Game Of Thrones

Game Of Thrones Season 7 Date, Trailer And More!

Here's everything we know s far about our return to Westeros.

Monday, March 13, 2017 - 10:36

Spring might be here, but winter is coming, with HBO confirming the official air date for season 7 of Game Of Thrones. And better still, there’s even a shiny new teaser to get you in the mood for this latest return to King’s Landing…

HBO

July 16 is the date to write in your diaries in with a big, red pen, making this the first season of the multi-award-winning show to *not* drop in April. There’s good reason for that, though, with the production filming later in the year to capture the ultra-horrible weather descending on Westeros. That’s right, after all that chat, it seems that Winter is finally here.

HBO

Check out the new teaser trailer, below…

Game of Thrones Season 7: Official Tease: Sigils

No actual footage then, but a couple of dialogue snippets that might give us some idea of what to expect from the next seven episodes (this season is also three eps shorter than the others). The major takeaway? “The great war is here.” Expect blood. Lots and lots of blood.

MTV

Co-starring all the usual stars (those that have survived, anyway), along with new addition of Jim Broadbent AND ED SHEERAN (read all about it here!), Game Of Thrones Season 7 will arrive in just four months time. The countdown starts now.

- By George Wales @GeorgeWales85

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Where Are They Now?

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers) Then: In an era where most female characters were damsels in distress, Buffy was a total badass. When she wasn’t slaying vamps she was dealing with her long-lost sister, her obnoxiously happy roommate and dying. Twice

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Now: SMG starred in Scooby-Doo, The Grudge and TMNT. She took a few years off after she and hubby Freddie Prinze Jr. had two kids, but now she’s back with a bang as iconic mean girl Kathryn Merteuil in a Cruel Intentions TV show. YES!

Instagram / @sarahmgellar

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Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg) Then: Willow was the geeky BFF we always wanted. After a doomed relationship with a teenager werewolf, Willow got together with fellow witch Tara Maclay and together they became one of the first lesbian couples on TV.

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Now: She was a lovable geek in American Pie, before scoring another high-profile gig in How I Met Your Mother. She’s married to fellow Buffy alumni Alexis Denisof (Wesley) and they have two daughters.

Twitter / @alydenisof

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Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris) Then: The lovable goofball who was always tripping over his own love life. First, he had a crush on Bufz, then got with rich girl Cordelia before having a brief fling with BFF Willow. He was a dweeb with some serious moves

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Now: He landed a reoccurring role in Criminal Minds and appeared in other shows like Private Practice and Without a Trace. He’s also struggled with addiction and appeared on Dr. Phil twice to discuss his demons.

facebook.com/nicholasbrendon

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Anthony Head (Rupert Giles) Then: Good old Giles, he was Buffy’s watcher and unofficial giver of grand advice to the Scooby Gang. We all need a Giles in our lives.

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Now: Fans will have since spotted him in My Family, Little Britain and Dr. Who. He’s no stranger to film either and played Will’s dad in The Inbetweeners, Geoffrey Howe in The Iron Lady and the dad in A Street Cat Named Bob.

Twitter / @AnthonySHead

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David Boreanaz (Angel) Then: Buffy fell for brooding vampire Angel, but sadly their relationship was always strained what with him not being able to hang out when the sun was up or have sex without him turning evil. Not ideal tbh.

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Now: David went straight on to the Buffy spin off Angel and then landed a role as FBI agent Booth on Bones, which is still going to this day! He’s married to fellow actress Jaime Bergman and they have two kids.

Twitter / @David_Boreanaz

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Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase) Then: Spoilt and rich, cheerleader Cordelia and our girl Buffy weren’t exactly best pals. An agent of The Powers That Be, she ultimately joins the Scooby Gang to help keep Sunnydale safe.

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Now: Charisma has been in Scream Queens, Sons of Anarchy and Veronica Mars, where she reunited with Alyson. She played a leading role The Lying Game and was in both The Expendables films. She also has a son.

Instagram / @karazma

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Emma Caulfield (Anya Jenkins) Then: Anya was only supposed to be in two episodes, but we loved her so much they kept her on. She was revered for her power to grant wishes made by women seeking revenge against men who had wronged them.

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Now: She recently appeared as an FBI agent in Supergirl and returned to her role as the blind witch in Once Upon A Time. She also writes for Entertainment Weekly and had her first child earlier this year.

Instagram / @emmacaulfieldofficial

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Amber Benson (Tara Maclay) Then: Tara was a lovable witch and her relationship with Willow was remarkably healthy given the shows other romances! Sadly Tara came to a very sad end which Buffy fans are still cut up over.

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Now: On a Reddit AMA a year ago Amber said she’s largely quit acting. She is focused on writing and directing her own films (drones) as well as writing fantasy novels.

Twitter / @amber_benson

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James Marsters (Spike) Then: Spike started off as a baddie with bad intentions for Buffy. Somehow the pair worked things out and he fell in love with her, reacquiring his soul to prove his love. So romantic.

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Now: Since Spike he’s played an alien supervillain in Smallville, an omnisexual time traveller in Torchwood and a terrorist in Caprica. He’s married with one child from a previous marriage.

Twitter / @JamesMarstersOf

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Seth Green (Daniel Osbourne) Then: Oz was one cool werewolf. He arrived on the scene in S2 when he needed a bit of help dealing with his fairly large monthly transformation!

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Now: Seth was fairly well established pre-Buffy and that’s continued. He’s frequently heard rather than seen e.g. Chris Griffin in Family Guy. He also created Robot Chicken with his wife and fellow actor Clare Grant.

Instagram / @sethgreen

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Robia LaMorte (Jenny Calendar) Then: Jenny was the computer teacher at Sunnydale High School and acted as a role model for the younger women in Buffy’s circle. She had a thing with Giles and he goes into a massive depression when she (spoiler) dies.

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Now: Following a highway encounter with a Christian biker gang, Robia became a born again Christian. She’s since retired from acting and is focused on Christian counselling.

Instagram / @robiascott

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David Bryan Woodside (Robin Wood) Then: The vegetarian headmaster at Sunnydale Highschool Buffy isn’t 100% on. And not without good reason, too. Spike killed his mother and Robin was on a retribution mission (it didn’t work out – phew).

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Now: He left Buffy with a whopper of a role – chief of staff Wayne Palmer on 24. He’s also appeared in Grey’s Anatomy, Lie to Me and Suits. Most recently he was cast as Amenadiel in Lucifer. He has a daughter with actress Golden Brooks.

Twitter / @TheReal_Db

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Bianca Lawson (Kendra Young) Then: And then there were two slayers. Kendra had a textbook solid knowledge of slaying and thought that Buffy’s socialising was irresponsible. Of course that all changed after some time hanging out with the Scooby Gang.

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Now: She might have met her end in Buffy, but Bianca basically hasn’t aged. She’s played a teen in Pretty Little Liars and Teen Wolf and more recently she was cast as a recovering drug addict in the series Queen Sugar.

Instagram / @biancajasminelawson

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Iconic Film Roles That Were Nearly Played By Other Actors

Reese Witherspoon, Kirsten Dunst, Cameron Diaz, Alicia Silverstone - Just about every actress in Hollywood passed on playing Mia Thermopolis in ‘The Princess Diaries’ before Anne Hathaway nabbed her first ever film role.

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Sarah Michelle Gellar - Alicia Silverstone may have been the perfect embodiment of a clueless teenager, but a pre-Buffy SMG was actually the first choice to play Cher Horowitz in the 1995 classic. Scheduling conflicts made her turn the role down.

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Matt Damon - His breakout role in ‘Avatar’ put him on the A-list, but it could have all been so different for Sam Worthington had Damon not turned down the role of Jake Sully to star in ‘Green Zone’ instead.

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Harrison Ford - Spielberg made the revelation during a Q&A session that Ford was his first choice to play Dr. Alan Grant in ‘Jurassic Park’. For Sam Neil’s sake the actor, fortunately, turned the role down.

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Sandra Bullock - If the internet is to be believed, Bullock was originally considered for the role of Dr. Ellie Grant in the dinosaur blockbuster before losing out to Laura Dern.

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Liam Neeson - Neeson turned down the iconic role of James Bond over two decades ago after his late wife Natasha Richardson told him that she would not marry him if he took the part. “I had to take that on board because I did want to marry her.”

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Jennifer Lawrence - It turns out all our lives could have been very different had Lawrence’s audition for the part of Bella in the ‘Twilight’ series had gone better than it did for Kristen Stewart.

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Robin Williams - Harry Potter fan Williams was vocal about the time he lobbied to play Hagrid in the movie franchise but was turned down because of his nationality, with J.K. Rowling insisting on British actors being cast in the films.

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Macauley Culkin and Angelina Jolie - Of all the actors and actresses considered to play Jack and Rose in James Cameron’s blockbuster classic ‘Titanic’, its the prospect of ‘Home Alone’s’ Kevin painting Jolie in the nude that has us most wide-eyed.

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Tom Cruise - Thanks to his now iconic underwear dance sequence in ‘Risky Business’, Cruise was an obvious first choice to play Ren McCormack in the 1984 musical ‘Footloose’ but was unavailable due to filming ‘All the Right Moves’ at the time.

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Tom Cruise - It’s hard to believe now, but Cruise was also once earmarked to play Tony Stark in ‘Iron Man’. Oddly, his strange request to have his face shown at all times in the film through a transparent visor is apparently what lost him the role.

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Al Pacino - Harrison Ford has this acting legend to thank for his breakout role as Han Solo in ‘Star Wars’ after Pacino - the studio’s first choice - turned down the role due to not understanding the film’s script whatsoever.

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Russell Crowe - According to Jackman, Crowe was actually Bryan Singer’s first choice to play Wolverine, but after turning the role down he suggested his mate for the part instead.

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Sarah Harding - The Girls Aloud singer is said to have got called back three times for ‘X-Men: First Class’ before eventually losing out to January Jones who plays super chill villain Emma Frost in the film. Yes, really.

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Gwen Stefani - Speaking with Howard Stern on his SiriusXM show, Stefani revealed that she had auditioned for the role of Mrs Smith in ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’ and ALMOST got it. Imagine all the possibilities for what the world might look like now if she had

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John Travolta - Admitting more recently that it was a stupid decision, Travolta is said to have accepted the role of Forrest Gump before dropping it. Tom Hanks went on to win an Academy Award for “Best Actor” for his performance in the film.

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Leonardo DiCaprio - Though he was Paul Thomas Anderson’s first choice to play Dirk Diggler, DiCaprio turned down the part to star in a little movie called ‘Titanic’. The actor has since admitted that his biggest regret is turning down ‘Boogie Nights’.

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Leonardo DiCaprio - Fresh off his ‘Titanic’ success, producers were keen for DiCaprio to play the lead in ‘American Psycho’. The director hated that idea though as she had always envisioned Christian Bale playing the narcissistic serial killer.

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David Schwimmer - The Friends star was originally offered the role of Agent J in ‘Men In Black’ (before it went to Will Smith) but had to turn it down when he found out filming would conflict with directing his first film.

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Jack Nicholson - One of Al Pacino’s most iconic roles as Michael Corleone in ‘The Godfather’ was nearly played by Nicholson who dropped out of the film after feeling like the role wasn’t quite right for him.

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Bill Murray - With Warner Brothers originally wanting Tim Burton’s ‘Batman’ films to be a total camp-fest like the old TV series, Murray was originally the first choice to play the caped crusader before Michael Keaton eventually bagged the role.

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Anne Hathaway - Jennifer Lawrence might have needed to wait a little longer to win her first Academy Award had Hathaway not dropped out of ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ early on due to “creative differences” with David O. Russell.

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Jim Carrey - Johnny Depp has “scheduling conflicts” to thank for the role of a lifetime that rejuvenated his Hollywood career as Carrey was first choice to play Jack Sparrow in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’. He was busy filming ‘ Bruce Almighty.’

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Julia Roberts - Sharon Stone’s leg-crossing femme fatale was very nearly played by Julia Roberts who had to turn down the role when she found out she’d have to appear completely nude in the film.

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Sean Connery - Half of Hollywood has this Scottish legend to thank for making a second career out of turning down famous roles. See: Dumbledore (Harry Potter), John Hammond (Jurassic Park), Gandalf (The Lord of The Rings), and Morpheus (The Matrix).

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21 LGBT Movies Everyone Should See

Brokeback Mountain (2005): We dare you not to cry for a week after watching Ang Lee's heartbreaking drama about two cowboys who must keep their love for each other - over the course of several years - a secret.

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Looking: The Movie (2016): HBO’s short-lived gay drama is given a fitting goodbye in this 90 minute special that follows Patrick as he returns to San Francisco in search of closure regarding his relationships with former lovers Richie and Kevin.

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Stranger by the Lake (2014): A French thriller set in a popular gay cruising-spot that asks the question; What are you prepared to turn a blind eye to in the pursuit of getting your rocks off.

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All About My Mother (1999): A humorous, emotional, and heartfelt story from acclaimed director Pedro Almodóvar that portrays transsexual and transgender living in a sympa-thetic and sensitive way.

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Weekend (2011): Andrew Haigh’s critically acclaimed film that follows a brief romance between two men - over the course of one weekend - is a modern classic that will leave you pining for a similar connection next time you’re out on the pull.

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A Single Man (2009): Tom Ford’s seriously stylish directorial debut follows an English professor played by Colin Firth as he struggles to find meaning in his life after the death of his long time partner.

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Tomboy (2011): A touching French drama that deals with childhood gender confusion in a refreshingly low-key way.

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Girlhood (2014): Céline Sciamma’s follow-up to Tomboy set in the Paris suburbs that also happens to feature a memorable lip sync of Rihanna's "Diamonds" is a classic coming of age story told through the eyes of a young black girl named Marieme.

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Monster (2004): Charlize Theron's Oscar-winning turn as serial killer Aileen Wuornos isn't an easy watch but her commitment to the part which sees her explore a lesbian relationship with Christina Ricci’s character Selby is essential viewing.

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My Own Private Idaho (1992): Gus Van Sant's 90s loose reworking of Henry IV follows a pair of gay street hustlers (played by Keanu Reeves and the late River Phoenix) as they embark on a journey of self discovery.

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Moonlight (2016): This coming of age drama that chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood is already receiving some major Oscar buzz with critics calling it a visual masterpiece. Its UK release is planned for February.

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The Kids Are All Right (2010): Lisa Cholodenko's lesbian drama follows a teenage girl and her younger brother as they try to track down their biological father much to the an-noyance of their mothers.

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Tangerine (2015): A dramedy about a trangender sex worker who discovers after being released from prison that her boyfriend has been cheating on her with a cis woman was definitely our favourite film last year to be shot entirely on an iPhone 5s.

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Pariah (2011): Writer-director Dee Rees’s teen drama - which impressed Meryl Streep enough to give the film and its lead Adepero Oduye a shoutout at the 2012 Golden Globes - tells the story of Alike, a 17-year-old teenager embracing her sexuality.

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The Pass (2016): Russell Tovey and Arinze Kene play two professional football players who share a kiss in their hotel room the night before their first big game in this movie ad-aptation of John Donnelly’s critically-acclaimed play.

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King Cobra (2016): Disney star Garrett Clayton sheds his wholesome image (and his clothes) to play real-life gay porn star Brent Corrigan in this sleazy, sexy, and tense thriller that will appeal to fans of Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers.

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Blue Is The Warmest Color (2013): This electrifying French drama famed for its explicit sex scenes centres on a 15-year-old girl named Adèle who falls for an older “blue-haired” art student named Emma.

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Free Fall (2013): This emotionally-charged German drama that follows a soon-to-be-father who falls for a fellow police officer will leave you feeling more breathless than the main character: who fyi spends most of the movie jogging.

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Carol (2015): Todd Hayes’s lesbian romance about an aspiring photographer who de-velops an intimate relationship with an older woman earned rave reviews and a pair of Oscar nominations for its leading lady’s Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara.

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Boys Don’t Cry (1999): Oscar winner Hilary Swank (in her most memorable role to date) plays trans man Brandon Teena in this moving true-life story that helped to open up a widespread dialogue about gender identity.

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Pride (2015): Based on the true story about a group of gay activists who worked tirelessly to help miners during their lengthy strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984, this British comedy will make you feel all the feels.

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