HBO Releases New Production Footage and Tease Art for Game of Thrones Season Two

HBO has released new official production footage for Season Two of Game of Thrones. The second season is being filmed in Iceland -- no green screens, no CGI; just the real barren bitterness of Iceland in the midst of winter to create the brutal hinterlands North of the Wall.

Crews have had to struggle against the elements and the limitation of having a mere 4 1/2 hours of sunlight per day in which to get their shots. This commitment to authenticity and the creative vision of George R.R. Martin are the crucial elements that have made David Benioff and D.B. Weiss' adaptation of Martin's saga series the jaw-dropping epic masterpiece it has already become.

Despite the challenges of the environment, the cast and crew alike have been inspired by the "harsh starkness" and "magic" of the landscape. "It does it all for you to be honest with you," Mark Stanley (Grenn) says of the setting, "There's not much acting required; you've just got to walk into the situation and play it as it is."

HBO has also released 17 new character photos, which include not only our Season One favorites, like Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, but also several new ones. Joining the series in Season Two are the ruthless Balon Greyjoy (played by Patrick Malahide) and Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane), as well as one of David Benioff's favorite characters, knight and reformed smuggler, Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham). But the two characters we're most excited about are the priestess Melisandre (Carice van Houten) and the hideous warrioress, Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Cristie).

Season Two will premiere on HBO Sunday, April 1st at 9PM, and after seeing the production footage and tease art we're more excited than ever -- April can't come fast enough.