LOS ANGELES, April 2, 2013 – HBO has renewed GAME OF THRONES for a fourth season, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming.
Based on the bestselling fantasy book series by George R.R. Martin, GAME OF THRONES is an epic story of treachery and nobility set on the continent of Westeros, where summers and winters can last years, and only the lust for power is eternal. The Emmy®- and Golden Globe-winning series launched its ten-episode third season Sunday, March 31 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO, with other episodes debuting subsequent Sundays at the same time.

Among the early critical praise for the third season, the Hollywood Reporter called GAME OF THRONES “addictive and outstanding,” while Newsday termed the series “superb,” awarding the show an A+. The Chicago Tribune hailed the show as “spellbinding” and the Washington Post described it as “masterful.”

According to early data, GAME OF THRONES’ season three premiere March 31 on HBO topped the series’ highs, with record viewership for both the 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT) airing and gross audience across the three plays. At 9:00 p.m., it averaged 4.4 million viewers, outperforming (+4%) the previous high of 4.2 million viewers from last season’s finale. GAMES OF THRONES improved 13% in comparison to last season’s premiere of 3.9 million viewers. Across the three plays for the night, 6.7 million viewers tuned in, surpassing last season’s debut night of 6.3 million viewers by 7%. Last season, GAME OF THRONES had an average gross audience (HBO linear plays + HBO On Demand/HBO GO + DVR) of 11.6 million viewers.

HBOWatch: Duh! And we can also confirm that Peter Dinklage WILL be returning (assuming he survives season 3!) contrary to some what some jerks might be saying. No word on an official premiere date but we’re guessing it will be around the same time it landed on the calendar this year: Early Spring 2014!

Until then.. season 3 continues.

Source: HBO Watch

HBO has released information about the special features on the season 2 DVD box set of Game of Thrones. DVD/Blu-Ray is scheduled to ship on February 19, 2013.

Winter can’t come soon enough. Catch up before Season 3 premieres on 3/31/13 and pre-order your copy of the Game of Thrones Season 2 DVD and Blu-ray with HBO Select: http://itsh.bo/TTNzBl

Here’s a look at all the bonus features and an exclusive rundown of the audio commentary participants:

Blu-ray with HBO Select – includes all DVD features plus:

War of the Five Kings – Track the claims, strategies and key players involved in the battle for the Iron Throne with this interactive guide that follows the movements of various armies detailing their victories and defeats.
Histories & Lore – 19 animated histories detailing the mythology of Westeros and Essos as told from the varying perspectives of the characters themselves and featuring, in-part, illustrations from Game of Thrones storyboard artist Will Simpson.
In-Episode Guide – In-feature resource that provides background information about on-screen characters, locations and relevant histories.
Hidden Dragon Eggs – Find the hidden dragon eggs to uncover even more never-before-seen content.

DVD:

Creating the Battle of Blackwater Bay – See how the epic Battle of Blackwater Bay was brought to life in this exclusive, in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the climatic episode. The 30 minute feature showcases never-before-seen interviews with cast and crew.
Game of Thrones: Inner Circle – Actors Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Michelle Fairley and Liam Cunningham talk in detail about their experiences shooting season two in this roundtable discussion moderated by executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
The Religions of Westeros – Hear author George R.R. Martin, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss discuss the competing religions in the series and how they influence the various characters in Westeros and beyond.
Character Profiles – Profiles of seven major characters as described by the actors portraying them including Renly Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon, Robb Stark, Theon Greyjoy and more.
Audio Commentaries – 12 commentaries with cast and crew including David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington and more.

Audio Commentary Participants

Episode 1 – “THE NORTH REMEMBERS” With Commentary by Executive Producers/Writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Episode 2 “THE NIGHT LANDS” with Commentary by Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy) and Gemma Whelan (Yara Greyjoy)
Episode 3 “WHAT IS DEAD MAY NEVER DIE” with Commentary by Writer Bryan Cogman and Director Alik Sakharov
Plus Commentary by Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) and Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran Stark)
Episode 4 “GARDEN OF BONES” with Commentary by Carice Van Houten (Melisandre) and Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth)
Episode 6 “THE OLD GODS AND THE NEW” with Commentary by Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Rose Leslie (Ygritte) and Writer Vanessa Taylor
Episode 7 “A MAN WITHOUT HONOR” with Commentary by Executive Producers/Writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Episode 8 with Commentary by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jamie Lannister) and Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark)
Episode 9 with Commentary by Co-Executive Producer/Author of A Game of Thrones, George R.R. MartinPlus Commentary by Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), and Director Neil Marshall
Episode 10 with Commentary by Rainer Gombos and Steve Kullback of the Visual Effects Team (Plus Commentary by Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) and Co-Executive Producer Alan Taylor)