Kit Harrington has started filming as Jon Snow in the seventh season of Game of Thrones. Photo/Supplied
Kit Harrington has started filming as Jon Snow in the seventh season of Game of Thrones. Photo/Supplied
Warning: spoilers ahead
It's been quite a while since we finished watching the explosive last episode of Game of Thrones. But now that we're done toasting Queen Cersei (with wine, wine and more wine), cheering on Daenerys's dragons and revelling in that Walder Frey moment, we're suffering a severe case of Westeros withdrawal.
To remedy that, here's a quick round-up of all the news, rumours and speculation surrounding season seven of Game of Thrones.
We're aware, of course, that a large number of reported spoilers for the entire season were leaked online earlier this year.
But, while this article does contain some plot spoilers, and details of ongoing filming, we've avoided listing the revelations in full.
Snow in ice: Kit Harington spotted filming in Iceland
A Twitter user recently posted that their cousin had met Jon Snow actor Harington in Iceland, confirming reports that the cast and crew have been filming season seven there during the bleak winter weather.
According to the fan website Watchers on the Wall, the decision to film in Iceland during the winter - and Harington's presence on the shoot - links to earlier leaks, and suggests that Jon Snow will venture beyond the wall in season seven.
"Scenes were filmed on an icy set at Wolf Hill Quarry near Belfast, but it's likely that set was supplementing Iceland's beautiful and very real vistas for the journey," the website explained, before adding that the actions equence in question will feature "a whole lot of wights".
George RR Martin: 'I think Winds of Winter will be out this year'
The author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series George R R Martin. Photo/Supplied
Okay, so this update isn't strictly related to season 7, but Martin's long-awaited novel should still provide his readers with some interesting insights into where the series is heading overall.
Martin told a fan this week that he believes The Winds of Winter, the sixth book in his Song of Ice and Fire series, will be released this year, though nothing is set in stone yet.
TV fans may think they know what will happen - Martin's most recent book, A Dance With Dragons, ended with the murder of Jon Snow, and season six picked things up immediately afterwards - but there are a number of plot threads and characters that never made it onto the show which will likely provide a very different story.
That said there may still be unexpected character threads and stories, not to mention some further development of the show's more mythological aspects. Fans desperate to know "how it all ends" will doubtless be scouring the text for clues.
Previously Martin said that the tone of the sixth book would be darker than its predecessors: "In any story, the classic structure is, 'Things get worse before they get better,' so things are getting worse for a lot of people."
Family fighting
Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy in the sixth season of Game of Thrones. Photo/Supplied
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson who stars in Game of Thrones as Gregor Clegane, aka The Mountain, aka Ser Robert Strong, has told Digital Spy that he's aware of just how desperate fans are to see a showdown between his character and brother Sandor (played by Rory McCann).
But he says we're going to have to wait and see if the longed-for fight ever materialises. "I cannot [read all of the fan theories] - it's very hard for me to follow up everything that my fans comment," said Björnsson. "But I've been seeing some of them and I did notice a lot of people were talking about the Cleganebowl - people were waiting for me and my brother to fight.
"There's a lot of expectation from the fans to see that happen - obviously I cannot comment on that... you're just going to have to see what's gonna happen!"
Meanwhile, Theon Greyjoy will have a bloody confrontation with his uncle Euron sometime during the season.
Last time we saw Alfie Allen's murderer turned torture victim turned just-about-palatable antihero Theon Greyjoy, he and his sister Yara (Gemma Whelan) were sailing off with Daenerys.
But if new glimpses from the season seven set are anything to go by, the character's journey will be interrupted by a brutal seaside confrontation with his Uncle Euron, played by Pilou Asbæk. (Not sure that the words "seaside" and "brutal" go together? You're clearly not one of the ironborn.)
In a series of exciting images, obtained by the website TMZ, Theon can be seen engaging in one-on-one battle with Euron, as a group of his uncle's soldiers look on.
'Game of Thrones' Set Pics -- Blood, Guts & Mutilated Genitals! (SPOILER ALERT) https://t.co/PbhoqRyIg0
In one shot, Theon is seen with blood streaming down his face. In another, it looks as if Euron has the upper hand, as his nephew is knocked flying to the ground.
But the final photographs in the sequence suggest that it may be Theon who emerges triumphant, and possibly even that he kills his uncle (although it's hard to be certain).
Will next season's 'epic' conflict beat The Battle of the Bastards?
Daenerys Targaryean, played by Emilia Clarke, may be assembling a massive army. Photo/Supplied
Speaking on the red carpet at the Emmys on September 18, Emilia Clarke teased fans by dropping a few hints about the new season. "Every single word is a spoiler almost, it's ridiculous," she admitted, but said that "they've topped [season 6]. They've topped it, again." Clarke confirmed that she has already read the scripts for the new season, and revealed one nugget of infomation that is sure to get fans pulses racing.
"Last season's battle was, like, ridiculous... but this season is, like, off the shizzay! There's, like, another battle that's epic," she said. When asked what we could expect from the seventh season, she gave a rather ominous reply: "You can expect less people." It sounds like more major deaths may be on the way...
Her comments match other reports that suggest Daenerys is putting together a massive army.
A casting call asking for "thin people" and those "with military experience" and in good shape appeared on Twitter ;ast year from Spanish casting company Modexpor. If you have any visible tattoos and unnaturally coloured hair, then they're not interested.
The specifics of the advertisement, especially that extras who were local to the Cáceres province, have caused some fans to speculate that these hundreds of actors will be used to boost Daenerys's army of Unsullied. There are also women being cast, who wouldn't necessarily be in combat, but may be used to make up numbers in scenes from either Kings Landing or Westeros's Old Town, which fan website Watchers on the Wall believes are being shot in Spain.
Fan favourites returning
Remember Gendry? AKA Joe Dempsie, AKA Chris from Skins. Son of Robert Baratheon, friend of Ayra and victim of Melisandre, Gendry narrowly escaped being turned into a blood sacrifice by Davos back in season three, where we last saw him rowing off into the distance.
Fans have had a running joke that all Gendry's been doing for the past four seasons is rowing, which may well be the case, but he will have reached his destination by season seven as Dempsie has been spotted in Belfast.
There's no telling what Gendry is back in town to do, but it's worth bearing in mind that he is a Baratheon - and all of his half-siblings are dead.
Other stars have been spotted in Belfast, too, in the most awesome pre-teen in Westeros is returning for Season 7
You know who didn't refuse the call in The North? Lyanna Mormont. And you know who didn't refuse the call of Game of Thrones Season 7? That's right, Lyanna Mormont. Bella Ramsey, the actress who plays the ice-cold child warrior queen who is scared of nothing, has been spotted on set in Northern Ireland wearing her fierce battle-appropriate get-up.
We can't wait to see her back on screen, telling all of those old cowards to go and fight with Jon Snow like Real Men.
The show is set to premiere sometime around June following the final season of The Leftovers. Only a brief teaser has gone online, showing shots of Arya, Sansa and Jon, which suggests a Stark focus for the sixth season.
For fans who cannot wait until then, a number of spoilers leaked online last year. While HBO never commented on them, many fans have taken them as fact. If you are someone who likes to drink and know things, read on at your own peril.
