10 things to mull from 'Thrones' trailer
LOS ANGELES — Thrones-ologists, here we go.
Game of Thrones presented its biggest reveal to date regarding Season 5 of the HBO fantasy drama (April 12, 9 p.m. ET/PT) with the premiere of a two-minute, sneak-peek trailer Thursday. It played at the end of a screening of last season's final two episodes in IMAX theaters around the country, the start of a one-week engagement for the remastered episodes.
Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, attended a late-night screening with executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss at a crowded IMAX theater in Universal City. (Season 4 will be available in Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD starting Feb. 17.)
"I hadn't seen (the trailer) before. It's pretty exciting," Turner says. "This was just as much a tease for me as it was for everyone else."
Overall, she promises "more deaths, more blood" this season, although that should hardly surprise fans of the series, which features a brutal struggle for power in the mythical land of Westeros.
As for Turner's character, Sansa continues the transformation from weak youngster to formidable woman that began late last season. "She begins to cross paths with people. They don't see her as the little girl she once was," she says.
Sansa "shed this skin of this vulnerable, submissive girl and she's finally becoming someone who can hold her own against people like Littlefinger who are master manipulators," she says.
Turner calls the IMAX transformation, which presented larger-than-life close-ups of the characters, vivid battle scenes and a rich musical score, "amazing."
The song Heroes played during the sneak peek of the new season of Thrones, which is based on George R.R. Martin's book series, A Song of Ice and Fire. The episodes and the trailer, which is not available yet for posting online, will run in IMAX theaters until Feb. 5.
Some of the trailer highlights include:
• Varys (Conleth Hill) seeming to have a plan to install a new ruler on the Iron Throne.
As he and fellow fugitive Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) converse in some tropical locale, Varys says, "The Seven Kingdoms need a ruler loved by millions, with a powerful army and the right family name."
"Good luck finding him," responds Tyrion, who concedes at one point in the teaser that he will never sit on the throne.
"Who said anything about him?" Varys counters, before the face of rising power Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) flashes on the screen.
• Daenerys appearing defiant, saying, "I'm not going to stop the wheel. I'm going to break the wheel."
• A brief look at of one of her dragons, looking bigger and scarier than in past seasons.
• Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish (Aidan Gillen) telling Sansa: "Avenge them." With so many Starks dead at the hands of the ruling Lannisters, one can imagine what he's talking about.
• Arya Stark (Maisie Williams), who had departed on a ship to Braavos in last season's final scene, picking up a sword and standing before a huge metal door, which may be the entrance to the House of Black and White.
• Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), standing next to his deceased father, Tywin, now lying in state, before listening to his sister and lover, Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). She later refers to their brother Tyrion as "that little monster."
• A brief shot of Cersei's son and king, Tommen Baratheon, and Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer) standing before a crowd in what could be a wedding scene.
• Jon Snow (Kit Harington) charging into apparent battle, shouting, "With me!"
• Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen), exiled from Daenerys' service, battling a giant foe in a gladiator-style setting.
• A giant harpy statue crashing to the ground.
Some scenes look to be from the southern region of Dorne.
As for characters, Turner advises viewers to keep an eye on Sansa's sister, the budding warrior Arya. "Arya's storyline is incredible this season," she says. "That's the one I'm looking forward to the most."
Does she think the sisters, who came close to meeting at the Eyrie last season, will ever reunite?
"I don't know," Turner says, laughing. "If they did meet, it would be a bit too happy for Game of Thrones. We want to keep it dark and gloomy."