On the heels of a record ratings draw for the third season premiere of the premium cable juggernaut, HBO's Game of Thrones has been officially renewed for a fourth season. Achieving a sizable 4.4 million viewers for the season premiere, this announcement is a bit of a no-brainer. This announcement is not accompanied by any definitive information about which book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series will be adapted but the fourth season is heavily rumored to be based on half of A Storm of Swords.
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LOS ANGELES, April 2, 2013 – HBO has renewed GAME OF THRONES for a fourth season, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming.
Based on the bestselling fantasy book series by George R.R. Martin, GAME OF THRONES is an epic story of treachery and nobility set on the continent of Westeros, where summers and winters can last years, and only the lust for power is eternal. The Emmy®- and Golden Globe-winning series launched its ten-episode third season Sunday, March 31 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO, with other episodes debuting subsequent Sundays at the same time.
Among the early critical praise for the third season, the Hollywood Reporter called GAME OF THRONES “addictive and outstanding,” while Newsday termed the series “superb,” awarding the show an A+. The Chicago Tribune hailed the show as “spellbinding” and the Washington Post described it as “masterful.”
According to early data, GAME OF THRONES’ season three premiere March 31 on HBO topped the series’ highs, with record viewership for both the 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT) airing and gross audience across the three plays. At 9:00 p.m., it averaged 4.4 million viewers, outperforming (+4%) the previous high of 4.2 million viewers from last season’s finale. GAMES OF THRONES improved 13% in comparison to last season’s premiere of 3.9 million viewers. Across the three plays for the night, 6.7 million viewers tuned in, surpassing last season’s debut night of 6.3 million viewers by 7%. Last season, GAME OF THRONES had an average gross audience (HBO linear plays + HBO On Demand/HBO GO + DVR) of 11.6 million viewers.
For more on the series, visit facebook.com/GameOfThrones and twitter.com @GameOfThrones #GameOfThrones.
Season three credits: The executive producers of GAME OF THRONES are David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger, Bernadette Caulfield; co-executive producers, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, George R.R. Martin, Vanessa Taylor; produced by Chris Newman, Greg Spence.
Game of Thrones Season 3 will be based on A Storm of Swords, the third novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire book series from author George R.R. Martin. Due to the sheer length of the third novel, which is roughly 1.5 times the size of the first novel, the events of A Stomr of Swords will be split over two seasons. The cruel reign of the boy-king Joffrey Baratheon continues thanks to an alliance with House Tyrell. King of the North Robb Stark must decide whether to remain in the field against the Lannisters or return to Winterfell and address the actions of a traitor. Bran Stark journeys across a frozen wasteland to reach The Wall and what lies beyond. Daenerys Targaryen searches for an army to take back her homeland. Jon Snow must navigated dangerous waters filled with White Walkers and the bloodthirsty wildlings of the King-Beyond-the-Wall Mance Rayder.
Running Time: 60 minutes
Release Date: March 31, 2013 (Season 3)
TV Rating: TV-MA for sex & nudity, violence & gore, profanity, alchohol/drugs/smoking and frightening/intense scenes
Starring: Mark Addy, Michelle Fairley, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Iain Glen, Aidan Gillen, Harry Lloyd, Kit Harington, Richard Madden, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Alfie Allen, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Jack Gleeson, Rory McCann, Peter Dinklage.
Creators: David Benioff (series), D. B. Weiss (series), George R. R. Martin (novels)
Written by: David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Bryan Cogman, Jane Espenson, George R. R. Martin