russell T. Davies does have many plans for the franchise, after all, and with stars like David Tennant getting brutally honest about the odds of returning, it sounds like he's focusing on moving forward rather than looking back. 

As mentioned, there are a couple of places one must venture to watch the modern episodes of Doctor Who on streaming. At present, one will need both Max and Disney+ subscriptions to watch it all, but there is an upside. Maisie Williams fans can also enjoy her time as Arya Stark on Game of Thrones on Max, as well as the work she's done for the beloved time-traveling franchise. And hopefully, someday, she'll be able to return to The Doctor's world.

There’s no question that one of the most beloved Game of Thrones characters is Arya Stark. Played brilliantly by Maisie Williams, the young Stark sibling pushed her way through adversity to become one of the greatest warriors in Westeros. Well, Williams' time in the GOT cast came to a close in 2019, and now she’s moved on to new iconic roles, including her latest part in Apple TV+’s The New Look. So, as this historical drama premieres on the 2024 TV schedule, the actress's co-star Ben Mendelsohn took a moment to geek out about Williams' iconic fantasy role while explaining how much he loved working with her. 

Apple TV+’s The New Look follows the rise of Christian Dior right after World War II, and in it, Mendelsohn plays the legendary designer while Maisie Williams plays his sister Catherine Dior. The Bloodline star told me during an interview that he adored working with the Game of Thrones alum, and that partially stemmed from his love for the HBO megahit:

As a Game of Thrones fan, I totally understood where Mendelsohn was coming from. Whether you're watching or rewatching GOT, Arya’s story always stands out. Specifically, her arc where she’s traveling with The Hound is one of the best parts of the show, and it was easily one of the most unexpected yet perfect character pairings. 

Well, considering Mendelsohn’s adoration for Arya and Game of Thrones, he couldn’t wait to work with Maisie Williams on The New Look. Plus, how she got cast only added to his appreciation, as he told me:

With the first three episodes of The New Look out, you can see how much Mendelsohn and Williams adore each other through their relationship as Christian and Catherine Dior. While Game of Thrones is easily one of HBO’s best, it’s totally possible that these two powerhouses could make this historical drama one of Apple TV+’s best shows. Clearly, they both care deeply about the series and each other, and as the Rogue One star said, they connected easily, and the GOT alum helped everyone “feel solid” in their parts. 

To see Ben Mendelsohn and Maisie Williams on screen together, you can stream the first three episodes of The New Look with an Apple TV+ subscription. To understand why the Captain Marvel star was marveling over his co-star, you can check out Game of Thrones with a Max subscription. 

Doctor Who is a British institution, and while it’s made household names of the actors who take on the mantle of The Doctor, it’s also cast many stars in guest roles. So, with that in mind, we took a journey through the iconic modern era run of the beloved BBC show, and found 32 famous actors who played a minor role in this time lord’s journey. 

Jonathan Bailey

While we know and love Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton on one of Netflix’s best series, Bridgerton, and as Fiyero in the Wicked cast, you might not be aware that he was in Season 8 of Doctor Who in the episode “Time Heist.” He starred alongside Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor, playing the hacker Psi. 

Brett Goldstein

Brett Goldstein appeared in the Season 11 episode “The Tsuranga Conundrum '' alongside Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor. During the episode that saw The Doctor and co. stuck on a spaceship while an enemy tries to destroy it, and the Emmy-winning actor played the head nurse Astos. Then, two years later, Goldstein became a household name when he joined the Ted Lasso cast as the beloved grouchy player-turned-coach Roy Kent. 

Carey Mulligan

Before Carey Mulligan starred in movies like Drive, Promising Young Woman and Maestro, she played the young Sally Sparrow in the Season 3 episode “Blink.” Not only is this episode one with some of Doctor Who’s best quotes, but it’s also one of the most iconic stories in the show’s history as David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor took on the Weeping Angels. 

Olivia Colman 

In one of Doctor Who’s best episodes, and Matt Smith’s first as the Eleventh iteration of the time lord, Olivia Colman played “Mother,” a woman who is taken over by Patient Zero in “The Eleventh Hour.” After that, the actress, of course, went on to win an Oscar for The Favourite, and she starred in various other successful projects including the film The Lost Daughter, and the series Broadchurch and The Crown. 

James Corden

Long before James Corden was hosting The Late Late Show, he guest starred in two of Matt Smith’s episodes as his pal and flatmate Craig, most notably in the Season 5 episode “The Lodger.” 

Andrew Garfield

He may be best known as The Amazing Spider-Man and for films like The Social Network and Tick, Tick…Boom! but before all that, Andrew Garfield starred alongside David Tennant in two Doctor Who episodes, “Daleks in Manhattan” and “Evolution of the Daleks.” He played Frank, a boy who gets the Doctor to help get rid of the Daleks. 

Bill Nighy 

In one of the most moving episodes of Doctor Who, “Vincent and The Doctor,” Bill Nighy plays Dr. Black, who works at the museum where Vincent Van Gogh’s self-portrait is held. Before starring in the emotional Matt Smith-led episode all about the aforementioned painter, Nighy was best known for movies like Love, Actually and Pirates of the Caribbean. Since then, he’s been in films including About Time, Emma. and Living, which he got an Oscar nomination for. 

Daniel Kaluuya

You know Daniel Kaluuya? That’s right, the star of Jordan Peele’s movies Get Out and Nope and the man who won an Oscar for Judas and The Black Messiah. Well, before all of that, he played Barclay in Season 4 of Doctor Who in the episode “Planet of the Dead,” where he helped the Tenth Doctor fix an engine after a double-decker bus they were on got stuck in a very sandy place.  

Felicity Jones

Before she entered a galaxy far, far away in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story or received her Oscar nomination for The Theory of Everything, Felicity Jones guest starred on Doctor Who. In 2008, she played Robina Redmond opposite the Tenth Doctor in the episode “The Unicorn and the Wasp,” which was a fun take on Agatha Christie and her mysteries. 

Ian McKellen

While you don’t see Sir Ian McKellen in Doctor Who, his voice is undeniable, as he was the man behind The Great Intelligence in Matt Smith’s 2012 Christmas special  “The Snowmen.” This special appearance was just another feather in this iconic British actor’s cap in the world of genre as he’s best known for playing Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings films as well as Magneto in the X-Men movies. 

Maisie Williams

Obviously, we know Maisie Williams as Arya Stark, an integral character in the Game of Thrones cast. However, she also starred in another series that’s considered a British institution when she appeared in four of Peter Capaldi’s Season 9 Doctor Who episodes – “The Girl Who Died,” “The Woman Who Lived,” “Face the Raven'' and “Hell Bent” – as Ashildr (AKA Me) the immortal Viking. 

Michael Gambon 

In Doctor Who’s 2010 Christmas special, “A Christmas Carol,” the Eleventh Doctor finds himself with a very Scrooge-like character named Kazran Sardick, played by the late Michael Gambon. The actor also played the antagonist’s father Elliot Sardick. Of course, before this, he also starred in another tentpole fantasy franchise by playing Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight Harry Potter movies. 

John Hurt 

In the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, John Hurt joined Matt Smith and David Tennant as a regeneration of the time lord named the War Doctor, who lived between the eighth and ninth versions of The Doctor. He was, of course, played by the late great John Hurt, who was known for iconic films like Alien and The Elephant Man. He was a legendary British actor, and he played a pivotal role in the long-running BBC series.

Gemma Chan

From the beloved and star-studded rom-com Crazy Rich Asians to Marvel’s The Eternals, Gemma Chan’s star has grown immensely over the last few years. However, before that, she played geologist Mia Bennett in the 2009 episode “The Waters of Mars” alongside David Tennant’s Doctor. 

Michael Sheen

David Tennant plays the demon to Michael Sheen’s angel in Good Omens, but before they shared the screen together, the Aziraphale actor voiced a House on the show that made his co-star a household name. During Matt Smith’s run as The Doctor during the episode “The Doctor’s Wife,” the actor known for Frost/Nixon and Masters of Sex voiced the evil entity that lived just outside the universe. 

Richard E. Grant

With over 140 credits to his name, including Gosford Park and Hudson Hawk, Richard E. Grant is a legendary British actor. In Doctor Who he played an equally iconic role as the antagonist Dr. Simeon in the Eleventh Doctor-led Christmas special “The Snowmen.” After that, the actor who played a variant of Loki in Marvel’s most timey-wimey show, returned to Dr. Simeon for the Season 7 episode “The Name of the Doctor.” 

Jonathan Groff

As one of the first big actors to guest star in Ncuti Gatwa’s run as the Fifteenth Doctor, Jonathan Groff joined the cast for a Regency-era episode. Before making a brief appearance on Doctor Who, Groff made a name for himself on Broadway in shows including Merrily We Roll Along and Hamilton. He also voiced Kristoff in both Frozen films, and starred in David Fincher’s series Mindhunter. Talk about range. 

Stephen Fry

During the Thirteenth Doctor’s run, Stephen Fry played a role in the Season 12 episode “Spyfall" as C, the head of MI6. An iconic character actor, Fry has over 190 credits to his name, and he is best known for films like Wilde and V for Vendetta. 

Simon Pegg

Long before he was choosing to accept missions with Tom Cruise in the Mission: Impossible movies and leading Edgar Wright’s Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy – which is Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End – Simon Pegg guest starred on Doctor Who. He played The Editor in Season 1 of the modern era, and went up against Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth generation of the time lord. 

Kylie Minogue

Yes, you read that right, Australian pop icon Kylie Minogue, singer of “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” and “Chiggy Wiggy,” did star in a 2007 episode of Doctor Who titled “Voyage of the Damned.” During Season 4, she was featured alongside Tennant’s Doctor as Astrid, an alien waitress. 

Helen McCrory

Helen McCrory played Rosanna in the 2010 Doctor Who episode “The Vampires of Venice.” The Peaky Blinders star joined Matt Smith’s Doctor as the leader of the Saturnyns. Along with the two iconic BBC shows, the actress also played Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies and starred in The Count of Monte Cristo. 

Toby Jones

In the episode “Amy’s Choice,” Toby Jones played the Dream Lord. This spooky villain that comes from the darker side of The Eleventh Doctor is another fun character in Jones’ cap, as he also voiced Dobby in the Harry Potter films and played Dr. Zola in the Captain America movies as well as Claudius Templesmith in The Hunger Games. 

Neil Patrick Harris

Joining the episode of the three-part 60th Anniversary special, Neil Patrick Harris played the Toymaker and witnessed the historic bi-generation. The How I Met Your Mother alum faced off against David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor as well as Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor. 

Timothy Dalton

Yep, you read that right, James Bond was in Doctor Who too. Timothy Dalton – who played 007 in License to Kill and The Living Daylights – guest starred in the Tenth Doctor’s 2009 episodes “End of Time” parts one and two where he played The Narrator and Lord President Rassilon, the founder and first leader of The Doctor’s home planet, Gallifrey. 

Brian Cox

In “End of Time,” Brian Cox wasn’t seen on screen with David Tennant, however, you can hear him, because he voiced Elder Ood, who is of an alien race the Doctor works to protect. While you don’t see Cox physically in the episode, you can see him as the patriarch of the Succession cast, Logan Roy, and you can check out movies of his, including Troy and Manhunter. 

Letitia Wright

Letitia Wright’s future is as the Black Panther, but prior to playing Shuri in the MCU and starring in other fun projects, she appeared in the Season 9 episode “Face the Raven” with Peter Capaldi’s Doctor. In Doctor Who, she played Anahson, an orphan looking for her mother. 

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

While Gugu Mbatha-Raw is best known for travelling through time and space as Ravonna Renslayer in Loki, she also played Tish Jones in four episodes of Doctor Who’s fourth season alongside David Tennant. The actress who played Martha’s sister in these episodes then went on to star in many films, including Belle, and series like The Morning Show. 

Thomas Brodie-Sangster

You likely know Thomas Brodie-Sangster as the kid from Love, Actually or from his work in The Maze Runner movies and The Queen’s Gambit. However, he also starred in a pair of Doctor Who episodes in Season 3 alongside David Tennant as Tim Latimer, a schoolboy from 1913.  

Alan Cumming

The host of The Traitors and star of The Good Wife, Alan Cumming starred as King James I in the Season 11 episode “The Witchfinders.” In the episode featuring the Thirteenth Doctor, this star of stage and screen played the king of a nation that was in the midst of a witch trial when the time lord showed up. 

Iain Glen

Iain Glen played Octavian in the 2010 Doctor Who episodes titled “The Time of Angels” and “Flesh and Stone.” While the actor made a name for himself on Game of Thrones as Jorah, Daenerys’ protector, he was trying to protect his team and The Doctor from the Weeping Angels in this set of Matt Smith-led episodes. 

Anthony Head

Anthony Head played Rupert Giles in 123 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Uther Pendragon in 43 episodes of Merlin. He also portrayed the evil headmaster Lassar in one episode of Doctor Who – “School Reunion” – back in its second season alongside David Tennant. 

Jacob Anderson 

You likely remember Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm from Game of Thrones or Louis de Pointe du Lac in the series Interview with a Vampire. In the midst of all that, he joined Season 13 of Doctor Who for a recurring role as Vinder, a pilot and guardian who watches from Observation Outpost Rose and worked with the Thirteenth Doctor across seven episodes. 

As you can see, the list of actors who have made minor appearances on Doctor Who is long and wickedly impressive. From legendary actors like Ian McKellen and Olivia Colman and modern TV staples like Jonathan Bailey and Brett Goldstein, it’s hard to believe that all these folks aided (or tried to stop) The Doctor on their wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey journey through time and space, but they all did!

In a true sisterly fashion, Maisie Williams took to Instagram to wish her Game of Thrones sister Sophie Turner a happy name day, as they’d say on the hit fantasy series, in the most fitting, non-epic, hilarious way. The actress behind Arya Stark took to socials to wish her longtime TV sister the happiest of birthdays by way of an old throwback picture and some humorous poetry to round out the message, and it's amazing. 

The actress behind Sansa Stark turned 27 today, and in honor of her TV sister, Williams decided to go way back in the camera roll to find an image that might be from 2011 to honor her longtime friend. However, the fun doesn't stop there, because not only did the actress post this hilariously non-epic photo on her Instagram stories, she complimented it with a poem, check it out: 

It looks like the two girls are eating their meal with towels over their costumes, so they don’t get them dirty, while they were in the midst of filming an early season of Game of Thrones. Considering photo dumps on Instagram these days are always riddled with candid, and occasionally mundane yet entertaining photos, like this one, it feels on brand for Williams to post a photo like this in celebration of Turner. 

While I love the non-epic throwback pick from the early Thrones days, I think the poem is my favorite bit of this post. You can read Williams', dare I say genius with a hint of sarcasm, poem a bit closer here:

True poetry, if I do say so myself. I feel like if Arya Stark were forced to write poetry, it would turn out something like this. I don’t think our favorite assassin would write the most profound poetry and would lean more into the literal, exactly like Williams did. 

This post also served as a wholesome reminder of how close the two Stark sisters are outside of Game of Thrones. The Sansa actress explained a while back that she and her TV sister would hang out and just “sit there and eat and watch stupid videos and smoke weed" during a shoot, and sometimes they’d even get high in the bathtub. Both Williams and Turner have also spoken openly about how much they love each other, and even all these years after the show ended, it’s nice to see them still having fun with one another. 

The two are so close there was even a bit of speculation that if they were in a romantic relationship. They never were, however, they would kiss on set sometimes, just to play into the bit and goof around. 

Sadly, the two haven’t been seen together on screen in a while, however, Williams has been talking more about her Game of Thrones days recently. She opened up about the news that her TV brother Kit Harington is working on coming back for a Jon Snow spinoff, and she revealed her brutally honest thoughts about GOT’s ending. 

I really hope that Turner and Williams get together sometime in the future to talk about their time on Thrones, especially now that they are so many years removed from the show. Based on the fact that they still clearly care for each other, it feels like that’s possible. However, in the meantime, we can sit here and enjoy this hilarious birthday post from the actress behind Arya to the actress behind Sansa. 

While Game of Thrones might be over, the stories of Westeros are far from done, as House of the Dragon was the show of the summer, and a second season is on the way. You can also always go back and watch the series that started not only the Game of Thrones universe but the iconic friendship between Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams with an HBO Max subscription. 

Our girl Taylor Swift has some epic revenge songs. From early bops like “Better than Revenge” to newer hits like “Karma,” she always makes it clear that she’s not afraid to fight back when someone has wronged her.  And much like Swift, Arya Stark from Game of Thrones also seems to live by the motto in Swift’s song “Vigilante Shit” of  “don’t get sad, get even.” Turns out this similarity is no coincidence because Arya is the GOT character Swift relates to the most, and she explained why.

In an interview with THR, the Midnights singer was asked which character she identifies with most, and she responded with the young assassin played by Maisie Williams on Game of Thrones, explaining: 

She makes a good point, she might not be able to wield a sword like Needle or steal faces, but she has made big moves to shake up the music industry over the last 15 years, especially when she’s been wronged or taken advantage of. 

From bad breakups to the fiasco with Ticketmaster, Swift has always expressed how she feels, and she refuses to be used. The biggest example of Swift getting even was when Scooter Braun bought her catalog of music. Following her not being able to outright own every album she released before Lover, the singer dedicated herself to re-recording all her albums, from every era, so she can gain control over her entire body of work (which is why most of Swift’s upcoming projects will be re-recorded albums). 

I’d say this calculated move from Swift is just as precise and measured as many of Arya’s finest moments on the show, like when she brilliantly swooped in to kill the Night King. 

It turns out Swift doesn’t just relate to Arya. She was so inspired by Game of Thrones that it directly influenced her 2018 album Reputation. Swift told EW in 2019 she had been watching Game of Thrones while making the album. The popstar explained the GOT connection when talking about "Look What You Made Me Do," saying: 

You can feel the aggression in the song, and it’s extremely similar to Arya’s passion for revenge in the hit fantasy series. To quote the aforementioned song both women have a “list of names...in red underlined.”

Swift also revealed the influence of Game of Thrones on other songs. For example, she told EW “King of My Heart” was influenced by Khal Drogo and Daenerys' relationship, and “I Did Something Bad” was written after she watched Arya and Sansa devise a plan to kill Littlefinger in one of the best episodes of Game of Thrones. 

The pop star also mentioned that she loved Game of Thrones’ ability to lay Easter eggs and hidden meaning throughout the show, which has directly impacted her music. Swift's love for hidden messages has been on full display throughout her last few albums, but especially in the cameo and Easter egg-filled “Bejeweled” music video. 

I can totally see why Swift responded with Arya Stark when asked about a character she identifies with. There are tons of parallels to pick up on, but if you are looking to find even more similarities between the two, you can watch every season of Game of Thrones with an HBO Max subscription. 

Whenever you have a series that’s beloved by millions of people worldwide, the finale of said show is going to be a tricky business, and many television shows have wrapped with endings that failed to make viewers happy. But, there are few series that have garnered the amount of negative attention in the finale season that Game of Thrones did, with the HBO mega hit pissing so many people off, and to such an extreme degree, that fans started a petition to have Season 8 remade. The stars of the fantasy have had plenty to say about it since closing that chapter of their lives, but now that Maisie Williams has rewatched it, she has some brutally honest thoughts on it.

What Did Maisie Williams Say About Game Of Thrones After Rewatching It?

There is scarcely such a thing as “appointment viewing” anymore when it comes to many millions of people all sitting down at the same time to watch a popular TV show as a new episode premieres (with the possible exception of GOT spinoff, House of the Dragon), but the story of several families jockeying for power definitely fulfilled that description. Though Arya Stark’s portrayer noted a few months before the finale that she was “proud” of Season 8, while admitting that fans likely wouldn’t be “satisfied” by it, while speaking with Twitch creator talfuin (via TikTok) recently, Williams shared her opinion on the show after having now rewatched the whole thing, saying:

Well, there ya go! It was probably difficult for the young talent to have an objective view on something that massively changed her life the way GOT did while she was still in the middle of it, or even right after completing her work on it. She officially ended her time on the hit in the summer of 2018, but with months until those episodes began to air, and the amount of publicity surrounding them through the end of the following year, it makes a lot of sense that it took a while for Williams to go back to it and make an honest appraisal.

There are still many formerly devoted fans who continue to despise the last season, so the actress is far from alone in her thoughts on where the series that made her a star began and where it ended. Other Game of Thrones cast members, like John Bradley, have also noted that it was “highly unlikely” that the writers would have been able to please more than a “fraction” of the fans, anyway, but some have staunchly defended the finale by calling it “perfect.” 

So, with even the stars of the show not being in agreement on much, other than the fact that they all worked hard to do the best they could with what Season 8 presented them with, it’s probably fair to say that we’ll be arguing about this ending and it’s many unanswered questions for years to come.

Game of Thrones seemingly brought Jon Snow’s story to an end with its series finale back in 2019 when he headed north with the Free Folk after being exiled from the kingdom, but it turns out that Kit Harington wasn’t necessarily finished with playing his iconic role after all. A spinoff centering on Harington’s Jon Snow is currently in development at HBO, and now his former co-star and on-screen sister Maisie Williams has shared her thoughts on the spinoff. 

Maisie Williams (who has moved on from Game of Thrones with a variety of projects, most recently including FX on Hulu’s Pistol), spoke with People about the big news regarding her former on-screen brother, saying: 

Jon Snow turned out to be one of the most notable characters of Game of Thrones, and not just because he managed to survive all eight seasons without being killed off… permanently, anyway! The original series seemed to wrap up a lot of his storylines, to the point that he seemed fairly content to be heading up to the far north with the Free Folk. 

Fans will likely always be divided about his ending (other than his long-awaited reunion with Ghost) and the separation of the Starks, but now his GOT ending (which you can revisit streaming with an HBO Max subscription) won’t necessarily be the last that we see of him, and Maisie Williams is already excited about this next chapter for Kit Harington. 

Of course, there’s no guarantee that the project will indeed become a TV show, but George R.R. Martin dropped some intriguing details, and it’s hard to imagine that a Jon Snow-centric series bringing back Kit Harington in live-action wouldn’t be a priority for HBO. Maisie Williams summed up the idea of the story continuing with Harington getting a spinoff:

According to George R.R. Martin in his latest website update (which did not involve a release date for The Winds of Winter), the working title for the project is Snow, and it has been in development under wraps for quite some time now. It’s also not a project that had to go the extra mile to recruit Harington back to the role, as the A Song of Ice and Fire author revealed that the show was the actor’s idea, and he brought in the writers and showrunners as his own team.

Martin also confirmed that he’s involved for Snow just as he is in for the other developing spinoffs and animated shows, so book fans may want to resign themselves now that the author has revealed another non-Winds of Winter project on his plate. 

Maisie Williams hasn’t confirmed one way or the other whether she would ever reprise her role as Arya Stark, who also managed to survive all eight seasons of Game of Thrones, but fans can always hope. She still speaks about the series, including recently sharing why she was shocked by Arya’s sex scene with Gendry before the Battle of Winterfell in Season 8. 

Whether or not Snow does move forward and become a series, fans have a different Game of Thrones spinoff to look forward to in the much nearer future. House of the Dragon, set many years before the events of Game of Thrones and during the Targaryen dynasty, will premiere on HBO on Sunday, August 21 as part of the 2022 fall TV schedule.

In Game of Thrones' final season, Arya Stark reunited with Gendry after not seeing him since Season 3. Before the battle with the White Walkers, because these two believed they would probably die by the end of the night, they had sex for the first time. While there was plenty of Game of Thrones fans who were crossing their fingers for “Gendrya” to happen, Arya's Maisie Williams was shocked by that sex scene, and she explained the reason why.

Maisie Williams was 20 years old at the time her character had that steamy sex scene with Gendry, who was played by the then 30-year-old Joe Dempsie. As the he Emmy-nominated actress told TV Line, she was shocked at Arya’s sex scene because she honestly didn’t know that Arya was even romantically attracted to Gendry.

Arya's character arc started when Maisie Williams was 12 years old as a kickass warrior who was more concerned with slaying the family who murdered her parents than finding true love like her sister Sansa wanted for herself. We’d never seen Arya show any romantic interest towards anyone, much less picturing herself as someone's wife in the future. But Williams has stated that what Arya’s sex scene meant to her was having the audience see a scene where Arya shows her vulnerability to Gendry. If she really believed she was going to die at the hands of the White Walkers, she wanted to have an experience she’s never had before. In this case, it was a sexual one.

Maisie Williams was not the only one confused and weirded out by Arya’s sex scene. Game of Thrones has been known for its explicit scenes both sexually and violently. However, it was surely strange for a lot of people to see someone that we’ve seen start out as a little girl suddenly take her clothes off and have a sexual experience. Many fans probably didn’t even know if Arya had an interest in sex, and weren’t ready to see the little warrior grow up to be a lady. Well, the British actress previously sympathized and made sure to mention that if we were weirded out, think of what her whole family thought watching that scene!

While Arya has no place in the HBO Max prequel series House of the Dragon that takes place 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, Maisie Williams is not going anywhere. She recently appeared in Danny Boyle’s Sex Pistols limited series Pistols as punk icon Pamela “Jordan” Rooke. Game of Thrones may have been the first time the young British star has bared all, but Pistols gave her yet another opportunity to go topless. Despite partaking in this scene, Williams has expressed the importance of her talent for the role coming first before having to do any nude scenes, a strong attribute for any actress to hold onto in the business. 

You can see Maisie Williams rocking out now in the miniseries Pistols with your Hulu subscription. 

For better or worse, Sex Pistols have long been considered one of the most consequential bands of all time and helped usher in one of the first waves of punk rock and took the genre and lifestyle to new heights. And while there have been several books, documentaries, and even a 1986 drama starring the incomparable Gary Oldman as the outfit’s one-time bassist Sid Vicious, the story of how the band formed and changed the world has largely gone untold in terms of mainstream exposure. Well, that will certainly change with Danny Boyle’s six-part FX series Pistol which is currently streaming on Hulu.

If you’ve watched the show already or at least saw a trailer or two in the lead-up to its release, you may be wondering where you’ve seen the actors before, including two familiar faces from the Game of Thrones cast. Well, never mind the bollocks, here’s the Pistol cast…

Toby Wallace (Steve Jones)

Let’s start off the raucous bunch with Toby Wallace, who portrays Sex Pistols guitarist and founding member Steven Jones whose memoir Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol serve as the basis of the biographical drama series.

Before landing the role of the most influential figures of the punk rock movement, Wallace cut his teeth in movies like The Turning, Boys in the Trees, and Babyteeth, as well as shows like Romper Stomper and The Society. He’s next set to share the screen with Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Foster, and Jenna Ortega in the Paramount+ crime thriller Finestkind, per Deadline.

Jacob Slater (Paul Cook)

Next up is Jacob Slater who sits behind the kit as Sex Pistols drummer Paul “Cookie” Cook, who is also Steven Jones’ longtime friend and partner-in-crime on Pistol. Slater’s portrayal of the punk pioneer on Danny Boyle’s new six-part limited series is the young actor’s first acting gig though he has long been a prominent figure in the South London music scene with bands like Dead Pretties and Wunderhorse.

Anson Boon (John Lydon)

Stepping in as the former Sex Pistols eccentric and controversial frontman John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, is Anson Boon, who has started to build up quite a resumé for himself in recent years.

Throughout his short career, which goes back to an appearance on All at Sea in 2014, Boon has popped up on shows like The Alienist, Living the Dream, and The Defeated, as well as movies like The Winter Lake and Crawl. Boon also had a brief appearance on the 1917 cast.

Christian Lees (Glen Matlock)

Taking on the role of the Sex Pistols’ original bassist and songwriter Glen Matlock on Pistol is Christian Lees. 

Throughout his career, Lees has appeared on shows like Parents, The Bill, Little Crackers, and probably most notably Sun Records, on which he portrayed another musician, a little rock and roller named Jerry Lee Lewis. Lees also had a role in the 2021 British biographical sports drama The Phantom of the Open, which is opening stateside in June 2022.

Louis Partridge (Sid Vicious)

One of the most iconic figures in the history of punk music, Sid Vicious, the young and charismatic bassist who joined up with the Sex Pistols at the height of their fame, is portrayed by Louis Partridge on Pistol.

Throughout his career, Partridge has appeared in movies like Paddington 2, Pan, and Enola Holmes, and will soon appear in the eagerly awaited sequel to the Netflix mystery drama starring Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill.

Sydney Chandler (Chrissie Hynde)

Sydney Chandler shows up on Pistol as Chrissie Hynde, founding member, guitarist, vocalist, and primary songwriter of American rock outfit The Pretenders, as well as someone who had a personal connection with the Sex Pistols before making a name for herself.

Since making her debut in 2016, Chandler has appeared in a a variety of short films like Jellyfish and Chemistry. She is next set to appear in Olivia Wilde’s upcoming psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling alongside Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, and Chris Pine.

Talulah Riley (Vivienne Westwood)

Talulah Riley appears in Pistol as Vivienne Westwood, one of the founders of the legendary boutique SEX that became ground zero from London’s punk and fashion culture in the 1970s.

Over the years, Riley has landed prominent roles on shows like Nearly Famous and Westworld as well as smaller parts on everything from Poirot to Doctor Who. Her film work includes Inception (she was Eames’ disguise), The Dilemma, Bloodshot, and Pride & Prejudice.

Maisie Williams (Jordan)

Taking on the role of the late London fashion icon known as Jordan (real name Pamela Rooke) on Pistol is former Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams.

Obviously best known for her portrayal of Arya Stark on the long-running HBO fantasy drama series, Williams has been quite busy on the small screen since her days in Westeros came to an end. In the past couple of years, Williams has appeared on Two Weeks to Live and Gen:Lock. She has also popped up in movies like The Book of Love, Mary Shelley, The New Mutants, and The Owners.

Emma Appleton (Nancy Spungen)

Nancy Spungen, the second half of the infamously ill-fated couple Sid and Nancy, is portrayed by Emma Appleton on Pistol.

Appleton is no stranger when it comes to TV shows as she previously appeared on The End of the F***ing World, Genius, Traitors, and The Witcher. Outside of a few short films, Appleton’s other film credits include L.O.L.A. and The Last Letter from Your Lover.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Malcolm McLaren)

And rounding out the main portion of the Pistol cast is Thomas Brodie-Sangster who portrays Malcolm McLaren, who managed bands like Sex Pistols and New York Dolls throughout his life.

One of the most recognizable faces on the Pistol cast, Brodie-Sangster has appeared in movies like Love Actually, The Maze Runner franchise, Nowhere Boy, and was one of the many notable cameos in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. His TV work, which is just as impressive, includes Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, Godless, and The Queen’s Gambit.

This is just a portion of the Pistol cast and doesn’t include all of the other prominent figures of the punk rock movement who appear on the six-episode streaming series available to anyone with a Hulu subscription.

Maisie Williams is undoubtedly best known for spending eight seasons playing Arya Stark on Game of Thrones, but that doesn’t mean she has stuck to only one type of character in one type of genre. After following up on Thrones with the drama miniseries Two Weeks to Live (currently available streaming), she’s coming to FX as one of the stars of Pistol, a six-episode miniseries about the Sex Pistols that involved some nudity for Williams. It’s not the first project that she’s gone topless for, but she has explained why she made that decision for the upcoming show. 

The actress plays Pamela Rooke, a.k.a. Jordan, for Pistol, which will be available via FX on Hulu with a Hulu subscription starting in late May. Maisie Williams went topless for a sex scene in the final season of Game of Thrones (available streaming with an HBO Max subscription), but projects like The New Mutants and Doctor Who haven’t exactly called for showing the same amount of skin. While the entertainment industry doesn’t always handle nude scenes with the most taste, Williams opened up to GQ about signing on to go topless for Pistol:

For her Game of Thrones nude scene, Maisie Williams was working on her long-running show with a co-star she had worked with over multiple seasons and a director who had helmed multiple episodes, so she was familiar with the project and people around her. Pistol is a new show, and the actress wanted the role of Jordan because of her acting skills, not her willingness to do nudity. 

And she made sure to make her feelings about the role clear to the casting directors before moving forward in the audition process, sending a note about her concerns after her initial taped audition. It was clear from her earliest conversations that nudity would be involved with the role, and Jordan's real-life look had a distinctive style that didn’t shy away from showing a lot of skin. Danny Boyle, who directed Pistol, cleared up the issue for Williams, as she shared: 

The clarification from Danny Boyle – who won the Academy Award for Best Director in 2008 for Slumdog Millionaire and was nominated for two other Oscars for his work on 127 Hours in 2010 – was enough to convince Williams, and her second audition via Zoom involved an outfit worthy of Jordan: a sheer top with no bra. The audition process was a success for Williams, and viewers will soon get to see her take on Jordan with Pistol.

You’ll be able to watch FX’s Pistol with a Hulu subscription starting on Tuesday, May 31. All six episodes will be available right away, but if you need some more details before deciding whether or not to watch, check out our rundown of things we know about Pistol, including the cast beyond Maisie Williams.

In 1975, a band by the name of the Sex Pistols came onto the scene and forever changed the music industry and pop culture with a smash mouth style we know today as punk rock. Although not the first punk band, nor (some would argue) the best, the Sex Pistols quickly became the face and attitude of the movement that swept across the United Kingdom, the United States, and the world in short order, inspiring countless bands along the way.

The story of groundbreaking band’s meteoric rise and legacy will be covered in great detail in the upcoming biographical drama FX limited series, Pistol, which will show how a handful of angsty Brits turned turned society on its head. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming limited series, including its release date, cast, and if you’ll be hearing any of those legendary Sex Pistols tracks when it premieres.

Pistol Premieres May 31 On Hulu 

Pistol is technically an FX production, but the six-part limited series will be exclusive to Hulu in the United States when it premieres May 31 on the popular platforms. But unlike some of the other great Hulu shows, the story of the Sex Pistols will be available in full on the day of its release, making for a great binge session for longtime fans of the band and punk rock historians. 

FX has also announced that series will be available on Disney+ on the same day in the U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. 

The Pistol Cast Includes Toby Wallace, Maisie Williams, And Thomas Brodie-Sangster

When Pistol premieres on Hulu come May, it will feature a young and exciting cast with a handful of big-time names portraying icons of the early punk movement and the London scene in the mid-1970s. Toby Wallace will be leading the series as Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, with Anson Boon playing frontman Johnny Rotten, Christian Lees portraying the band’s original bassist Glen Matlock, Jacob Slater taking on drummer Paul Cook, Dylan Llewellyn as guitarist Wally Nightingale, and Louis Partridge stepping in as the young and ill-fated punk icon, Sid Vicious.

Other key figures of that era are set to be portrayed throughout the series, with Maisie Williams playing fashion icon Pamela Rooke, a.k.a. Jordan, Thomas Brodie-Sangster portraying Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren. Emma Appleton will be taking on the role of Sid Vicious’ girlfriend and alleged murder victim Nancy Spungen, who was previously portrayed by Chloe Webb in the 1986 biographical drama, Sid and Nancy, alongside Gary Oldman.

Pistol Chronicles The Rise Of Punk Outfit Sex Pistols

Over the course of the show’s six episodes, Pistol will chronicle the rise of the Sex Pistols and how the band helped lead a revolution in popular music. According to the show’s official logline, the upcoming limited series will feature a story of a band of “spotty, noisy, working class kids” who didn’t really see a future for themselves.

How much of the Sex Pistols’ story is included in Pistol has not been revealed at this time, but expect for all the major moments of the band’s legendary, and brief, run to be included in some shape or form.

The Series Is Based On Steve Jones Memoir, Lonely Boy: Tales From A Sex Pistol

When show creator Craig Pearce and co-writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce set out to tell the Sex Pistols’ story, they drew from Steve Jones’ 2016 memoir: Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol, which broke down the story of how a group of young men drew from their past experiences to create one of the most notable rock and roll bands of all time and helped usher in a phenomenon that transcended music and changed culture while also impacting the lives of millions of people for years to come.

Academy Award Winner Danny Boyle Directed Pistol

Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle, who took home a Best Director Oscar for his work on the fantastic Slumdog Millionaire, helmed all six episodes of Pistol, which has to be another reason for fans of the Sex Pistols, punk, and the filmmaker’s body of work to check it out. In addition to sitting behind the camera of the new limited series, Boyle also served as one its executive producers. Although he has worked in the medium before, Pistol is Boyle’s biggest TV commitment in his more than 30-year career. He previously directed episodes of Screenplay, Inspector Morse, and Trust. 

The limited series is also Boyle’s first project since completing the music-centric 2019 comedy, Yesterday. Music has long been a focus of Boyle’s work, especially with the 1996 dark comedy Trainspotting, which featured one of the best soundtracks of the 1990s, with songs from Iggy Pop, New Order, Sleeper, Lou Reed, and Blur among others.

Pistol’s Producers Wanted To Work With Sex Pistols Frontman John Lydon But Had No Luck

Considering Pistol will be tackling the Sex Pistols story with more depth than ever before, you can see why Danny Boyle and the rest of the show’s producers wanted the band’s frontman, Johnny Rotten (real name John Lydon), to participate in the production in some form. But, that just wasn’t in the cards as no one from the show could get ahold of the punk rock pioneer despite their best efforts. 

When speaking with Deadline, Danny Boyle revealed that he couldn’t get past Lydon’s manager. Despite that, Boyle expressed his appreciation for Lydon and sounded hopeful that the icon will watch the show so and realize how much everyone involved loves his work.

Pistol Is Expected To Feature The Sex Pistols’ Music

Having a show about the Sex Pistols without featuring “Anarchy in the U.K.,” “God Save the Queen,” or “Holidays in the Sun” would make it a hard watch for fans of the band, but luckily it appears that won’t be the case. Though the exact songs used in the upcoming series have yet to be revealed, the show’s producers have been cleared to use the material throughout the six-part limited series, following a bitter legal battle between John Lydon and his former bandmates after the singer attempted to block their usage, per The Guardian.

The gist of the legal fight came down to Steve Jones and Paul Cook being able to invoke what are called “majority voting rules” against Lydon, who was vehemently opposed to licensing the catalog of music, with a British court pointing to an agreement signed by the band in 1998 which made it so that all decisions could be decided with a majority vote.

We will have to wait until May 31 to see how Pistol plays out, but there are still plenty of other great 2022 TV shows to keep track of in the meantime.

While most know Ed Sheeran for being a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and producer, he also has more than a few acting credits under his belt. Of course, his most high-profile performance is arguably his appearance on Game of Thrones. Sheeran appeared in the seventh season premiere as a Lannister soldier, a gig that followed years of discussions regarding a potential cameo for the entertainer. Now, in a new interview, the singer explained how the hit drama toyed with a major character’s death during his appearance.

Ed Sheeran talked about just about everything, from the British music scene to wine, during his recent appearance on the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast. And of course, his appearance on the hit HBO series came up during the discussions. As Sheeran explained, one of the show's key stars, Maisie Williams, was a big fan of the British singer and that her character, Arya Stark, was actually going to meet her demise:

The fact that Arya Stark’s ending could have been completely different comes as a major surprise. What's also surprising (but sweet) is that the producers brought in the singer just as a surprise for the actress. One can only imagine how excited she was to not only see him but get to work with him on the massive series. I'm glad the character and the actress ultimately remained with the show, but I can't help but wonder how things would've progressed had Season 7 been her last. 

I'm also wondering what other tea the singer has from the Game of Thrones set. Surely four years after being on the show, which ended over two years ago, he’d be able to talk about everything, right? If anything, his recent reveal indicates that the creatives behind GoT didn't mind being flexible with the narrative. And thank goodness for that, in this case.

It's honestly still scary to think that Maisie Williams could have been written out of the show earlier than expected. But after hearing this story, I only appreciate her and her character more. Her Arya Stark was a big part of GoT and managed to make a serious impact, so I'm definitely glad that she was able to be on the series until the end. I'd be curious to hear any other secrets Ed Sheeran would be willing to divulge. I personally wouldn't be surprised if he has another whopper or two he's not speaking about.

You can revisit Game of Thrones by streaming the series on HBO Max, and check out CinemaBlend's fall 2021 TV schedule for info on new and returning shows.

For nearly a decade, Maisie Williams was a beloved standout in one of the biggest shows of the modern age with HBO's Game of Thrones. Fans likely won't be seeing her Arya Stark return to the small screen in any capacity in the near future, but Williams herself has definitely kept busy since the fantasy epic finished filming. Case in point: U.S. audiences will soon get to see the actress' first big live-action follow-up series Two Weeks to Live, which has been swooped up by HBO Max for a November streaming debut.

HBO Max officially announced that Two Weeks to Live, which also boasts Fleabag star Sian Clifford, will be available to stream on Friday, November 5, with all six episodes dropping at once. It definitely makes sense that the powers that be at HBO would want to keep their relationship with the Emmy-nominated Maisie Williams going, even if HBO Max will only be the show's U.S. streaming home, as opposed to having produced the show directly.

For those unaware of the plot, Two Weeks to Live is a miniseries centering on Maisie Williams' impulsive misfit Kim Noakes and her overprotective mother Tina, played by Sian Clifford. The two have lived much of their lives as survivalists outside of the hustle and bustle of society at large, with Kim being raised to believe that the fantastical "end of days" is imminent. After a practical joke involving a fake video goes very wrong, Kim teams up with two brothers – Mawaan Rizwan's Nicky and Taheen Modak's Jay – and goes out on a quest to get revenge on the man who murdered her father when she was younger. As you might imagine, it isn't exactly a goal that Tina is 100% okay with.

The series, which also stars the upcoming David Bowie biopic's Jason Flemyng and Gotham vet Sean Pertwee, first premiered in the UK on Sky TV in early September, and only just finished airing on October 7. For it to already be coming stateside through HBO Max is pretty awesome, since it can sometimes take many months before TV imports debut on U.S. networks and/or streaming services.

Thankfully, Two Weeks to Live was received quite warmly by critics and viewers upon its initial release, so there's a good shot many people in the U.S. will be just as interested in watching. Plus, both Maisie Williams and Sian Clifford are excellent enough to keep even so-so projects above the pass-fail line. (Maybe not so much for New Mutants, but still.)

Check out the full Two Weeks to Live trailer below to see Maisie Williams in action with an itchy trigger finger.

Maisie Williams started off 2020 with a brilliant Audi Super Bowl commercial singing Frozen's "Let It Go," weirdly enough. She was also in a much darker project by way of the horror-thriller The Owners, which was released in a limited capacity in early September.

Don't forget to tune into HBO Max on Friday, November 5, for the six-episode debut of Two Weeks to Live. While waiting to hear what Maisie Williams will be getting into next in her career, head to our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule.

Maisie Williams has already had quite the stellar career in her young life. She came bursting onto the scene when she was just 14, with her starring role on the mega-hit fantasy series Game of Thrones giving her a number of fans who were impressed with both her talent and how she brought one of the story's most intriguing characters to life. But, while Williams had eight seasons and nine years to let GOT help mold her as a performer, she was already looking ahead to what her career might be like afterward. And, it turns out that she looked to Twilight stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson to help her see the way forward.

Maisie Williams can currently been seen in the long awaited superhero horror film The New Mutuants, but while that movie was filmed during her time on the successful HBO series which made her famous, her true first project after that show was over is the new independent film, The Owners. During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Williams was asked if the thriller was a sign that she'd be looking to fill her post-Thrones career with more independent projects, much like Pattinson and Stewart did after the Twilight franchise wrapped up, and she answered:

I think it would be pretty hard for anyone who's been paying attention to the entertainment industry to argue with what Maisie Williams has said. The last Twilight movie was released in 2012 (the year after GOT fame began for Williams) and in the eight years since, TV and movies have changed more than most of us could have guessed they would. TV has become the place to be for many creatives, largely because the number of channels and streaming services has grown to the point where there are a lot more ways to get your stories to the masses, even if someone is looking to tell a slightly oddball story that would have been seen as a no-go just a few years ago.

But, as Williams noted, there are still people who would rather have their stories told via the big screen experience, and she's decided that working with as many of those indie filmmakers as possible is what's best for her career right now. Some of her desire to stick with indie film comes from having watched what Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson did when they were able to fully step away from Twilight, because each of them decided to go the indie route to shake things up, instead of trying to stick with big, potential blockbuster franchises.

Williams added that she's taken a lot of inspiration from the former Twilight stars, and is actively paying attention to the moves they've made after leaving that mega-franchise behind:

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart have both spent most of their careers after Twilight doing a series of small, independent movies, and it might be, at least in part, because of that that they've both managed to keep finding projects that interest them and are (hopefully) mutually fulfilling for both them and the filmmakers they've worked with. Of course, Stewart took a step back toward potential blockbusters with last year's Charlie's Angels, and Pattinson will be our next big screen version of the Dark Knight in The Batman, which has probably shown Maisie Williams that there's no harm in heading back to films which will likely have more eyeballs on them, even after she gets her indie cred.

You can catch Maisie Williams in The New Mutants and The Owners right now, but for more on what to watch in the coming weeks, check out our 2020 movie schedule!

Game of Thrones’ final season came with a lot of surprises, and not all of them went over well with fans. One of Season 8’s most unexpected detours came during the “miserable” to film Battle at Winterfell, which saw humanity engage in its decisive battle with the White Walkers. Now, Maisie Williams is explaining why Kit Harington thought Jon Snow would kill the Night King.

In a stunning turn, Game of Thrones had Jon Snow’s younger sister, Arya, kill the Night King instead. A quick prophetical tie-in happened just before the shocker played out. Discussing Kit Harington’s thoughts ahead of the twist, Maisie Williams explained that Harington had based his prediction on more than intuition. Williams told The Hollywood Reporter:

Maisie Williams revealed that during Season 3, Harington was told that Jon Snow would be the one to vanquish the Night King. So what on Earth happened to that? Fast forward to Game of Thrones’ final season, and Harington was (understandably) stunned to learn Jon would not. And he later lamented his initial frustration over it.

I do not have a difficult time understanding why Kit Harington would believe Jon Snow was destined to kill the Night King on Game of Thrones. Not only had Harington been told he would, but Jon Snow had also spent eight seasons preparing to face off with the dreaded villain, so it seemed he would be the one to do it. Personally, the twist -- while surprising -- proved incredibly frustrating to me.

Game of Thrones had built up plenty of context for Jon Snow to kill the Night King, only to undermine that for a fleeting moment of surprise. Worsening matters was Jon’s lack of participation in the battle and his involvement in the twist. While I was a massive Arya fan, it felt like a rip-off then, and it still does.

Kit Harington previously spoke out regarding his mixed emotions surrounding the twist, expressing his happiness for Maisie Williams. In a poll run by CinemaBlend, 80% of readers said Jon Snow should have killed the Night King. For her part, Williams also experienced some surprise of her own when Arya’s storyline wrapped up.

While Maisie Williams celebrated the twist of Arya killing the Night King, she was not entirely satisfied with how Arya’s revenge on Cersei played out. Actor Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister) even shared his disappointment surrounding the widely-divisive final season. So it would seem that a few Game of Thrones stars somewhat struggled with something not coming together the way they anticipated. Maybe Kit Harington should start a club.

As for Jon Snow, him not getting to kill the Night King was just the beginning of his ending struggles. It had to be brutal for Kit Harington to be told something, believe it for six years, and then be told it was not going to happen. A year later, I still think he deserved better.

Regardless of what I think, you can currently stream every season of the series on HBO Max. And while you wait for House of the Dragon to heat up your screen, check out this fall’s premieres.

After waiting several years for The New Mutants to release, it’s finally landed. And, sadly for X-Men fans, the reviews have been less than kind. Some have called it the “worst X-Men movie ever” and, as of right now, its Rotten Tomatoes critics score sits neatly at 35%, just a bit higher than Dark Phoenix. Despite that, Maisie Williams, who plays Rahne Sinclair, had a pretty amazing response to the bad reviews.

Actors, celebrities, and directors all tend to respond a little differently to bad reviews. Some aren’t bothered by them while others have just stopped reading them altogether. In Game of Throne’s Maisie Williams case, she decided to use it to her advantage to convince people to go see it anyway. Check it out:

I have to admit, this is kind of a clever way to get someone to watch your movie. After all, critics aren’t always right. Plus, even if The New Mutants is as bad as they say, sometimes the worst movies can be the best movie-going experiences. It’s all in how you look at it, right?

All around, The New Mutants is one of those movies that can’t seem to catch a break. After several delays, cancelled reshoots, the Disney/Fox merger, and Dark Phoenix not doing well at the box office, it looked almost like a done deal that The New Mutants wasn’t going to ever see the light of day. But luckily that wasn't the case.

But in a surprise twist, Disney announced earlier this month that they did have plans to release the movie. Lo and behold, the house of mouse followed through with those plans, releasing the Marvel superhero movie they inherited from Fox to the movie theater. On one hand it makes sense why they would want to put it out there, but considering the critical response the movie is receiving getting, the conversation is all the more complicated.

So, what are the critics saying about The New Mutants? For the most part, it’s being criticized for being lukewarm and not standing out on its own. Cinema Blend’s own Sean O’Connell reviewed the film and called it:

With reviews like that, I can see why some might not be jumping up and down to go see The New Mutants. Still, considering the dearth of new movies lately, Marvel fans might be hungry to see any new superhero movie in the theater, bad or not. Plus, there is a strong cast attached to the project.

If you’re wanting to see The New Mutants, but plan to wait it out until it hits streaming, you might have to wait a while. It’s unknown when, or if, the movie will land on Disney+ after it has its run in the theater. For more movie news, be sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

Maisie Williams is about to head from one popular franchise to another as she’s set to star in Disney's (former Fox’s) New Mutants X-Men film. However, the Game of Thrones actress is still being asked about HBO’s popular fantasy series and in particular Season 8’s ending. Although, if you think there’s an "Alternate Ending" cut running around somewhere, she has disappointing news for you.

Maisie Williams was recently asked about the possibility of their being an alternate ending to Game of Thrones. She explained one had not been filmed and then took that a step further and explained why filming more wouldn’t have made any sense.

This comment from Maisie Williams to Metro UK tracks. Game of Thrones was under a fairly tight deadline as the eighth and final season of the hit series came together. Creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss, fairly or unfairly, were seemingly ready to step away to work on other projects, so they only signed on for seven episodes in Season 7 and six episodes for Season 8 -- even though HBO tried to get them to do more.

Yet previously, Kristofer Hivju, who played Tormund Giantsbane and was also recently diagnosed with coronavirus, stirred the pot a bit when he also said about an alternate ending:

According to Maisie Williams, this is not accurate information, meaning either a. Maisie Williams’ character Arya Stark was simply not part of the fun or b. Kristofer Hivju was having fun with the fans when he made his previous comment. c. More stuff was shot but perhaps not an exact “alternate ending.” It likely doesn't help that some other actors on the show have talked about ideas that had been bandied about but didn't come to fruition in the final draft.

Regardless, if we are taking Maisie Williams’ comments at face value, the alternate ending is just a fan “wish.”

So why is an alternate ending even a point of interest? That’s easy to answer. Game of Thrones was practically beloved through the majority of its eight-season run, but once the HBO drama started moving past George R.R. Martin’s written works and into the realm of real creativity fantasy, a lot of fans felt the wheels came off a bit.

This is particularly true of the way Season 8 ended and this paragraph is about to get dark and full spoilers. There have been complaints with Jon Snow killing Dany and the character getting away with murder. There were complaints about Jaime not having his full redemption arc in regards to his relationship with Brienne in particular. The list goes on and on.

So, for some of these fans, thinking about the possibility of an alternate ending means there’s possibly something more satisfying out there somewhere. Ultimately, though, if we really want a somewhat different ending what we’re likely going to have to wait for is George R.R. Martin’s Winds of Winter and the subsequent A Song Of Ice And Fire novels, which will hopefully hit stores at some point. That said, even George R.R. Martin has expressed that the show stuck close to his major ideas, at least when it came to how things wrapped up.

While the public at large has still not seen director Josh Boone’s The New Mutants just yet, the cast of the film has already had their taste of the action. It was truly an event for some, especially actor Blu Hunt, who started to freak out once she saw her character Danielle Moonstar on screen for the first time. Thankfully, she had co-star and Game of Thrones vet Maisie Williams to calm her down.

Blu Hunt’s story about that particular happening was detailed as follows:

As Blu Hunt is starring in her first major motion picture with The New Mutants, that would be enough of a reason to freak out. Even more to the point is the fact that Danielle Moonstar, also known as “Mirage” to Marvel Comics fans, is a well-established character in the comic canon that gave The New Mutants its cinematic inspiration.

But as she further described in an interview with Empire, her excitement was coming from a very personal place:

Breaking that sort of ground, both on an individual and a pop culture level, is something that feels absolutely spectacular. Also, as a member of the Lakota nation of Native Americans, Blu Hunt’s big reaction during her New Mutants screening is understandable. Rather than just be relegated to the sidelines in the name of token diversity, Mirage is a vital character in this film’s lineup, with her importance reaching as far as being the first character we’re introduced to in this new world.

Fittingly enough, Maisie Williams’ character, Rahne Sinclair/Wolfsbane, is also breaking ground, thanks to the fact that she and Danielle Moonstar are in one of Marvel’s first same-sex couples in cinematic history. This already puts the actors on a level of comfort with one another that if one of them was having a moment in public, a reaction like Williams' would sort of be second nature.

While The New Mutants will eventually be released into the wild, it certainly won’t be an R-rated movie, nor will it be full of new material from those reshoots that never actually happened. What it will have, however, is the hopes and dreams of a set of young actors who just might carry the mutant brand on their shoulders in the years to come.

The New Mutants is currently waiting for a new release date, as the April 3rd slot it was once set to occupy has been pulled. As soon as we have any new details pertaining to the film’s distribution plans, we’ll break those updates as they come into play.

The New Mutants has been a long time coming, considering that it was originally supposed to hit theaters nearly two years ago. The title is but a remnant of Fox’s twenty-year X-Men franchise that will now be under Disney’s MCU umbrella moving forward. And, according to The New Mutants director Josh Boone, the teen-thriller will also feature “a beautiful love story” between two of the core female characters in the film.

A same sex romance will reportedly be present in The New Mutants between Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams and Blu Hunt. The director called the element of the PG-13 film ”sort of the spine and focus” of the character-driven elements of the X-Men flick. Williams also explained this element further with these words:

In the comic books, Rahne Sinclair has the power to transform herself into a wolf and Danielle Moonstar can create illusions and visions based on others’ emotions and worst fears, along with having the ability to speak with animals. The combination of Rahne being a part-time wolf and Dani’s unique ability to communicate with them makes for a strong bond between the characters amongst the larger group of teen mutants.

As Josh Boone also said to EW, he wanted to extend their connection from Marvel Comics and felt a romantic relationship between them was a plausible extension of their characters. The New Mutants director said he was inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s queer representation in the form of Alyson Hannigan’s Willow. He wanted to make the effort because mainstream movies haven’t quite caught up to the added representation on television which Buffy started to make moves toward years ago.

Maisie Williams clarified that the relationship between Rahne and Dani isn’t necessarily spoken about in The New Mutants, but she felt it was handled in a way that didn’t feel like a “gimmick.” In her words:

The LGBTQ community is understandably skeptical about announcements such as this following more recent more gimmicky depictions in Beauty and the Beast, Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker or Onward. Oftentimes queer representation is marketed in high-profile films and their sequences tend to be blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments that don’t have much impact on the rest of the storyline.

Sadly, the release date of The New Mutants has shifted again due to coronavirus concerns. Disney announced earlier today that the movie’s planned April 3 release would be postponed along with those of Mulan and Antlers. It was also announced today that A Quiet Place, F9 and The Lovebirds would be delayed as well. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more updates on The New Mutants.

Game of Thrones is one of the most popular television series of the last few decades. The series already had a legion of built-in loyal fans because of George R.R Martin’s equally popular A Song of Ice and Fire book series. It became a massive pop culture hit and so popular that it broke HBO viewership records, made the cast household names, and received many TV award nominations. Game of Thrones brought HBO so much success that the network expanded the world of Game of Thrones with a spin-off: House of The Dragon, and had plans for a Jon Snow spin-off series. Despite the unfortunate cancelled plans for the Jon Snow spin-off, House of the Dragon is going strong. It is currently airing its second season and has a third season on the way.

No matter how people feel about the final season of the series, Game of Thrones carved its permanent place in TV history. It’ll be a series that people discover and love for many decades. The Game of Thrones cast has gained lifelong fans who want to know the latest news on the actors who played the Starks, Lannisters, Targaryens, and those in between. 

Since the Game of Thrones series finale, the cast members have remained busy booking gigs, starting families, and growing their empires.

Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister)

Peter Dinklage played the wisecracking and resourceful Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion was shunned by his father Tywin (Charles Dance) and sister Cersei (Lena Headey), but had a close relationship with his brother Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Tyrion often found himself as an adviser for those in charge. He was an advocate for women and wine. Peter Dinklage won four Emmy awards for his work as Tyrion Lannister.

Following Game of Thrones’ end, Dinklage returned to The Angry Birds Movie franchise by lending his voice to The Angry Birds Movie 2. He also played a fictionalized version of himself in the Between Two Ferns movie. He appeared with an ensemble cast in I Care A Lot, a movie with a memorable ending. 

He also appeared in The Croods: A New Age, Cyrano, American Dreamer, Thor: Love and Thunder, and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. His upcoming projects include Brothers and Thicket, which is based on Joe R. Lansdale’s book of the same name. He also plays Dr. Dillamond in Wicked. In 2021, Variety reported that he would lend his voice to one of the leads in This Was Our Pact. 

Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister)

Lena Headey as Cersei played one-half of the infamous Lannister twins. The woman who would be queen inherited her father’s ruthlessness. Cersei hated everyone and everything, except her brother Jaime and her children. Lena Headey received several Emmy nominations for her Cersei Lannister portrayal, but never received the Emmy that she deserved.

In 2019, Headey had a supporting role in the critically acclaimed movie Fighting with My Family. She starred opposite Nick Frost, Florence Pugh, and Vince Vaughn. She plays the mother to Karen Gillan’s character in Gunpowder Milkshake, a movie about an estranged mother-daughter assassin team. Gunpowder Milkshake also stars Angela Bassett, Carla Gugino, Michelle Yeoh, and Paul Giamatti. Headey lends her voice to Kevin Smith’s animated Masters of the Universe: Revelation. 

Headey has also done voice-over work for Infinity Train, Wizards: Tales of Arcadia, and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. She appeared in White House Plumbers and co-starred in Beacon 23. Headey’s upcoming projects include Long Pork, Ballistic, and the upcoming Netflix series The Abandons. 

Kit Harington (Jon Snow)

Kit Harington played the king of knowing nothing, Jon Snow on Game of Thrones. He was the bastard son of Ned Stark (Sean Bean), at least that’s what everyone assumed until the truth came out. Jon Snow was a member of the Night’s Watch. He tried to live his life by a code of morals and a sense of duty.

From 2018 to 2019, Harington appeared at the Vaudeville Theatre in London in the first West End production of the play True West. He then appeared as Henry V in Henry V at Donmar Warehouse. Harington voiced the character of Eret in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. He played Dane Whitman in Eternals. This project reunited him with his former Game of Thrones brother Richard Madden. Harington also stars in Baby Ruby and Blood for Dust. 

His next projects include the film Eternal Return and Season 3 of Industry. In July 2024, he appears in the movie The Beast Within. In 2024, he bared it all to the theatre world in the West End production of Slave Play.

Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen)

Emilia Clarke played the presumed last remaining Targaryen, and some would claim the rightful queen of the Iron Throne. Game of Thrones followed Daenerys as she grew from a young innocent girl to a powerful leader. Along with her dragons, Daenerys traveled far and wide to retake her spot as the leader of the seven kingdoms. Daenerys’ journey was one of the most compelling parts of the Game of Thrones series. Clarke received many Emmy nominations for her role as Daenerys Targaryen.

In 2019, Clarke played Kate in Last Christmas. She starred opposite Henry Golding in this romantic dramedy about a woman who learns the true meaning of Christmas and giving. Clarke also appeared in Above Suspicion, a movie about the first FBI agent convicted of murder. Clarke appeared in 2020 and 2022 in a theatrical production of Anton Chekhov’s  The Seagull. Clarke’s other post-Game of Thrones projects include Marvel’s Secret Invasion, The Amazing Maurice, and The Pod Generation. Her upcoming projects include the animated film The Twits and the Amazon Crime Drama Criminal. Netflix will release Twits in 2025.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister)

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s Jaime Lannister tried to live an honorable life as the Kingslayer. He was always willing to bend the rules of honor when it came to protecting his family, especially Cersei. Jaime began Game of Thrones as one of the series’ antiheroes but slowly started to earn a heroic title, until all character development flew out the window like Tommen Baratheon (Dean-Charles Chapman).

Coster-Waldau appeared in two projects in 2019, Suicide Tourist and Domino. Coster-Waldau has roles in The Silencing, Krudttønden, Against the Ice, God is a Bullet, and The Last Thing He Told Me. Coster-Waldau was the lead in the Geffen Playhouse version of Macbeth in 2020. In 2024, he starred in the docuseries An Optimist’s Guide to the Planet. In 2023, he signed on to star in King and Conqueror for CBS Studios. Production began on the series in 2024.

Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark)

Sophie Turner played Sansa Stark on Game of Thrones. Sansa had a rough path to find her place in Winterfell and among the world of warring families and power thirst. Of all the Game of Thrones characters, her ending fit her journey the most.

Turner appeared in her ex-husband’s music videos for “Sucker” and “What a Man Gotta Do,” and expanded their family. Career-wise, Turner has been just as busy. She reprised her role as Jean Grey in X-Men: Dark Phoenix in 2019. Then she appeared in the revenge thriller Heavy. In 2020, Turner had the lead role in Survive, a TV series about a woman who survives a plane crash but now must survive being on a snow-covered mountain with only one other survivor. 

Turner kept busy with the projects Do Revenge, Every Last Secret, The Prince, and The Staircase. Her next projects include Joan and Trust. According to Deadline, Turner will reunite with Harington in the horror film The Dreadful. She will also lead an ensemble cast in the heist series Haven.

Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy)

Alfie Allen played Theon Greyjoy for Game of Throne’s eight seasons. Theon started the show as a Stark loyalist, but his desire for power and to live up to the Greyjoy name led to him betraying the family that raised him. Then he spent the final few seasons trying to make up for this mistake.

Allen played Isaac Pincher in the third season of the Hulu series Harlots. Allen’s TV roles also include White House Farm, SAS: Rogue Heroes, and the upcoming Safe Harbor. Safe Harbor also stars former Game of Thrones cast member Jack Gleeson. Game of Thrones stars Gemma Whelan and Mark Addy also have roles in White House Farm.  Allen’s film roles include a part in the Academy Award-winning film Jojo Rabbit. He starred opposite Beanie Feldstein in How to Build a Girl, a movie based on Caitlin Moran’s book. 

Allen appeared in Netflix’s 2021 movie Night Teeth. It’s a thriller about a chauffeur who ends up fighting for his life after he drives two women to five different parties in Los Angeles. In 2024, his movie McVeigh premiered at the Tribeca Festival. Also in 2024, he was cast to star alongside Shazad Latif and Samira Wiley in Atomic, a five-part series. 

Maisie Williams (Arya Stark)

Maisie Williams played Arya Stark, the girl who would have some of the most debated moments of the final Game of Thrones season. Arya was the adventurous, tomboy Stark girl who went from a young child to a girl with no name to one of the series’ greatest heroes.

Williams made her X-Men debut when The New Mutants finally hit theaters in 2020. She plays Rahne Sinclair, aka Wolfsbane, a Scottish mutant who shape-shifts into a wolf.  Williams also appeared in the films The Owners and the TV shows Two Weeks to Live, The New Look, and Pistol. 

In 2019, she also launched a social media platform called Daisie. It aims to be a networking site for creatives looking to collaborate on projects and to help newcomers receive exposure for their work. In 2022, Maisie Williams signed on to co-star with Freddie Highmore in the comedy Sinner v. Saints. The Hollywood Reporter mentioned filming on it was scheduled to begin in 2023, but as of June 2024, production has not begun. Williams appears in Press Your Luck. The film is based on the Michael Larson Press Your Luck cheating scandal.

Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran Stark)

Isaac Hempstead Wright played Bran Stark, one of the youngest of the Stark clan. He kicked Game of Thrones off with a bang by showing that the show would, in fact, harm kids. Bran eventually becomes the Three-Eyed Raven and gains power.

Hempstead Wright is in a film called Voyagers. Voyagers depicts the story of 30 people sent into space to search for a new home. The film has an ensemble cast that includes Colin Farrell, Lily-Rose Depp, Fionn Whitehead, and Tye Sheridan.

Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth)

Gwendoline Christie played Brienne of Tarth, a brave knight who often faced challenges because of prejudices against women warriors. Her kind heart, loyalty, and honorable nature won her respect and love, especially from the Kingslayer.

Christie appears in The Personal History of David Copperfield. Dev Patel, Hugh Laurie, and Tilda Swinton also star in this movie. She played Titania in the 2019 Bridge Theatre stage production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Christie is part of the cast of Our Friend, a movie featuring Dakota Johnson, Casey Affleck, and Jason Segel. It is about a man who puts his life on hold when a couple, his best friends, receive life-altering news. 

In 2022, Christie starred in the black comedy Flux Gourmet. Her past TV appearances include The Sandman and Wednesday. In 2022, Variety announced that she would join the cast of Severance Season 2 – she’ll make her debut on it in 2025. In 2024, Christie will appear in the Sky Cinema family film Robin and the Hoods.

Stream all eight seasons of Game of Thrones on Max. 

The New Mutants has undergone many changes over the course of the movie’s initial development. Fox pushed back the release date, important roles experienced a casting change, there were numerous reshoots, and the movie even had villain changes. Now after several years of delays, The New Mutants finally has an official release date and a fancy trailer to go with it. The New Mutants follows a new cast of teen X-Men. While facing unknown dangers, they must learn to hone their powers.

The New Mutants had three main X-Men spin-off series. The first one was in 1982, the second in 2003, and most recent in 2009. Despite being set in the Marvel and X-Men world, Fox’s new movie feels a lot more like a teen horror film than a superhero movie. The new gang of mutants will have a lot to deal with when The New Mutants hits theaters in April-- so we don’t blame them if they’re too distracted to concerned themselves with the X-Men universe.

The film focuses on the five new mutants and the woman helping them manage their powers. Most of The New Mutants cast already has an established fanbase from their previous work. Let's take a look at the stars of this movie and where we've seen then in past projects.

Maisie Williams (Rahne Sinclair/Wolfsbane)

Maisie Williams plays Rahne Sinclair, superhero alias Wolfbane, in The New Mutants. She has the power to shape-shift into a wolf. In the original comics, Rahne is Scottish and comes from a very religious background where she is taught to suppress and hate her powers. Of course, most people know Maisie Williams from playing Arya Stark from 2011 to 2019 in Game of Thrones.

In addition to Game of Thrones, Williams appeared in four episodes of Doctor Who, and had lead roles in the movies iBoy, Cyberbully, and Then Came You. In September 2019, it was rumored that Maisie Williams joined the cast of the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Spring Awakening. In 2020, she’ll appear in a movie called The Owners. The film is about a group of friends planning a burglary.

Charlie Heaton (Sam Guthrie/Cannonball)

Charlie Heaton plays Sam Guthrie whose alias is Cannonball in The New Mutants movie. Sam Guthrie’s power allows him to create a blast field when in battle. In the comics, he’s the co-leader of the New Mutants. Sam Guthrie is from Kentucky and worked as a coal miner prior to discovering his powers. He joined the coal mines to help support his family when his father died.

Charlie Heaton plays Jonathan Byers on Stranger Things. He’ll make his return to Stranger Things when the fourth season premieres. Heaton’s film credits include Marrowbone, Shut In, and As You Are. Charlie Heaton has also appeared in the TV series Casualty, Vera, and DCI Banks. In 2020, he’ll appear in the film The Souvenir: Part II. The movie is about a young film student in the early 80s who falls for an untrustworthy man. The Souvenir: Part II’s cast includes Joe Alwyn, Tilda Swinton, and Richard Ayoade.

Anya Taylor-Joy (Illyana Rasputin/Magik)

In The New Mutants, Anya Taylor-Joy takes on the role of Illyana Rasputin, also known as Magik. Illyana is Russian and the younger sister of a Deadpool character. Her powers include teleportation and sorcery. Anya Taylor-Joy has an impressive film and television resume.

Anya Taylor-Joy made a big mark on the horror movie world by appearing in The Witch in 2015. Then she appeared in several episodes of the series Atlantis. In 2016 and 2017, Anya Taylor-Joy appeared in Barry, Split, Thoroughbreds, and Marrowbone. Split placed Taylor-Joy opposite James McAvoy as Casey, an abused girl trying to escape The Beast and his many personalities. Marrowbone teamed her up with her future The New Mutants co-star Charlie Heaton. In 2019, Anya Taylor-Joy reprised her role as Casey for the Split and Unbreakable sequel Glass. Also in 2019, she voiced Brea in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance series and appeared in a few episodes of Peaky Blinders. In 2020, Anya Taylor-Joy has many television and movie projects in the work, but one of her most anticipated one is her role as Emma in the latest adaptation of Emma, which arrives in theaters in February.

Blu Hunt (Danielle Moonstar)

Blu Hunt plays Danielle Moonstar in The New Mutants. She is a Native American and part of the Cheyenne tribe. In the comics, Danielle Moonstar acts as the other leader of the New Mutants alongside Cannonball. Sometimes in the comics, her alias is Psyche or Mirage. Moonstar’s powers include energy manipulation and psychic abilities. Based on the trailer, it looks like Danielle Moonstar and Rahne Sinclair will have a romantic relationship in The New Mutants.

Blu Hunt appeared in The Originals in 2017. Later, she landed a series regular role on the Netflix series Another Life, which follows the crew of the Salvare spaceship as they search for the origins of a mysterious artifact. Blu Hunt plays August Catawnee, the lead engineer on the Salvare.

Henry Zaga (Roberto da Costa/Sunspot)

Henry Zaga plays the solar powered superhero Sunspot, real name Roberto da Costa. In The New Mutants comics, Roberto is the son of a wealthy afro-Brazilian businessman and a white American mother. His powers include manipulating heat and light, solar absorption, and massive blasts.

If you enjoy teen dramas, then you’ve likely seen Henry Zaga before. He played Josh Diaz,a wolf-eel hybrid in Teen Wolf’s fifth season. Henry Zaga played Tony (Christian Navarro)’s love interest in Season 1 of 13 Reasons Why, Jake in Looking for Alaska, and Nick in Netflix’s original series Trinkets. Later this year, Henry Zaga reunites with The New Mutants director Josh Boone for the new adaptation of The Stand.

Alice Braga (Dr. Cecilia Reyes)

In The New Mutants comics, Dr. Cecilia Reyes, portrayed by Alice Braga in the movie, has Latin American origins and works as a medical doctor. She is also a mutant with the power to create a protective force field. She acts as a mentor and guide. Unlike many mutants, Cecilia prefers living a normal life.

Alice Braga has appeared in the movies City of God, I Am Legend, Predators, On the Road, Elysium, and The Shack. Many may recognize Braga for her role as Teresa Mendoza in the Queen of the South series. She’s currently filming a HBO miniseries called We Are Who We Are. It’s about two American teens dealing with the trials and tribulations of growing up while living on a military base in Italy. In 2021, Alice Braga is expected to appear in the new Suicide Squad movie.

Catch all these characters in action when The New Mutants movie hits theaters on April 3, 2020.

The last time we saw her onscreen, she was setting out to find out what’s west of Westeros (answer: the islands of Aegon, Rhaenys and Visenya, then probably nothing until you get to Asshai), but in April, Maisie Williams is heading to the big screen for the long-delayed Marvel movie, The New Mutants. The actress plays the mutant Rahne Sinclair, a.k.a. Wolfsbane, in Josh Boone’s film. Maisie Williams recently teased the ‘progressive’ story we can expect in The New Mutants, saying:

Maisie Williams sees The New Mutants as a film that stands out in the crowded superhero genre with a story that is relevant. Speaking at Sky’s Next Up Event, as reported by Radio Times, the Game of Thrones actress notes that The New Mutants is not a superhero film in the traditional mold. As the tone of the trailers has certainly indicated, Maisie Williams asserts that Josh Boone’s film is more of a thriller, fully embracing that identity.

We haven’t seen the movie yet to know for sure, but if there was any belief that The New Mutants would chicken out of getting intense and scary, Maisie Williams’ comments indicate that won’t be the case. The New Mutants will be a thriller.

So The New Mutants represents something new in the superhero genre by leaning into thriller elements that we don’t traditionally see, but it is also progressive for the kind of story it is telling and the relevance of those themes. According to Maisie Williams, the New Mutants are not heroes; they’re kids that are just trying to get by and figuring things out as they go along, and that’s a story we haven’t really seen before in this genre.

Marvel characters, and I would argue Spider-Man and the X-Men in particular, have always been especially relatable because of the parallels you can draw between their struggles and those in the real world. The manifestation of powers due to the X-gene could be a metaphor for going through puberty, and more so than the other X-Men movies, The New Mutants looks to be really honing in on the struggles of these young mutants.

The powers may be fantasy, but a group of kids who don’t have it all figured out and are just doing the best they can as they go through an emotional time in a world that doesn’t seem to make any sense is universal. In that way, The New Mutants story could feel relatable to young audiences in a way not dissimilar to something like The Breakfast Club.

That all sounds great and reflects well upon The New Mutants, but fairly or unfairly, it’s difficult to talk about this film without addressing its multiple delays and the myriad reports indicating it is of suspect quality. Maisie Williams believes in the film though and offered her own take on the delays, saying:

The New Mutants was supposed to come out back in April of 2018 before a series of delays. The merger of Disney and 21st Century Fox was a huge deal, and it definitely impacted many things as we saw release dates get shifted around and other Fox projects get cancelled as a result. So while that merger may not account for all of the delays to The New Mutants, it does seem that the chaos and restructuring contributed to the can getting kicked further down the road for the former 20th Century Fox film.

As to the questions of The New Mutants’ quality, Maisie Williams thinks the bad rep was unjustified. She seems to believe that the merger was the primary reason for the delays and not any problem with the film itself. We’ll have to wait until April to see how accurate that is, but hopefully she's right.

Over the long road to this film’s release there have been indications that the studio (20th Century Fox) was meddling with director Josh Boone’s vision, and there were also reports of new owner Disney being unimpressed with the movie. But now it seems that The New Mutants will end Fox’s X-Men era with a movie that at least adheres to the director’s original vision.

The New Mutants opens in theaters on April 3. Check out our 2020 Release Schedule to see what other movies you can look forward to this year.

The 2020 Super Bowl is only days away, but that doesn't mean all companies are waiting until Sunday to release their biggest commercials with the biggest stars. Audi broke out a former Game of Thrones star for an ad. Instead of leaning on Maisie Williams' Game of Thrones connection like Doritos did with Peter Dinklage's Super Bowl ad in 2018, Audi went full Frozen with Williams belting "Let It Go" while driving.

We didn't know we wanted this ad until we saw it, so check it out for yourself:

Forget Ed Sheeran! Maybe Maisie Williams should have been the one singing on Game of Thrones. Was Williams singing to prospective Audi buyers in this ad, or Game of Thrones fans who are still hotly debating the merits of the series finale? It may be a while before Game of Thrones fans fully let go of that final season, but a bear gas station sign and an inflatable man singing Frozen's breakout hit are certainly distracting from anything else you might have on your mind!

At the very least, this commercial probably guarantees that "Let It Go" will be stuck in heads again. Who needs "Into The Unknown" anyway? Audi went with Maisie Williams and Frozen to hype the fully electric Audi e-tron Sportback model. The connection to the song? Well, the description of the commercial states that "embracing the future starts with letting go of the past."

Audi certainly seems to have made a good call in posting the Super Bowl commercial online ahead of the big game. At the time of writing, the ad has accumulated more than 2.3 million views. That's not going to translate to 2.3 million Audi e-tron Sportback sales, but a whole lot of people who may have only known Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones have seen a new side of the actress, and that number with increase with the Super Bowl broadcast.

How will Maisie Williams' Super Bowl commercial compare to others? Well, Mountain Dew's Super Bowl ad went full Shining with Bryan Cranston, but I say it's still not nearly as creepy as the company's puppy-monkey-baby Super Bowl commercial from a few years back. Pringles went for Rick and Morty in 2020, whereas Mr. Peanut went ahead and killed off its longtime mascot, although that ad campaign was tweaked in the wake of Kobe Bryant's death.

Since the Super Bowl's most heartwarming ad released so far has been about dog cancer and another highlight has been about Sonic the Hedgehog, viewers may want to expect the unexpected from the 2020 broadcast. Ads to air during the Super Bowl are super expensive, so it's important to be memorable! See all the commercials the Super Bowl has to offer (and some football) on Sunday, February 2 on Fox.

Fox’s X-Men series ended with 2019’s Dark Phoenix, right? Not quite. Although, The New Mutants has seen a slew of setbacks and delays for the past two years, especially with Disney’s acquisition of Fox and the X-Men franchise in between it all. But, it’s finally coming this April! The comic book adaptation from director Josh Boone is a PG-13 horror take on the comic title. But, most notably for Game of Thrones fans, Maisie Williams is one of the film’s stars! The Arya Stark actress is playing a mutant known as Wolfsbane.

If you’re unfamiliar with The New Mutants comics and curious about the roots of Maisie Williams’ latest role, you’ve come to the right place! Although it certainly seems like the movie will be taking quite a few creative liberties with its material, it doesn’t hurt to be knowledgable about the character from the perspective of where it all began: Marvel Comics. Time to rip right in. Here’s what to know about Maisie Williams’ New Mutants character:

Rahne Sinclair’s Religious Upbringing In Scotland

As you know, the mutants of X-Men are found throughout the world before they often find themselves within Charles Xavier’s organization for gifted individuals. Wolfsbane’s home is Scotland. Her given name is Rahne Sinclair and she’s the daughter of a Presbyterian minister and prostitute. Those don’t usually go together, do they? Rahne’s father, Reverend Craig was not true to his sworn celibacy and the local prostitute he sleeps with becomes pregnant too.

Rahne's mother dies whilst giving birth to her and Reverend Craig spends the greater part of his daughter's upbringing not only hiding this fact from her but instilling a strict religious code on her to compensate for himself. Rahne is therefore one of the most religious characters in Marvel history, with her upbringing often bringing judgment on mutants she meets later in life.

Rahne Sinclair Is Adopted By Dr. Moira MacTaggert

One day, Rahne discovers her mutant powers are the ability to transform herself into a wolf. When it first happens, she is mistaken by her Scottish village as a werewolf. Locals suspected she was possessed by the devil, including her father, who even attempted to perform an exorcism on her to cast out “the devil” within her. This aspect of Rahne’s origins certainly leans into the horror elements Josh Boone is going with for The New Mutants.

Her father and the locals orchestrate a hunt and chase her all across the Scottish Highlands, but thankfully Dr. Moira MacTaggert finds Rahne as she starts to transform back to human form and decides to take her in and protect her from the ignorance of humans. You’ve seen Moira before in the X-Men prequels, played by Rose Bryne. She legally adopts Rahne and convinces close co-worker and romantic flame, Charles Xavier, to enroll her in the New Mutants training program. Now, we don't expect The New Mutants to connect a ton to the X-Men prequels, but who knows?

Wolfsbane Is A Founding Member Of The New Mutants

Let’s take a step back and talk about what the New Mutants actually are in the comic books. They are the third team created under Charles Xavier and it’s especially made for adolescents too young to be X-Men but old enough to begin working through their powers in order to control them and use them gracefully. The first members include Cannonball, Karma, Moonstar, Wolfsbane and Sunspot – all to be portrayed in the upcoming movie, except for Karma, being replaced by Anya Taylor-Joy’s Magik, who joins the team later in the comics.

Wolfsbane has a special fondness for Cannonball/Sam Guthrie, who will be played by Stranger Things’ Charlie Heaton in the film. He is her first crush, but due to her strict upbringing, she never acts on her feelings for him in the comics. She finds friendship with him along with Roberto da Costa / Sunspot (played by Henry Zaga) and Dani Moonstar (Blu Hunt). Since Dani had a rapport with animals in her powers, Wolfsbane has a psychic link with Dani when she transforms!

The Many Forms And Powers of Wolfsbane

Maisie Williams’ The New Mutants role has an exciting skillset as Wolfsbane. Although she doesn’t quite have the instincts of a wolf, she has the speed and power of one. Unlike a werewolf, she can turn into the form of a wolf at her own will and even into a middle form – kind of in the vein of Bruce Banner’s “Professor Hulk” or “Smart Hulk” recently seen in Avengers: Endgame. This middle form is the best of both worlds for her character, since she has some extra abilities as a hybrid of both forms. She can see in ultraviolet, infrared spectrums, lift a ton of weight and heal regeneratively.

In the comics, Wolfsbane also reaches an “absolute” form at one point in her mutation where she can split into multiple wolves. Rahne’s wolf form is slightly larger than a regular wolf and she’s not invulnerable to bullet wounds and such. She’s also prone to folding into the animalistic characteristics of her mutation. The character has been trained by Wolverine in the comics and is especially great at hand-to-hand combat.

Again, if The New Mutants had embedded connections to Fox’s X-Men world it would be a strange choice, especially considering the franchise has ended and the MCU is planning its own reboot of the concept of “mutants” somewhere in its vast world. Even so, The New Mutants was filmed back in 2017, so there could be remnants of X-Men’s past. With that in mind (and really more as a fun fact) is is how much Wolfsbane dislikes Mystique. The character was played by Jennifer Lawrence, of course, and she’s no longer interested in donning the blue makeup.

But in the comics, Mystique is responsible for the death of her foster mother Dr. Moira MacTaggert. Wolfsbane swears her revenge on the shapeshifter… that is until she joins the X-Men as an ally and she must resist her urge to exact her revenge. Pretty crazy, huh? Too bad The New Mutants is after the time of Fox’s X-Men.

Wolfsbane is certainly an interesting character and it should be exciting to see what Maisie Williams brings to her! The New Mutants is hitting theaters on April 3, 2020.

Ahead of the 71st Primetime Emmys, much ado was had over how many awards Game of Thrones would win after its record-setting nominations. It seemed like some of awards would be certain wins, especially those like Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama, where multiple Game of Thrones nominees were present. Yet, when that particular award came up and the world waited to see which GoT actress got the win, Ozark's Julia Garner was the one whose name was called.

Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Gwendoline Christie, and Lena Headey didn't need to be very shocked, because the world was shocked for them. The Game of Thrones actresses occupied 2/3rd's of the nominations, and yet it was Julia Garner, one of the two actresses not affiliated with the fantasy drama ended up winning the award. What exactly happened that led to this moment?

We can only speculate of course, but it's completely possible this is a situation of "too many cooks" being in the nomination count. There were so many Game of Thrones actresses to choose from, voters may have been torn on which actress deserved the award over the others, splitting those votes and allowing an outsider to rise up. It could certainly be the case that all the voters were in Garner's corner from the start, but it's not quite as likely.

While Season 8 of Game of Thrones was divisive, it's hard to argue most of Game of Thrones nominees were undeserving. Sophie Turner's verbal showdowns as Sansa were breath-taking, and Maisie Williams made Arya look about as strong as she ever was in some (literally) killer scenes. And who can forget Gwendoline Christie (who self submitted) and the emotional scene when Jaime tore open Brienne's heart and went back to his sister?

If there was any nominated performance that could've been debated, one could say Lena Headey's Cersei did considerably less in the final season than she had in seasons past. That's not to say she wasn't incredible throughout a bulk of the series, but Season 8 gave her very little screen time to really remind audiences why everyone loves the Lannister queen so much. Perhaps if Cersei got just a bit more time to shine, Game of Thrones could've captured this award. Or not.

For the record, Julia Garner is fantastic as Ruth Langmore in Ozark. While it is shocking that all the Game of Thrones actresses lost, it's not at all like Garner is undeserving of the award, especially after fueling all of that fearsome redneck energy she delivers in the Netflix original. Any nominee upset about losing in the category needs only watch the first episode of Ozark Season 2 to understand why Garner deserved that recognition.

It's worth noting this category was not the only time this particular kind of upset happened at the 2019 Emmys. Julia Garner's Ozark co-star Jason Bateman ended up winning the Best Directing award, even while going up against multiple GoT candidates who helmed some of the most talked-about episode of any series this year.

While the many snubs may have been disappointing for Game of Thrones' cast and crew, it's fair to say the team and HBO were relieved that the show ended up winning the biggest award of the night for Outstanding Drama series. It may not be individual recognition, which Peter Dinklage got for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama, but there had to be some feeling of vindication when everyone took the stage for the one award the world was relatively sure Game of Thrones would win no matter what.

Anyone Else Feel Weird About The Game Of Thrones Spoilers In The Emmy Montage?

Do you think one of the Game of Thrones ladies should've won Outstanding Supporting Actress, and if so, which one was most deserving? Sound off in the comments below and continue to stick with CinemaBlend in the coming weeks as we break down all the great things coming to television and movies.

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For eight seasons of Game of Thrones that literally took Maisie Williams from adolescence to adulthood, the actress is finally ready and able to take on a new world of opportunities that don't involve the complicated family lineages. Thankfully, fans didn't have to wait very long for Williams to lock down another big role. (It's not a spinoff, so don't be disappointed.)

Maisie Williams has been tapped to lead the upcoming U.K. series Two Weeks to Live, which sounds like a darkly comedic story about some pretty serious cause-and-effect situations. The new show is being set up at Sky TV.

In Two Weeks to Live, Maisie Williams stars as Kim Noakes, who grew up as something of an outcast, having suffered the death of her father at a young age. His death was tied to mysterious circumstances that caused Kim's mother to move the family to a remote location off the grid where survivalist living became the norm. (Can't imagine that'll have any significant impact on Kim.)

Now an adult ready to take on a world she's unfamiliar with, Kim sets out on her own to engage in a secret mission of sorts that's meant to pay tribute to her father's memory. That plan inevitably leads her to a local pub run by brothers Dave and Nicky, with the latter dwarfing Kim's own social awkwardness.

After a couple of drinks and one very ill-timed prank, Kim and the brothers are suddenly dashing around with a big bag full of stolen money while trying to escape detection from both a deadly gangster and the police. It's a situation that none of them want to be in, but it certainly helps that Kim's upbringing gave her good practice with handguns, animal-skinning, dance performances, and more skills that just might allow her and her new friends to evade capture and/or death.

All in all, it sounds like an adventure made for someone who was at least cut from the same cloth as Arya Stark, even though the Game of Thrones character would likely be out of place in a current day bar, or in a car. But it also obviously sounds like a role very far removed from the dragons 'n' zombies world of Westeros, and I can't wait to see how well that transition goes.

Here's how Maisie Williams herself put it in a statement.

Two Weeks to Live will get a six-episode first season, as created by Gaby Hull, who was a writer for this year's ITV thriller Cheat. It will be produced by Kudos, a shingle of Endemol Shine UK. The globally minded Endemol Shine International will be distributing the dark comedy.

It's a huge deal for this series to land Maisie Williams, who is definitely one of the most sought-after stars in the wake of Game of Thrones' record-breaking run on HBO. It's almost surprising that it wasn't another U.S. project that swooped in to sway her, but the actress likely wants to take on more projects that don't involve massive travel plans and long stints away from the comforts of home.

This will be the sixth noteworthy TV role of Maisie Williams' career, which will soon include the delayed feature The New Mutants. Beyond Game of Thrones, she also kicked off her small screen career with the miniseries The Secret of Crickley Hall. She's appeared in Robot Chicken, had a handful of appearances on Doctor Who in Season 9, and had a voice role in the animated series Gen: Lock. If fans get their way, though, she'll be starring in an Arya spinoff show in the next few years.

Maisie Williams isn't the only Game of Thrones vet to sign on for interesting follow-up roles. Recently, her one-time on-screen lover Joe Dempsie was revealed to be heading to TV space as part of Nat Geo's adaptation of The Right Stuff. Jaime Lannister portrayer Nikolaj Coster-Waldau signed on for the TV pilot Gone Hollywood.

While there isn't yet a specific release date, fans can expect to catch Two Weeks to Live debuting on Sky One (and on the NOW TV streaming service) in 2020.

Spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8 are discussed below.

When it came to Season 8, Game of Thrones had no shortage of shockers. Among them was Arya Stark killing the Night King and not killing Cersei Lannister -- the person at the top of Arya's kill list for so long. Cersei ended up dying during Daenerys Targaryen's attack on King’s Landing. Cersei was crushed under the rubble alongside her brother/lover Jaime.

Actress Maisie Williams, who plays Arya, revealed she expected a last-minute twist to reveal that Arya had taken her revenge after all. She thought Arya was wearing Jaime’s face when he showed up to try to save Cersei. Weighing in with her biggest regret for Arya in Game of Thrones’ final season, Williams told EW:

It turns out that Arya took The Hound’s advice instead. Deciding to leave behind her self-destructive path for revenge. One that The Hound himself was planning to take to its ultimate conclusion. Who better to show her a new way? Exactly.

Maisie Williams explained her process as she read through the penultimate episode. Realizing that after eight seasons, Arya would not be getting her revenge on Cersei after all. Talking about the moment of truth with The Hound, Williams said:

Arya’s arc was not what she expected and I think that makes absolute sense given her trajectory throughout the past eight seasons. Arya choosing to live instead of dying with revenge marked a maturation for the character, in my opinion. She realized she had a lot more to live for than die fighting to avenge.

As shocking as it was, I think it was a decision that was logical for her to make. Maisie Williams and countless fans were not the only ones wanting an Arya vs Cersei showdown in the final season. Lena Headey (Cersei) wanted one too. Speaking of the hope for one to happen, Headey said:

In the end, all of the build-up to a moment of reckoning between Cersei and Arya led to nothing. Much like Jon Snow’s much hinted at battle with the Night King. Game of Thrones subverted a lot of expectations with an ending chapter that saw a lot of hinted at threads lead to other outcomes.

Arya took The Hound’s advice, and the two shared a moving goodbye. The finale ended with Arya sailing off to see what is west of Westeros. Despite a lot of overnight excitement regarding a spinoff for the Game of Thrones fan-favorite, it is not set to happen.

The good news is that after spending so long focused on revenge, Arya got her life back. Having lived as though she had no future for so long, she gets to explore one. Dying alongside Cersei would have meant an act of short-lived revenge in the most definite sense of the word.

Unfortunately for The Hound, he could not take his own advice. He took revenge on his brother, The Mountain, heading into the fire together. Thankfully, Arya realized the best revenge is living well.

Spoilers for Game of Thrones'  Season 8 finale are discussed below.

Arya Stark went to parts unknown in Game of Thrones’ series finale, literally. At the end of the episode, Arya said goodbye to her brother, Jon Snow, and announced her plans to see what was “west of Westeros.” It's a question that many viewers may have been surprised to know there is not an answer to, no matter how much it was desired.

Thus, the plot seemed to close the door on Arya’s life as an assassin by opening one up for her as an explorer, setting up a great foundation for a potential Game of Thrones spinoff starring the fan-favorite. After all, who can really imagine saying goodbye to Arya for good? Following the episode, likeminded fans fresh off that emotional farewell quickly rallied behind the Arya follow-up idea on social media.

One Game of Thrones fan took to Twitter to share thoughts on whether they would watch an Arya spinoff, as well as to propose a title for it. Check it out:

That title is a smart play on how Arya described her journey, but one can assume that fan would watch even if another name was used. Being one of the most traveled characters on Game of Thrones, Arya makes sense as the character whose wanderlust would survive the finale. Arya is used to moving around a lot, but what once came out of necessity has now turned into a desire.

Speaking of desires...

Thankfully, Arya's new dreams will not be for the work of taking lives (presumably). Instead, she will be looking to potentially discover new lives and civilizations elsewhere in the world. In the Game of Thrones finale's closing montage, Arya was shown sailing on a ship replete with a House Stark’s sigil via a stunning direwolf figurehead. She'd heading out into the unknown in first class, House Stark-style all the way.

Another Game of Thrones fan weighed in who was also very into the idea of an Arya spinoff. She wanted to know how many others would be on board, too.

My hand is up along with many others! Well, not Jaime's hands...either of them.

Clearly, a lot of Twitter is here for this idea, even though HBO's Game of Thrones plans are currently focused on a prequel universe set in the various regions' pasts. That move rules out spinoff series that continue the story of Game of Thrones’ central protagonists, at least for now.

This viewer is one who would prefer to live in the future instead of re-tackling the past.

Give it a few years, though, and things could change. If television has taught fans anything lately, it is that nostalgia is a powerful thing. Arya’s portrayer, Maisie Williams, is staying busy post-Game of Thrones, with the comic book movie The New Mutants on the horizon. But maybe when she's older and there's even more hunger for Arya's return, conversations could start.

In the meantime, this tweet sums up the wait that fans may endure for a while and possibly forever. Never say never, right?

Game of Thrones opened the door to a lot of potential sequel series following the Stark family member, as it left them all alive. Arya’s brother Jon Snow is back at Castle Black with Ghost, and they're hopefully together for good. A Tormund and Ghost spinoff is probably more likely than one about Jon, though, all things considered.

Arya’s sister Sansa is the Queen in the North. Something that could be fun to follow, albeit peacetime seems like a pretty reasonable expectation. Over in King’s Landing, Bran is the King, a reign that would likely be worthy of a return in later years. So, could such spinoffs ever come? Stay tuned, but probably not, and if one ever happens, it could take a while to materialize on HBO.

For now, all eight seasons of Game of Thrones can be rewatched in their entirety on HBO Go and HBO Now.

Arya’s sister Sansa is the Queen in the North. Something that could be fun to follow, albeit peacetime seems like a pretty reasonable expectation. Over in King’s Landing, Bran is the King, a reign that would likely be worthy of a return in later years. So, could such spinoffs ever come? Stay tuned, but probably not, and if one ever happens, it could take a while to materialize on HBO.

For now, all eight seasons of Game of Thrones can be rewatched in their entirety on HBO Go and HBO Now.

Major spoilers are flying around below for the "The Battle of Winterfell," so be sure you've watched the entire episode before reading on.

With the third episode of its eighth and final season, Game of Thrones delivered a deadly – but not too deadly – battle the likes of which TV viewers have never seen before. (They legitimately had a hard time seeing it on the screen, too, given the extremely dark lighting.) Arguably the biggest moment of all came when Maisie Williams' endlessly dedicated Arya Stark became humanity's unexpected savior by killing off the seemingly unstoppable Night King. Was everyone head over heels with excitement for that moment? Not so much.

It turns out Maisie Williams' own boyfriend was rather unmoved by the whole thing, and appeared to have his own ideas for how the Battle of Winterfell should have peaked. According to Williams:

Not exactly the most comforting and enthusiastic reply to what could amount to the most celebrated scene of Maisie Williams' entire career, and not in any kind of context. It's already enough to have automatically replaced Williams' Arya with a male character to be the Night King-killing hero, but that was just made worse by adding sibling rivalry to the fire. How dare he.

It'd be one thing if Game of Thrones was written completely by the seat of co-showrunners' David Benioff and D.B. Weiss' pants. However, the two have put an ungodly amount of time into crafting this series' highly dense run, and they've spent years setting up the pieces for this conflict and its surprising turnout.

For one, Maisie took out the Night King using the same Valyrian steel blade that Bran granted her in Season 7; it was, of course, the very dagger that Bran had been holding onto since Season 1 when it was used in an assassination attempt on his life. Two, it can easily be argued that the Night King was prophesied to be one of Arya's victims, with Melisandre offering up this then-cryptic but now-clear foreshadowing.

Finally, Arya's eventual confrontation with the Night King was also somewhat predicted by the advice/mantra she'd received during her early training with Syrio Forel, which amounted to saying "Not today" to the God of Death. In this instance, a very literal supernatural entity had the potential to wipe out much of humanity, which counts as a God of Death in my book. And so Arya used the Valyrian blade to say "not today" for her, which was good, seeing as how he was holding her by the throat.

To be fair, Maisie Williams' boyfriend could have been having a laugh when saying that Jon Snow should have gotten the honor. He may have been jokingly trying to get under the actress' skin by dismissing her character's epic moment in such a way. Granted EW didn't make it very clear or not what Williams' tone was in that moment, so it's only natural to read it as genuine sentiment.

That's what many people within Maisie Williams' fanbase did, anyway. It wouldn't take a deep dive into the Twitter-verse to find people calling for the actress to drop him faster than someone stepping through the moon door. Here's one such message.

For now, it appears as if Maisie Williams' love life is still on good terms, but if word ever gets out that she starts keeping her own kill list in the near future, maybe that would amount to a warning sign.

Keeping viewers obsessed and busy until the summer TV season starts up, Game of Thrones airs Sunday nights on HBO at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Obviously, this article is going to be dark and full of spoilers. If you didn’t watch last night’s “The Long Night” episode, what are you thinking spending time on the Internet today?

I pity those who were unable to watch Game of Thrones live last night. The event TV series had one of its most memorable and heartbreaking episodes yet and all around the world people watched to see what would happen in the big battle against the Night King.

As it turns out, neither Jon Snow nor Daenerys Targaryen ultimately took on the leader of the White Walkers, although they both spent time battling his dragon and Jon nearly got a good look at the icy king before the Night King raised more dead. Later, Theon took a stand against the Night King and died because of that stand. Meanwhile, Arya had taken on the guise of a White Walker to get close.

She capably took out the Night King and audiences worldwide seem to have had the best time with the moment. But don’t take my word for it. Relive the big moment with a group, below.

A viral video is running around about fans reacting to the final scene in the episode, in which Arya used her Faceless Men skills to get close. There are gasps, screams and bloodcurdling cries as Arya gets close and seemingly is caught by the Night King.

The viral Tweet above is not the only moment that caught a large swathe of viewers in action, either. Take a look at this bar scene, below, courtesy of Barstool Sports.

The big Arya moment was foreshadowed mid-episode when The Hound and Beric Dondarrion went to track her down within Winterfell. She was in a bit of a pickle, and ultimately while saving her, Beric didn’t make it out. However, before that Arya realized her Faceless Men skills could be a boon in the battle against the White Walkers.

She headed to the weirwood at the right time and took on the Night King, effectively winning the battle her friends and family were most definitely losing. Yet, it came at a cost. Numerous characters died—some of whom had been on Game of Thrones since the pilot episode.

Every Game Of Thrones Character That Died In The Battle Of Winterfell

We’ve already seen a bit from Episode 4, but if you missed scenes from next week, you can watch and throw in your own over-the-top reactions.

Game of Thrones will return for its fourth and third to last episode this Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET. For more on what's heading to TV, take a look at CinemaBlend's full schedule.

Spoilers regarding the plot for Game of Thrones Season 8 (so far) are discussed below.

The Battle of Winterfell is almost here. All of the theories, all of the possibilities are all about to come down to this Sunday, April 28 episode. Getting to this point has been exciting for fans. For those who had to film it, it was hell. Game of Thrones’ cast has opened up about the "unpleasant" and "really miserable" experience that was filming the arduous battle sequence.

Humanity will make its stand at House Stark’s ancestral home. After a poignant episode that gave a quiet nod to its characters' mortality, Game of Thrones is plunging them headfirst into its biggest battle to date. The next installment is said to feature what is believed to be TV or film's “longest consecutive battle sequence” ever.

What the cast endured to bring it to the screen was nothing short of exhausting and beyond. Maisie Williams, who plays Arya Stark, discussed filming it. She revealed her initial enthusiasm before telling EW:

There are even more harrowing details surrounding the shoot. An unidentified female cast member fainted while filming a scene where Game of Thrones cast members had to stand still. One clue on her identity? She is a series regular, meaning a principal member of the show.

Following the airing of the highly anticipated Game of Thrones episode this Sunday, there will hopefully be more info. As previously reported, the battle required over 55 nights of consecutive night shoots. Making matters all the more strenuous was the temperature, which dropped to the low 30s.

If none of this sounds fun, it was not. Take it from the cast. Original Game of Thrones cast member Iain Glen, who plays Daenerys Targaryen's long-time supporter Jorah Mormont, expounded on how un-fun it was:

This is going to be intense. Game of Thrones set up the quiet before the storm, and before the previous episode’s end, that quiet was just about over. A horn blew to announce to all of Winterfell that the dead had arrived.

The foreboding moments that built up the tension on-screen were equally as arduous off-screen. Rory McCann, who plays Arya Stark's tough as nails frenemy The Hound, had this to say:

As it stands, there should not be another Game of Thrones-related reason for the cast to endure what they did making the upcoming episode. That ferocious process is behind them. An eighth and final season showdown is coming. One that is filled to the brim with action, adventure, and let’s face it, probably a lot of death.

Viewers have yet to see the episode that required the cast’s blood, sweat, and tears. This fan will always be grateful for everything they put into it. Behind-the-scenes, the cast’s hellacious experience led to something else. Time away from the gym. Daniel Portman, who portrays Podrick Payne, revealed to Insider:

Prepare to be blown away! I think it will surpass expectations. The Battle of Winterfell will be a defining moment for Game of Thrones. This is the battle that Jon Snow has been talking about for seven seasons and counting. It is a fight for survival and humankind.

Will Sunday's episode be the last for the cast members quoted above? Arya seems safe. Jorah gave Daenerys a pep talk, which could have been a narrative hint, he may not make it. Scenes that bring closure are not often a good sign. However, this is Game of Thrones, so you have to reconsider the typical rule book.

Of the group, Podrick’s fate feels the most uncertain. The Hound still has to face off with The Mountain. Right? Right. So, he has to survive to fight another day. Of course, anything can happen.

Find out who survives the Battle of Winterfell when Game of Thrones continues this Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

Spoilers ahead for the second episode of Game of Thrones Season 8.

The second episode of Game of Thrones Season 8 was light on action but heavy on the character development as everybody at Winterfell prepared for the upcoming attack by the White Walkers and army of the dead. The various characters chose different ways to spend what could be their last night alive: drinking with friends, eating with family, bestowing knighthoods and telling stories, and -- in the case of Arya Stark -- having sex for the first time.

The 18-year-old assassin decided she didn’t want to die without knowing what it’s like, and the result was a sex scene between Arya and her friend-turned-love interest Gendry. It was hardly the most explicit scene in the history of Game of Thrones, but some viewers were weirded out by seeing the character who started the series as a little girl stripping and climbing on top of a man, even though Gendry in-show isn't too much older than Arya.

Actress Maisie Williams, who is currently 22-years-old and was 20 at the time of filming, has the best response to those viewers:

Any viewers' discomfort could be practically nothing compared to the awkwardness between Maisie Williams and her family after her big sex scene aired, going by her tweet!

Between her mom, her stepdad, and her six siblings, those are a lot of family members who probably got to see a lot more of her doing something they might never have expected, especially of Williams didn't spill secrets to those off-set like Sophie Turner did. If they didn't know it was coming, then Arya's hookup with Gendry may have been quite a shock to her family.

Honestly, Arya's hookup with Gendry will probably be quite a shock to her on-screen family if they find out about it! Game of Thrones hasn't even made it clear if any of the other Starks (including Jon in this) know that Arya and Gendry know each other, let alone that they were travel buddies for a couple of seasons who now like to flirt in the Winterfell forge.

Personally, I'd love to see Jon's reaction, and not just because it would be payoff of the borderline ridiculousness that Gendry never mentioned Arya to Jon after meeting in Season 7. I suppose it all depends on who survives and who perishes in the upcoming Battle of Winterfell. Will the sex scene have been a goodbye between Arya and Gendry, even though they didn't know it at the time? Or the beginning of something?

If the beginning of something, I'm guessing there will be some viewers who would like that something to be as un-sexy as possible if they were uncomfortable with Arya and Gendry in Episode 2. One of the questions on a lot of minds -- other than the age of Maisie Williams, which a lot of people were googling because of this episode -- is whether Williams was asked to strip as much as she did.

Maisie Williams actually only appeared from the back and the side after Arya took off her shirt, and she revealed that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss left the decision of how much skin to show up to her. It sounds like the scene was filmed in a way that could keep her as comfortable as possible. The next episode looks like it's not going to feature any kind of love scenes at all, with all the death and fighting and ice zombies that will be in the mix.

Find out if Maisie Williams' family will have to live in fear of more sex scenes or if Arya or Gendry will die in the big battle with the next episode of Game of Thrones, airing April 28 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched Game of Thrones' most recent episode, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms."

In leading up to the massive Battle of Winterfell that'll soon arrive to wipe out plenty of familiar characters, Game of Thrones delivered an episode that held back on action in place of deep and meaningful conversations. (And even a well-deserved knighting.) There was still some action to be had, though, particularly where Maisie Williams' pragmatic Arya was concerned, as the brave Stark warrior actively incited the loss of her virginity to Joe Dempsie's Gendry.

While Game of Thrones' many millions of viewers likely had a slew of different thoughts and ideas about Arya and Gendry's sexy time, Maisie Williams herself thought it was most important for bringing a sense of humanity back into Arya's life. In her words:

On the one hand, it was powerful and encouraging to see Arya take change over her sexuality in such a way. Many fans have long wanted for Game of Thrones to get Arya and Gendry romantically entangled, and finally witnessed it now that Arya and Maisie Williams are of a proper age. Plus, Game of Thrones sex scenes are all the more celebratory when characters are consenting, which isn’t always the case in the story that showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are telling.

On the other hand, however, vengeful and wayward characters who temporarily focus on their humanity are often set up to take unforeseen falls. After all, the reason why characters like Arya tend to survive as long as they do is because they keep an eye on the prize. Once that dedicated effort gets detoured, it’s often difficult to revert back to an original stance. (Not that I’m saying sex with Gendry would be so life-changing, but still.)

Of course, Arya herself seems to be taking the fatalist approach, accepting that she may very well be one of the many who are killed whenever the Night King and his dead army finally arrive at Winterfell. For any fans who automatically assumed that Arya would be a surefire survivor, that sex scene is possibly a sign that the character isn’t so certain herself.

Arya does know one thing full well, though. She definitely did not want to sit around and spend her last hours on Earth dealing with old shits like The Hound and Beric. At least she and the younger Clegane sibling had a meaningful conversation before she went off to jump Gendry’s stammering bones.

David Benioff echoed the ideas that Maisie Williams spoke to EW about, saying those kinds of character moments and choices were what made the episode so interesting for the creative team. Here’s how he put it to THR:

As for the actual sex scene itself, it took Maisie Williams a spell to realize that Arya and Gendry’s coupling was a legitimate scene and not just a prank that David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were pulling on her. The showrunners have done similar things in the past, so when Williams passed an eye over the scene in the scripts at the behest of co-star Sophie Turner, she suspected foul play.

Clearly, no pranks were on the table in this case, and Maisie Williams said it was during the table read for the episode that she came to terms with what filming that moment meant. To be expected, vision of future trips to the gym flashed through her mind.

As viewers noticed during “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” Arya and Gendry don’t technically have sex on camera, and Maisie Williams doesn’t get as open or extreme with her nudity in the way that other stars have in the past. But while other actors and actresses had nudity clauses in their contracts, which were signed when the performers were beyond 18 years of age, Williams joined Game of Thrones at age 11, long before anyone knew where the HBO drama was heading.

Maisie Williams basically faced all of her formative years while working with Benioff and Weiss, and they were seemingly respectful of her wishes and input as far as Arya’s on-screen reveals went. Here’s how she put it:

Being asked to choose your own nudity limitations seems like it would be almost as nerve-wracking as being told exactly what to do. But whatever mental pressures Maisie Williams may have been facing, she nailed the scene and kept Arya’s vitality intact. Now all she has to do is survive the Battle of Winterfell, NBD. Thankfully, she should have more weapons to use now.

I think everyone can agree that even though Arya’s sexual awakening reportedly wasn’t a bad experience for anyone, the silver lining here is still that no one’s genitals suffered the way that Kit Harington’s did while filming his dragon scene.

Game of Thrones will continue its final stretch of episodes as Season 8 airs Sunday nights this spring on HBO at 9:00 p.m. ET.

HODOR! Spoilers ahead from the April 14 Game of Thrones Season 8 premiere, which was titled "Winterfell."

Is A Girl adding The Night King to her list? Game of Thrones Season 8, the final season, finally premiered last night and "Winterfell" included several reunions ranging from awkward (anything involving Bran) to amazing (anything involving Arya).

The long-awaited reunion between Arya Stark and Jon Snow may have even been topped by the -- gasp -- flirtatious reunion between Arya and Gendry. Thrones used their reunion as perhaps a new version of their old "sexposition" -- using a sex scene as a way to provide information.

In this case, it was more like flirtposition, since Arya's chemistry-fueled reunion with Gendry also included a very important plot note. Skilled blacksmith Gendry has been busy doing the really vital work in The Great War -- shaping the mined dragonglass from Dragonstone into weapons to use against The White Walkers moving south.

Arya (Maisie Williams) came to Gendry (Joe Dempsie) with the request that he make her a very specific weapon with a dragonglass tip, handing him specs she apparently drew out herself at some point. Here's the scene in question:

We know Arya Stark only came north to Winterfell after she heard that Jon was named King in the North. Until then, she had been riding south to kill Queen Cersei Lannister. We don't know how that storyline will play out now, but her little note of "dragonglass" on the parchment showed that this is about the White Walkers, not Cersei. This is to kill the dead.

Specifically The Night King?

Someone has to take down ol' blue eyes. It may be Jon Snow, since they have unfinished Come At Me Crow business after Hardhome. But maybe that's too obvious? Who is our best assassin? It isn't Jon. Jon has killed, as he's admitted, but if you put his track record next to Arya's, she's the best at the job. Bran Stark also seems to have unfinished business with The Night King, since they do seem to have a connection. Daenerys Targaryen is also up to this job, since she has the power of two fire-breathing dragons; The Night King is currently riding her undead baby Viserion, so The Mother of Dragons has a right to punish him for killing and stealing her child.

Arya Stark is an expert with Needle and with daggers. She can also kill through poison or whatever else she likes. In the case of The Night King, though, the parameters are clear: Fire, Valyrian steel, dragonglass. She can't just say "Winter has come for House White Walkers" like she did for House Frey. So she's being smart, as usual, about getting herself prepared for the major battle ahead.

Since Game of Thrones took pains to show us that scene, we should consider it akin to Chekhov's gun -- they're showing this weapon in the first act, so we should expect it to fire by the final act. Gendry is going to make that weapon and Arya is going to use it. She may just use it on every White Walker she finds, but it feels like a more substantial place-setting for a larger story to come.

We know the great battle of Winterfell is coming, the biggest battle Game of Thrones has ever staged. This new weapon from Gendry is surely going to play a role, but it feels like that battle -- supposedly in Episode 3 -- would be too soon to take out The Night King. Right? There are six episodes to the final season. The Night King isn't the only foe, since we still have Cersei and Euron and their lack of elephants to deal with. But The White Walkers are the true threat, as everyone keeps noting. The dead army has moved south beyond The Wall and they are ready to take out Winterfell.

What say you? Will Arya be the one to kill The Night King? If not, who will do it? Or will no one (as opposed to "No One") kill this already dead former human, who was turned into what he is by the Children of the Forest? Vote in our poll below, and keep watching Game of Thrones Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.

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Maisie Williams has been showing off her acting skills on Game of Thrones since 2011, but some may say her acting has never been better than it was during her recent April Fool's Day visit to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Things were going smoothly enough when Fallon asked Williams to say anything that she could about the final season, and then she uttered these words:

At this point, Maisie Williams' eyes grew to the size of Drogon's, and she stopped talking altogether. In fact, the entire Tonight Show studio was bereft of any noise in that moment, with seemingly 90% of the audience gasping after hearing of Arya's (presumably false) demise. Jimmy Fallon didn't sell the moment quite as well – "What? Are you kidding me?" – but his bemused concern definitely didn't derail the bit.

That might have been the moment in the clip where shoddier pranksters would have pulled the wool back and yelled, "Gotcha!" But Maisie Williams is no shoddy prankster. She shakily inquired about whether or not the taping was live, and confirmed they could edit that comment out. And when Jimmy Fallon attempted to reset the moment to move past the pregnant pauses, Williams apologized and ran off behind the set's curtains.

Truthfully, this was where things genuinely felt like they'd gotten away from Jimmy Fallon and the Tonight Show team. The audience was completely silent as she ran off, and the main camera initially stayed locked on both Fallon's desk and the empty chair. It's weirder than one might think to see a lone host set so far off the center of the frame.

Alas, the "truth" soon got revealed, with Maisie Williams popping back out for the big "April Fool's!" reveal. Not nice, guys! Not nice at all!

Naturally, because this is Game of Thrones, whose showrunners have kept nearly all of the Season 8 details under multiple levels of locks and keys, some fans online (both in the video's comments and on social media) are positing the notion that Maisie Williams and The Tonight Show are bamboozling fans with a double-reverse spoiler that could actually end up coming true.

The logic there, which admittedly isn't the most scientifically square, is that if Maisie Williams let it slip on any other day that Arya dies in Episode 2 of Season 8, people would have assumed she was lying just to throw fans off. And here, because she said it during an April Fool's Day interview, the admission is also viewed as a falsity-driven prank. But, I ask you, would there ever be a better time for a Game of Thrones star to blurt out an actual spoiler than on the one day of the year where bombastic statements are automatically considered counterfeit?

In fact, as much as I love Maisie Williams, and as much as I'm hoping to see Arya and Jon Snow get an extremely memorable and meaningful reunion, I would now be that much more interested in watching Arya die in Episode 2, just to know she was actually telling the truth about it during this interview. That's just the kind of TV spoiler subterfuge I can get behind.

Watch the clip below and be the judge of whether Maisie Williams is cheekily being sincere or not.

Game of Thrones will kick off its lo-o-o-ong-awaited eighth season on HBO on Sunday, April 14, at 9:00 p.m. ET. (Though her role in New Mutants might never get seen.) Check out everything we know about the season so far in our comprehensive rundown.

It's April Fools' Day but this is no joke: Game of Thrones has already shared footage of Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) together in the final Season 8. HBO has revealed two official TV spots, where much of the footage is recycled from the official trailer, but there are definitely some new shots, including a most important look at the Stark siblings reuniting.

The video starts with Jon finally returning to Winterfell, and Arya standing behind him:

Is this their initial reunion -- as in, when he turns around, is this how Jon and Arya will see each other for the first time since Season 1? Or is that a shot from later on, after the initial long-awaited reunion?

Jon and Arya haven't seen each other since he left for The Wall in Game of Thrones Season 1. Before leaving, he gave her the sword she decided to call Needle:

Fans have been looking forward to a Jon and Arya reunion ever since, but it may not go down the way we hope. So much has changed for both characters since Season 1. Especially Arya. She is no longer the clever but harmless little devil she was back at Winterfell, when she was still a child. Now she has killed -- how many people is it now? She took out the Freys, at the very least, and was most recently responsible for dispatching Littlefinger.

Maisie Williams has already said that Arya and Sansa -- who clashed a bit in their reunion last year -- will team up in Season 8 and call out Jon. It sounds like the sisters may not be happy, at least initially, that Jon has bent the knee to Daenerys Targaryen.

(Speaking of Jon and Dany, there's plenty of footage of the lovebirds in these new promos. Watchers on the Wall was even speculating that we might've seen a hint of Jon riding Rhaegal, one of Dany's dragons. I did not see that, but it's possible.)

Maisie Williams also told EW there are so many similarities between Season 1 and Season 8 that she went back to watch the first season after reading the scripts for the final one. Do you think she was thinking in part of her reunion with Jon at the time? That big hug goodbye?

Maisie Williams talked about the tug-of-war Arya is going to feel this year, between wanting to be with her family and continuing the path of vengeance she's been on since the end of Season 1:

Ah yes, Arya's list is not complete. Will she even want to finish it by the end? Will someone else beat her to Cersei Lannister? There's a lot we do know about Game of Thrones Season 8 at this point, but plenty of questions that will only be answered after the final six episodes air. Cross your fingers that no major loose ends are left dangling, because it's not likely they'd be answered in the prequels.

HBO has yet to post the new promos on the official Game of Thrones channel, but there are plenty of other new behind-the-scenes videos to check out as we wait for the final season to begin. Game of Thrones Season 8 premieres Sunday, April 14 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

Josh Boone's The New Mutants is currently quite the enigma. Thanks primarily to the Disney-Fox merger, the project has existed in a nebulous state for months now, and nobody seems to be quite sure what its ultimate fate is going to be. This clearly extends to the cast as well, as Maisie Williams recently dropped some profanity-laced comments that basically sum up everything we know about the state of the film:

That statement comes from an interview that Maisie Williams recently did with Rolling Stone, paired with her Game of Thrones co-star Sophie Turner. Most of the piece is about the two actress' experience making the beloved HBO series leading up to its final season, but a portion of the conversation turned at one point to The New Mutants. Another thing that both Williams and Turner have in common is the fact that they are part of upcoming X-Men projects, but while the latter has Dark Phoenix confirmed for release this June, the former doesn't have much clue what's going to happen with her's.

A significant part of the problem here is the fact that The New Mutants has been planning reshoots, but those reshoots still haven't happened. As explained by Maisie Williams in the interview, the extra days of production are supposed to help the film be a bit scarier - in an attempt, presumably, to try and take advantage of the current horror boom - but if new material has been written, it still hasn't been shot.

In The New Mutants, Maisie Williams is set to portray the first live-action version of Rahne Sinclair a.k.a. Wolfsbane, a mutant who has the ability to shapeshift into both a wolf and a werewolf-like hybrid. She is part of a talented ensemble that includes Anya Taylor-Joy (Illyana Rasputin a.k.a. Magik), Charlie Heaton (Sam Guthrie a.k.a. Cannonball), Blu Hunt (Danielle Moonstar), and Henry Zaga (Roberto da Costa a.k.a. Sunspot), and the story finds them as dangerous young mutants grouped together in a hospital where they can try and gain control over their abilities.

Speaking of the rest of the cast, apparently nobody really seems to know what's going on - or at least that's the sense that Maisie Williams has provided. According to the actress, she recently saw Charlie Heaton, and learned that he has about as much information about The New Mutants as she does.

Right now the movie is on the release calendar for August 2nd, but it's unclear if that date is actually going to happen. For what it's worth, though, it seems that Maisie Williams is eager for the film to be completed and released. Not only did she express hope that the Rolling Stone interview would help light a fire under those making decisions for The New Mutants, but she wants to somehow get the opportunity to star opposite Sophie Turner as Jean Grey in another X-Men title:

We're clearly still in "wait and see" mode when it comes to New Mutants, but you can be sure that as more information about the film becomes available, we'll have them for you here.

Last season, Game of Thrones viewers saw Sansa and Arya at odds, for the younger Stark sister remained suspicious of Sansa as she made her return home to Winterfell. While things got off to a rocky start between them, the Stark sisters will indeed be a united front once more in Season 8. Maisie Williams teased how Arya and Sansa will team up, saying:

Well, this is interesting. Maisie Williams' tease to EW not only revealed Arya and Sansa’s impending pairing on Game of Thrones, but she also indicated they will team up to criticize an unexpected family member, Jon Snow. Williams says that Jon’s sisters/cousins will have to confront him in Season 8, and more than once.

What could they be calling him out for together? Could it have to do with Daenerys? Or maybe his specific plan to deal with the White Walkers? Regardless, something makes Sansa and Arya have to confront Jon a time or two, likely creating more Stark sibling tension in the final stretch.

What Maisie Williams is teasing sounds like a bit of a departure for Arya, who has always been quite fond of her older brother over the years. He is one of the main reasons she returned to Winterfell, after all. Apparently, she is going to be Team Sansa in Season 8. Not that there has to be such distinctions, since there is always the overall Team Stark, too.

Maisie Williams also makes an interesting point about what was motivating Jon in Game of Thrones’ previous season. He left the King of the North and ended up bending the knee to Daenerys in the process. Not exactly the game plan that the Starks and the North had agreed upon whenever he left. Sansa is unlikely to back down from feeling upset about that, so will Arya see her point?

A key part to playing the “game of thrones” is having a trustworthy ally. Whatever comes next, the Stark sisters will thankfully have each other’s backs in Season 8. This fan thinks that's something that would undoubtedly make their parents happy if they were still around to appreciate it.

Sansa and Arya’s history has not always been a happy one, but their dynamic is about to change, which I think is slightly strange, considering their historical relationship. At the core, Sansa and Arya are the same people they have always been. Arya is loyal to her family and Sansa is ambitious for power. Those two goals do not necessarily have to be opposing though.

Sansa’s ambition and Arya’s loyalty to her family could bring them together, especially if Arya does not think that Jon Snow has House Stark’s best interests at heart. If both sisters perceive that he is putting Daenerys in front of his family, that would not go over well, and for a good reason. Even if that is not his actual intent.

Fans should be relieved to see Sansa and Arya being in a better place in Season 8, and not only those who want peace in House Stark. There were also viewers that did not enjoy the rough spot their relationship endured through Season 7. Here's to happier times and perhaps a bit of what I hope will be some short-lived tumult in House Stark.

Watch Arya and Sansa team up when the final season of Game of Thrones premieres Season 8 on Sunday, April 14, at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

Maisie Williams is offering her perspective on whether the final season will satisfy Game of Thrones fans. She is not so sure it will. The reason? Williams explained, saying:

That the show is ending at all will definitely impact how fans feel about the series' final season. As to whether it is possible to get a popular consensus that Game of Thrones' final season was a success, only time will tell for certain. Maisie Williams shared her keen observation with Sky News.

Game of Thrones is arguably facing one of the most towering challenges it has dealt with during its entire run: wrapping its story up in a way that leaves most fans satisfied. The key word being “most,” and not all. Because let’s be honest: it is impossible to please everyone.

It is nice to hear Maisie Williams express her pride in the final season. No matter the reaction to it, she and the cast have put in a lot of hard work. Admittedly, George R.R. Martin may have felt the show could go on longer, but Williams says she feels the time is right to say goodbye.

Eight seasons and nearly a decade after it all began, Game of Thrones is quickly arriving at the premiere of its final season. The cast has had time to adjust to the idea for a while, having wrapped on the series a while ago. For fans, the mourning process has not had a chance to begin.

The chance to see how all of the Game of Thrones cast and crew's hard work pays off is getting closer and closer. The cast has been giving fans some compelling teases as to what to expect. Maisie Williams’ co-star Kit Harington recently expressed his hope that the series’ final chapter would “change TV” yet again.

The sentiment Maisie Williams expressed regarding fans' satisfaction is understandable. Game of Thrones has been heading towards this moment for a while. Expectations have had lots of time to build. Add to that the sadness it is ending at all, and you have a recipe for dissatisfaction.

Given how long fans have been invested in how Game of Thrones will end, it makes sense they will be sad to see it go. Between all the fan theories and years of pondering it all, there is room to be dissatisfied no matter what happens. Hopefully most of the fanbase will wind up happy.

Maisie Williams had previously described filming her final scene, saying she ended on the “perfect” note. The scene involved Arya having some alone time. Hopefully, she will not spend too much of the season that way. With her beloved brother/secret cousin returning to Winterfell with a bunch of familiar faces, private time should be challenging to find.

Arya has spent so much time on her own that would be dissatisfying if she spent most of Season 8 that way. There is ample reason to suspect that she will not. Game of Thrones' final season premieres Sunday, April 14 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO. The series' eighth season is among many awaiting viewers, and there's plenty still in store in the midseason.

HBO wants to give President Donald Trump's tweet the "Dracarys" treatment. The cable network responded to the president's recent social media message paraphrasing Game of Thrones -- and adopting the series' text style -- to promote sanctions against Iran. Here's the tweet that started this news storm:

Even many people who don't watch Game of Thrones know the phrase "Winter Is Coming." And the design in the "O" very closely matches the HBO show's logo. You can check out the logo, straight from Game of Thrones' title sequence below.

HBO spokesman Quentin Schaffer shared a statement (via the New York Times) on the POTUS's tweet:

HBO made that feeling public with its own tweet, referencing the fictional Dothraki language used in Game of Thrones:

Sassy. So now, of course, people are making memes out of this. But fans are also debating whether HBO was serious about making a trademark case. Do they even have one, for the font if not the phrase?

While armchair lawyers debate any trademark merits, there was apparently a similar Iranian message that also referenced Game of Thrones. This is what happens when the show goes too long between seasons! A news site, referenced by the New York Times, shared this image with what was reportedly a message from an Iranian military leader:

HBO's statement about not wanting their trademark to be used for political purposes would apply to that response as well. Basically, they want to be left out of it all. And yet, they also tweeted about it, bringing more attention to it all. If everyone sent ravens instead of tweets, at least it would take longer and delay all the angry responses.

While real life battles play out via news headlines, major fictional battles are ahead in Game of Thrones Season 8. That final season will only have six episodes, but we just learned a lot more about it -- including how it begins, and how many times the finale made Kit Harington (Jon Snow) cry.

The phrase "Winter Is Coming," which got involved in this whole political spat, is the motto of House Stark. We now know that the Game of Thrones Season 8 premiere includes a scene in Winterfell calling back to Season 1, when King Robert Baratheon first met his BFF Ned Stark's children. Now those kids (the surviving ones, anyway) are all grown up and ready to fight The White Walkers for the future of mankind.

Game of Thrones Season 8 doesn't have an official premiere date on HBO at this point, but we've been told it'll start in the first half of 2019. Plus, there's a special reunion episode with Conan O'Brien to look forward to, whenever that shows up. A lot of good stuff is coming -- not just winter and, apparently, sanctions.

In the meantime, catch up on all of the fall 2018 premieres still to come in our handy-dandy TV guide.

Secrets regarding Game of Thrones' final season are hard to come by these days, mainly because the cast is universally resolved and contractually obligated to keep Season 8 a secret. Despite that, actors like Maisie Williams have done their best to keep fans excited with statements that don't reveal too much, such as information on their final scenes. The occasionally scandalous Arya Stark actress shared the details of her character's final moment and described it as "beautiful."

Arya Stark is all alone in her final Game of Thrones scene, which Maisie Williams didn't seem surprised by. Fans might be a bit surprised by that, however, as Arya was last spotted at Winterfell with Sansa and Bran and a castle full of people. Few would expect the highly skilled assassin to sit back and do nothing while the massive White Walker invasion was going on, so what could she be up to?

There's another bit of that quote worth reading into, as Maisie Williams said she watched a lot of other people wrap their scenes before finishing her own. This could mean Arya survives or at least outlasts a good bulk of other characters before Game of Thrones ends. It could also mean nothing, however, as shows rarely film their episodes in sequence and Maisie Williams' wrap time on set may have nothing to do with how long her character survives.

Maisie Williams told The Guardian she had a "lot more to do" in the final season than in the past, which could explain why she wrapped later than her peers. Those wondering if that confirms that Arya survives shouldn't get too excited, as Williams added her increased workload was a result of fewer characters that will be followed. So, if Arya dies, at least Williams' fans can take comfort in knowing they'll see a fair chunk of her before it happens.

Williams' quote is just enough to have frenzied Game of Thrones fans guessing how things end for Arya. Does she suffer an injury during an assassination attempt and scuttle off to quietly die while whispering her list of names? Does Game of Thrones fake Arya's death and then later reveal she's gone into hiding via her skill as a faceless man? Hell, maybe every would-be monarch dies and she's the one who ends up on the iron throne!

Game of Thrones fans will get their answer regarding Arya's fate before too long as Season 8 will air on HBO sometime in 2019. Stay informed on all television premiering in the meantime by visiting and bookmarking our fall premiere guide.