Game of Thrones news round-up: Sophie Turner fears for Sansa, Lenny Henry wants on the show and George RR Martin has no say on who lives or dies

With Game of Thrones’ triumphant return to TV screens in the US last night and the UK tonight, it’s hardly a surprise that there’s news afoot…

So, let’s get through it.

Firstly, it seems it’s got to the time when George RR Martin is telling himself to get the story finished; he says that having The Winds of Winter published before season 6 airs has always been important to him: “I wish it was out now. Maybe I’m being overly optimistic about how quickly I can finish. But I canceled two convention appearances, I’m turning down a lot more interviews—anything I can do to clear my decks and get this done.”

He also says he has come up with a character twist that he never planned, it just happened as the story progressed: “I’m still weighing whether to go that direction or not. It’s a great twist. It’s easy to do things that are shocking or unexpected, but they have to grow out of characters. They have to grow out of situations. Otherwise, it’s just being shocking for being shocking. But this is something that seems very organic and natural, and I could see how it would happen. And with the various three, four characters involved… it all makes sense. But it’s nothing I’ve ever thought of before. And it’s nothing they can do in the show, because the show has already—on this particular character—made a couple decisions that will preclude it, where in my case I have not made those decisions.” Hmmmmmmmm… wonder what it could be?

He also confirmed that he will not be writing an episode for the sixth season of the show in order to wrap the book.

In an announcement that  should keep fans on their toes, Martin has also revealed that the TV show is becoming its own story… especially when it comes to deaths: “I don’t have to approve that. I sold the rights to HBO. I consult on this, so I give my opinions, but I don’t have any right to veto or approval.”

“Writing books, I literally have a cast of thousands,” Martin continues, “I can describe an attack on The Wall and I can kill 12 named characters [but] we don’t have that many named characters in the Night’s Watch on the TV show – we can’t afford to cast that many. So they’ll kill Pyp and Grenn and get an emotional response because the viewer knows who they are.

“These are the kind of adjustments you have to make in moving from one medium to another.” Gulp. As they said in the Scream movies… all bets are off.

Martin is also working on a new project for TV with HBO called Captain Cosmos: “At the dawn of the age of TV in 1949, a visionary young writer creates a science fiction series that tells stories no one else will dare to tell.” The pilot is being written by Michael Cassutt (Eerie Indiana).

In other news, despite her outcome in the books (whatever it may be), Sansa Stark actress Sophie Turner is terrified that she’s for the chop someday: “I would miss Sansa. I love her. She’s half of me and I’m half of her. I’ve grown up with her,” she continues, “I really feel what she feels – I probably know her better than I know myself… Every scene has been a crying scene for me, it’s been very emotional.”

British comedian Lenny Henry wants to play the King of the North on the show too: “I’m desperate to be in it. It’s my absolute favourite show,” he told The Sun.

“Everyone I know is in it, I think I should be too. I could be some kind of King of the North… with a Birmingham accent.”

We’re not sure that could work Lenny… but Westeros is a varied and large place.

Oh and here’s the cast singing I’m So Excited thanks to Tonight Show… enjoy

Sources: EW, Comicbook, Comingsoon & Digital Spy