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Imagine youre responsible for the prequel toGame of Thrones, the biggest show in HBO history.
Congratulations: Youve just become any casting directors biggest nightmare or greatest challenge.
Martins pseudo-historical tomeFire & Bloodto the small/streaming screen.
According to Condal, there was no other way to properly adapt Martins tale.
Including both younger and older versions of key characters was a necessary part of this plan.
We did not want the younger generation to feel like prologue or flashback characters, Condal continues.
Why set the time jump at the midway point of season one?
Just about everyone had been in it.
I was like, Whos left?
That was staggeringly well cast.
We cast the elder generation, Emma DArcy and Olivia Cooke, first, Condal notes.
That informs and steers you.
Similar synchronicity took place with the casting of Alicent, though other factors were at play.
We were blessed that Emily has an almost identical profile and demeanor to Cooke, James says.
Searching for children, you start from scratch, James says.
Yes, there are a lot of children that can act, but children change monthly.
A child you see when theyre 12 can be completely different by the time theyre 13.
The process was complicated, as so many things have been, by COVID.
We werent allowed to go to schools, we werent allowed to get into the room with anybody.
Suddenly we had hardly any time to collate our children.
We had to be strict about it.
Everyone thought, Look, this isnt a whodunnit.
Were not going to hang around goingare they, arent they?Theyre not!
So lets diversify and carry on.
Update: this article originally stated production began with episode six when it was actually episode seven.
It has been corrected.
