Comic-Con Panel Details

[The Scabbard Of the Morning]

Honestly, the idea that they will devote significant screen time to Theon's imprisonment at the Dreadfort fills me with "dread". The 2 major flaw of season 2 was 1) that they gave characters without much happening extra scenes to keep them on the screen (like Dany), and 2) made up scene like Robb's romance that happened off screen in the books to give him more screen time. Filling the screen with Theon's imprisonment and attempted escape that goes nowhere is like the combination of those 2 flaws rolled up in to one. Theon's torture works better offscreen anyway because what people can imagine is always more terrifying.

I would prefer to not see him at all in season 3, there is so much material to cover with adding scenes.

[Pod The Impaler]

I think they will keep Theon off-screen, as a matter of casting costs. They may have to change much of the "Reek" thing. (actually, they already have.)

I still think a great point to cut things, the best point really, would be at the end of the Purple Wedding. (The RW seems like a natural episode 9.)

Particularly: Sansa goes over the wall with Dontos, then to the boat and Dontos is shot; LF revealing himself as the very last shot of the season.

Whether they can get there in one 1-episode season is another matter.

[HouseLark]

On the contrary, I think we will see exactly how Theon becomes Reek. Theon had probably the best arc last season and Alfie Allen completely smashed it. D&D wrote extra scenes for relatively minor characters like Jaime and Robb on the strength of the actors performances, I would expect them to do so for Alfie. Plus they are casting Ramsay who doesn't appear at all in ASOS so what is he going to do if not interact with Theon?

[YTDN]

On the contrary, I think we will see exactly how Theon becomes Reek. Theon had probably the best arc last season and Alfie Allen completely smashed it. D&D wrote extra scenes for relatively minor characters like Jaime and Robb on the strength of the actors performances, I would expect them to do so for Alfie. Plus they are casting Ramsay who doesn't appear at all in ASOS so what is he going to do if not interact with Theon?

There's also a suspected Ramsay audition tape flying around. Check out the Casting forum, it's in the Ramsay thread. Pretty chilling stuff.

[Moshroom]

They could show Ramsay's torture stuff with his wife who is going to die and the Reek stuff, so people see him as the same person as readers do. Maybe they introduce Theon directly as Reek, maybe so he won't be recognized as fast as if they just told the non-readers that it's Theon.

As for Asha/Yara, I really don't think, she plays such a major role, so a few moments on-screen would be enough, like talking about Theon with her father in episode 3 or so and then her father

gets killed in episode 6 or something. IIRC, he is the first king to die according to what Mel told Stannis?

And the producers can always show Asha/Yara and Balon in the flashback of the episode Balon dies.

Plus there is always the opportunity to show Asha/Yara with some of her lovers she thinks of in the later books to keep her in the watchers' mind. :D

ETA: don't know if the Balon-stuff is seen as a spoiler, marked it as one to be on the safe side.

[GoodGuyA]

I think they will keep Theon off-screen, as a matter of casting costs.

They all ready have him on the show. He's on contract. That much cannot be changed, and thus he has to remain on screen or else risk having to pay a boatload of money to guarantee his return a year or even two down the line. It's never as simple as getting an actor "for these episodes" in productions like this.

[DragonAge93]

Actually they haven't even come to Alfie yet about season 3, whereas most of the actors have been told they are coming back. So I don't think we'll see Theon this season.

[YTDN]

Actually they haven't even come to Alfie yet about season 3, whereas most of the actors have been told they are coming back. So I don't think we'll see Theon this season.

Nope, GRRM confirmed in his interview with Entertainment Weekly that we will be seeing Theon.

[Moshroom]

Nope, GRRM confirmed in his interview with Entertainment Weekly that we will be seeing Theon.

do you have a link to this interview?

that's actually great news IMO

[YTDN]

do you have a link to this interview?

that's actually great news IMO

The interview was a livestream and no-one seems to have uploaded the video yet, but there are several tweets and blogs confirming that Theon will indeed be in season 3.

[Abaddon]

Go to http://www.ew.com/ew...399642,00.html; in the live stream box select Replay: TV Cast Interviews, scroll down about half way for the "Game of Thrones George R. R. Martin (Author) Interview".

From the interview:

[EW] On a similar note [to Robb], a character like Theon of course who was so important to this season, he disappears from the next few books, are we still going to be seeing him, or has Alfie Allen been kept on retainer for a few seasons from now?

[RR] I can't reveal too much, but I believe that David and Dan have some plans to uh, check in on Theon from time to time, see how he is doing post, uh, post Clash of Kings.

[boojam]

Actually they haven't even come to Alfie yet about season 3, whereas most of the actors have been told they are coming back. So I don't think we'll see Theon this season.

How do you know this?

Have seen no interview with Alfie where he has said this, nor any news report.

Plus we have Geroge's remarks , as others have noted.