Although word got out earlier this week, this afternoon HBO officially announced the renewal of Game of Thrones for two more seasons via press release. The fourth season of Game of Thrones premiered last Sunday night with 6.6 million viewers, the highest rating since HBO’s finale of The Sopranos in 2007. The first episode of Game of Thrones, titled “Two Swords,” begins the highly anticipated 10-episode season based on George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series of books.
As well as a host of new characters, regular cast members returning this season include Emmy and Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Charles Dance, Aidan Gillen, Jack Gleeson, Kit Harington, Diana Rigg, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Alfie Allen, Jerome Flynn, Conleth Hill, John Bradley, Gwendoline Christie, Liam Cunningham, Stephen Dillane, Natalie Dormer, Iain Glen, Kristofer Hivju, Sibel Kekilli, Rose Leslie, Rory McCann, Michael McElhatton, Iwan Rheon and Carice van Houten.
Game of Thrones is executive produced by David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger and Bernadette Caulfield; co-executive produced by Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis and George R.R. Martin; and produced by Chris Newman and Greg Spence.
