Opening credits

[Ser Greguh]

So, we all know that Game of Thrones has an enormous cast, one of the largest ever assembled for a television show. This is going to translate to a lot of names in our opening credits for Season 1, but who is going to make the cut and how are they going to be arranged? We've speculated on just about everything else, so why not this?

Note that I'm listing actors with their characters to help keep them straight; I would expect just the actors' names to be listed in the credits themselves. A space between names indicates a break between listing the names; no space between names means names listed in a pair or trio.

Here's my first pass:

Sean Bean (Eddard Stark)

Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen)

Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister)

Kit Harrington (Jon Snow)

Nikolaj Coster-Waldeau (Jaime Lannister)

Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister)

Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark)

Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo)

Mark Addy (Robert Baratheon)

Aiden Gillen (Petyr Baelish)

Harry Lloyd (Viserys Targaryen)

Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark)

Maisie Williams (Arya Stark)

Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran Stark)

Richard Madden (Robb Stark)

Conan Stevens (Gregor Clegane)

Rory McCann (Sandor Clegane)

Alfie Owen-Allen (Theon Greyjoy)

Natalie Tena (Osha)

James Cosmo (Jeor Mormont)

Owen Teale (Alliser Thorne)

John Bradley-West (Samwell Tarly)

Conleth Hill (Varys)

Jack Gleeson (Joffrey Baratheon)

Iain Glenn (Jorah Mormont)

Finn Jones (Loras Tyrell)

Jamie Sives (Jory Cassel)

Jerome Flynn (Bronn)

That's 28 names, and I left out some potentials including Maester Aemon, Grand Maester Pycelle, Doreah, Tywin Lannister, Lysa Arryn, and Syrio Forel, who could loosely be considered to be series regulars. As far as I know that would be the most in television history. Season 5 of The Wire had 24 names in the opening credits, so 28 is probably about in the right ballpark, particularly since by the end of the season a few names will have to be removed. It's also possible that a few of the names won't be added until later episodes.

Thoughts?

[Cereal Forel]

Sean Bean (Eddard Stark)

Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen)

Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister)

Kit Harrington (Jon Snow)

Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister)

Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark)

Mark Addy (Robert Baratheon)

Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark)

Maisie Williams (Arya Stark)

and Bran and Jaime, whom I accidentally deleted out and am too lazy to go back and fix it.

[Maltaran]

I wouldn't expect the kids (Bran, Arya and Sansa, possibly Joff as well) to be in the opening credits - for comparison, the four kids in season 4 of the Wire weren't in the opening, although Michael got up there for season 5. Also, assuming the OP is listing them in the order they're going to appear, I would expect Headey to be higher and Harrington lower. Also, the ones named in the triples are IMO more likely to be listed as recurring cast rather than in the credits proper - they'll get their names at the start, but only in the episodes in which they appear.

[Padraig]

What Malt said. I presume that HBO's credits are based on importance? Rather than a simple alphabetical listing? Bean, Headey and Dinklage to me seem the most known. And then Addy. Jaime. Catelyn. Drogo. And then all the more unknown young characters like Dany, Jon and Robb.

For Gillen they might put at the end with a "and Aidan Gillen".

[Maltaran]

There's also the fact that putting an actor's name in the opening credits generally means you have to pay them more - so there's an incentive to keep the list trimmed down.

[Anya, Vengeance Demon]

There's also the fact that putting an actor's name in the opening credits generally means you have to pay them more - so there's an incentive to keep the list trimmed down.

Does it? I'd heard the opposite, that a major recurring guest star can be more expensive than a series regular, which is why TV shows tend to have larger casts of regulars and fewer guest stars.

[Brude]

Placement of names in credits is often determined contractually. Someone who is well known might get special mention at the end because they can, simply due to their name recognition. I've noticed that both Chevy Chase and Ken Jeong have this on "Community," and they were both probably the most well known actors from prior work before that show hit the air (Chase especially, of course). A lot of it is just determined by how they want this sort of thing presented.

I suspect that many of the actors will not get mentioned in front episodes they don't appear in. That way Jerome Flynn and Charles Dance, for instance, can be left off the credits until they are in the show (one, half-way through, the other right at the end). I know "The Tudors" did this, so half-way through a season you'd suddenly see new names - and in that case new faces, as they always showed an image of the actor/character being credited. In the final episode where many characters from prior seasons came back, even long dead ones, you had a lot of old faces suddenly appear (Woolsey, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, etc.).

If the opening is as it is described in the leaked script, those names will just all be flashed quickly on screen. It's going to be many episodes before people are actually paying attention to the names, if we get those credits. They'll be focused on the images much, much more. The way The Tudors did it really forced you to pay attention to not only the actors' names, but showed you exactly who they played. A better deal for the actors, in that case.

[Blue Steel]

Does it? I'd heard the opposite, that a major recurring guest star can be more expensive than a series regular, which is why TV shows tend to have larger casts of regulars and fewer guest stars.

Major recurring guest stars are generally in the opening credits.

[Bloodymummer]

They could easily fit all 28 names on an intro. The Wire S4 managed 21 at the beginning: 12 individuals in alphabetical order (with the exception of Dominic West, of course!), 2 names 3 different times and then 3 names.

Season 4 also had the best intro music so I hope they get something appropriate but lengthy enough for all the names, plus producers, created by, etc. etc.

Also, I don't think that HBO does alot of guest stars in their series. However, Sidney Pollack did a guest shot in the last season of the Sopranos (wife killing oncologist in jail with Johnny Sac) and I believe his name came in the end credits after everyone else and said "and Sidney Pollack". I think this would work fine with some of the more recognizable names with smaller parts for the episodes they'll be in for Season 1; like Charles Dance, Peter Vaughan, Natalia Tena and some others. Maybe James Cosmo too, but just because he must have drank a bottle of awesome when he was a baby.

[Loras]

I thought when the series was cast there were a number of regular characters cast, I'm pretty sure the number was 17:

Ned, Cat, Jon, Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, Theon, Robert, Cersei, Joff, Jaime, Tyrion, Dany, Viserys, Drogo and Jorah.

I figured that these would be the ones who appeared in the credits for the season. Other characters (actors) would appear in beneath the first scene of the first act.

[Padraig]

I thought when the series was cast there were a number of regular characters cast, I'm pretty sure the number was 17:

Right. This.

But that was produced after the show was greenlit and a lot more people were cast. So I think it could be completely changed. Although interesting that Momoa was only in the "also featuring" section.

[Venardhi]

There are a lot of different ways to do opening credits, and HBO tends to break the mold with those long sequences. However, I can't see them showing every name of the regular cast every episode (I think that sort of thing also affects residuals, but I could be wrong). I would expect 15 names tops in every episode's sequence, with the rest of the main cast only being listed as "featuring" in the episodes they appear in. That 17 number sounds like they might be able to fit it, depending on how they do the opening sequence.

[Dennai]

I know "The Tudors" did this, so half-way through a season you'd suddenly see new names - and in that case new faces, as they always showed an image of the actor/character being credited. (...)They'll be focused on the images much, much more. The way The Tudors did it really forced you to pay attention to not only the actors' names, but showed you exactly who they played. A better deal for the actors, in that case.

I wouldn't call myself a HBO expert, but I don't think they are keen in using the name/image style of presenting credits. I don't recall any of their shows I've watched doing it. For sure, not in Rome, Deadwood and Band of brother (I own the DVD sets of those, so they're fresher in my memory.)

[Padraig]

I wouldn't call myself a HBO expert, but I don't think they are keen in using the name/image style of presenting credits. I don't recall any of their shows I've watched doing it. For sure, not in Rome, Deadwood and Band of brother (I own the DVD sets of those, so they're fresher in my memory.)

And as Brude said, in the linked pilot script they were going to avoid the name/image thing again.