Season two rumors: Where there is smoke, there is fire?

The rumors and signs of HBO giving an unofficial green light to season two to Game of Thrones have been swirling for the past couple months. It started back in Feb when the cast assembled in London for a screening of the first two episodes. We heard an unconfirmed rumor that HBO announced to the cast that season two was green lit. [We’re now sure that this didn’t happen. Like we said, unconfirmed.] Around the same time, word came that the necessary crew in Belfast was also notified of the go-ahead. We also heard from a London casting agency that auditions for season two were going to start “soon”.

Since then, things have been relatively quiet. We’ve tried reaching out to some of our sources for more signs of behind-the-scenes activity but have heard nothing. Until the other day, when a call for crew popped up on Northern Ireland Screen’s website, looking for a travel coordinator for Fire And Blood, the production company behind Thrones. The beginning of the necessary crewing up? Possibly.

Today, Norther Ireland Screen published minutes from a board meeting that took place back in December. At the meeting, the CEO was said to have been “optimistic” about the chances for season two “going ahead in Northern Ireland.” And that “a formal decision by HBO is likely in January”. Interesting.

Winter Is Coming: Obviously, nothing is official until we get the word directly from HBO. But were I a betting man, I would wager that HBO did make a formal decision in January and that decision was to go ahead with season two. This then trickled down to the cast and crew a couple weeks later, and planning and preparations have been underway ever since, with the intention of hitting the ground running once we get the official announcement on April 18th. Time will tell, I suppose.

• Published on 03/29/2011 at 4:29 PM CDT
• Last updated on 03/29/2011 at 4:53 PM CDT