Category Archives: Uncategorized

Stranger Things’ Joseph Quinn Detained By Customs Agent Demanding Season 5 Return

Posted on by
Reply

Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn just made his talk show debut — and almost didn’t make it.

The British actor appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon for the first time on Monday to reveal he was detained at immigration on his arrival in the US a day earlier.

Fortunately for Joseph, his Stranger Things character of Eddie Munson is universally adored — even by customs officials.

“I was taken into, I guess what you could call it, was more of a dungeon,” he told the host. “And I was asked to wait there for about 20 minutes and then I was summoned to this desk where someone asked me, ‘What are you doing in the United States, Sir?’”

While fans love Josephs portrayal of metalhead slacker Eddie Munson, the character was only introduced in the fourth season and may be hard to identify without his torn jeans and long trademark hair.

“Well I’m actually here to meet Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show,” Joseph said he replied. “And he didn’t believe me. And one of his colleagues looked over at me, looked at him, and said: ‘Leave Eddie alone.’”

The first agent, realising who he’d been interrogating, then asked Jospeh the one question Stranger Things fans have been clamouring for: “Do you come back next season?”

Joseph himself claimed to have no idea whether Eddie would return and said he told the agent as much. He was ultimately given a stern warning before having his passport returned: “You better.”

In his conversation with Jimmy, Joseph expounded further on the beauty of the Stranger Things fandom. He said he was moved by how strongly fans at Comic-Con identify with his character.

“I think it’s probably the fact that he’s an outsider, a little bit kind of on the fringes of society,” he said. “It’s so moving to see how much he means to people.”

Joseph read one of Munson’s monologues, switching accents from Scotland, Liverpool, Australia, New York City and Wales from one line to the next.

Jimmy reminded Joseph that his rendition of Metallica’s Master of Puppets during a vital Stranger Things scene landed the song on the US Billboard charts for the first time in decades. Joseph joked that he didn’t share any royalties, but did get a shoutout from his acting idol Jack Black.

The actor he has “worshipped” Black since School Of Rock was released in 2003. A heavy metal fan himself, Jack spoke on the red carpet for Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight about binge-watching Stranger Things with his son — and falling for Eddie Munson.

“It was pretty epic,” said Jack. “I was geeking out pretty hard. And then I was like, ‘Why did you kill the heavy metal guy? He was the best character!’”

Share Button

Boris Johnson Defends Meeting Ex-KGB Agent Alexander Lebedev Without Officials Present

Posted on by
Reply

Boris Johnson has defended meeting a former KGB agent at an Italian villa without any government officials present.

The prime minister said no official business was discussed “as far as I am aware” when he met Alexander Lebedev in 2018, when he was foreign secretary.

Johnson admitted the meeting took place while appearing in front of the liaison committee earlier this month.

In a letter to Sir Bernard Jenkin, the committee’s chairman, giving more details on the visit, he said he had been attending a “social event” organised by Evgeny Lebedev at his home in Italy.

At the time, the Lebedevs owned the Evening Standard and the Independent newspapers.

The PM said: “At this social event, I also met Evgeny Lebedev’s father. This was not a formal meeting, nor something that was pre-arranged.”

He said his officials were “aware in advance” about the event and it was not unusual for them not to accompany him.

He said: “Contrary to some reports, my visit was in line with established security protocols under successive foreign secretaries.

“It would not have been normal practice for civil servants or security staff to have accompanied me to such a private, social occasion. I did not take ministerial papers with me.”

Johnson said if ministers discuss official business with an external organisation or individual without any officials present, they would be expected to inform them afterwards.

“This was not necessary in this case,” he said. “As far as I am aware, no government business was discussed.”

Johnson has also faced accusations that he ignored security concerns to give Evgeny Lebedev a peerage.

Asked about the allegations in March, he said: “That is simply incorrect. But what I can tell you is, it suits Putin’s agenda to try to characterise this as a struggle between the West and Russia.

“It suits his agenda to say that the UK, that we in Nato countries, are anti-Russia, European countries are now anti-Russian.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “Keeping the British people safe should be a priority of government, but this web of murky relationships shows the Conservatives cannot be trusted with our national security.”

Share Button

Marvel Studios’ Powerful New Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Trailer Debuts At Comic-Con

Posted on by
Reply

The director also introduced new actors in the upcoming film, including Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams (Ironheart) and Tenoch Huerta as Namor the Sub-Mariner.

“I come from the hood, and I wouldn’t be here without inclusion,” Tenoch said. “There are kids in their hoods, looking at us, dreaming to be here.”

The trailer checks in with returning characters after the death of Chadwick’s T’Challa, and features Namor and the kingdom of Atlantis, with a glimpse of a mysterious new Black Panther.

The trailer’s underwater, ritualistic, nature and futuristic scenes are linked via a remix motif of Bob Marley’s No Woman, No Cry and Kendrick Lamar’s Alright.

“I am queen of the most powerful nation in the world, and my entire family is gone,” Angela Bassett’s Ramonda declares at one point.

The film is scheduled to hit cinemas on 11 November.

Share Button

Keir Starmer ‘Pragmatic’ About Nationalisation Amid Confusion Over Labour’s Stance

Posted on by
Reply

Keir Starmer has said he is “pragmatic” about the question of public ownership of rail, energy and water companies, amid confusion over Labour’s stance.

The Labour leader used a speech in Liverpool on Monday to say the priority for the next Labour government would be to “reboot” the economy with a focus on “growth, growth, growth”.

He was challenged about his view on nationalising utilities after shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves earlier said mass nationalisation was not compatible with the party’s new “fiscal rules” to control public spending.

“I take a pragmatic approach rather than an ideological one, I agree with what Rachel Reeves said this morning,” Starmer said.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4′s Today programme on Monday, Reeves was asked if the party had abandoned previous plans to nationalise water, energy and train companies if it wins power.

“They were a commitment in a manifesto that secured our worst results since 1935,” she said.

“To be spending billions of pounds on nationalising things, that just doesn’t stack up against our fiscal rules.”

Reeves added: “We have scrapped the 2019 manifesto. That is not the starting point.”

But a Labour spokesperson later said Reeves’ comments had been misinterpreted.

“We are pragmatic about public ownership as long as it sits within our fiscal rules – a point Rachel was underlining in the interview by referencing this framework,” they said.

“For example, we know there is a positive role for rail in public ownership.”

Labour’s shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh tweeted: “Labour is committed to public ownership of rail and putting the public back in control of our bus network to drive down prices, improve services and meet net zero.”

And shadow transport minister Sam Tarry added: “Just to be absolutely 100% crystal clear – this is the Labour Party position on the public ownership of rail.”

Jeremy Corbyn’s 2019 general election manifesto promised to “bring rail, mail, water and energy” and “the broadband-relevant parts of BT” into public ownership.

Starmer has faced accusations from his opponents on the left of the party that he campaigned for the leadership by promising to introduce leftwing policies before shifting to the right after he won.

The Labour leader has said “the slate is wiped clean” as Labour gears up for the next election.

“What we’ve done with the last manifesto is put it to one side. We’re starting from scratch,” he said last month.

Share Button

Labour Will Not Promise To Nationalise Water, Energy Or Rail, Says Rachel Reeves

Posted on by
Reply

Labour would not pursue mass nationalisation of industries if it wins the next election, Rachel Reeves has said, although the party later clarified there was a “positive role for rail in public ownership”.

Jeremy Corbyn’s 2019 general election manifesto promised to “bring rail, mail, water and energy” and “the broadband-relevant parts of BT” into public ownership.

But speaking to BBC Radio 4′s Today programme on Monday, Reeves suggested the party had now ditched those ideas.

“They were a commitment in a manifesto that secured our worst results since 1935,” the shadow chancellor said.

“I’ve set out fiscal rules that say all day-to-day spending will be funded by day-to-day tax revenues.

“Within our fiscal rules, to be spending billions of pounds on nationalising things, that just doesn’t stack up against our fiscal rules.”

She added: “So we have scrapped the 2019 manifesto. That is not the starting point.”

Reeves said the party would be going into the next election with new ideas “not the policies of 2019”.

A Labour spokesperson later added: “We are pragmatic about public ownership as long as it sits within our fiscal rules – a point Rachel was underlining in the interview by referencing this framework.

“For example, we know there is a positive role for rail in public ownership.”

Starmer has faced accusations from his opponents on the left of the party that he campaigned for the leadership by promising to introduce leftwing policies before shifting to the right after he won.

The Labour leader has said “the slate is wiped clean” as Labour gears up for the next election.

“What we’ve done with the last manifesto is put it to one side. We’re starting from scratch,” he said last month.

Share Button

Russia Strikes Ukrainian Port Of Odessa — Just Days After Signing Grain Deal

Posted on by
Reply

Russia has struck the Ukrainian port of Odessa just a day after the two countries signed a landmark deal to allow grain exports out of the war-torn country.

Two Russian cruise missiles hit the port’s infrastructure on Saturday, while Ukraine’s air defences brought down two others missiles.

Odessa’s regional governor, Maksym Marchenko, said an unspecified number of people were injured in the attack.

Russia has admitted responsibility for the strike, saying the missiles “destroyed a military infrastructure target” at the port.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Moscow’s actions and said “the invaders can no longer deceive anyone”.

And Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said: “It took less than 24 hours for Russia to launch a missile attack on Odesa’s port, breaking its promises and undermining its commitments before the UN and Turkey under the Istanbul agreement.

“In case of non-fulfilment, Russia will bear full responsibility for a global food crisis.”

The attack was also condemned in the UK, with foreign secretary Liz Truss branding it “absolutely appalling”.

“It is absolutely appalling that only a day after striking this deal, Vladimir Putin has launched a completely unwarranted attack on Odessa,” she said.

“It shows that not a word he says can be trusted.”

The strike came just hours after Moscow and Kyiv signed a deal to allow grain exports to continue through the Black Sea in a move the UN described as a “beacon of hope” for ending the global food crisis.

The war in Ukraine — which supplies much of the world with products such as wheat and corn — has halted Ukrainian sea shipments and caused grain prices to rise dramatically.

Under the deal signed on Friday, a path opened for significant volumes of commercial food to leave the ports of Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny.

A key element of the deal was the agreement by both Russia and Ukraine that there would be no attacks on any of the vessels.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the attack cast serious doubt on Russia’s commitment to the deal and warned of a deepening of the global food crisis.

“Russia must stop its aggression and fully implement the grain deal to which it has agreed,” he said.

The US ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, also denounced the strike “outrageous” and accused the the Kremlin of “weaponising” food.

“Russia must be held to account.”

Share Button

Liz Truss Pledges To Strike Rwanda-Style Deportation Deals With Other Countries

Posted on by
Reply

Liz Truss has vowed to deport more migrants if she is elected prime minister.

The foreign secretary said she would strike more Rwanda-style deportation deals in a bid to halt small boats bringing illegal immigrants from France.

Truss, who is battling it out against Rishi Sunak for Boris Johnson’s job, also vowed to bolster Border Force staff by 20 per cent in a bid to deter people from crossing the Channel.

The pledges come as the leadership rivals struck a hard-line tone on immigration in a bid to win over Tory party members, who will pick their favourite for PM, with the result announced on September 5.

Sunak said he would give MPs control over who comes to the UK by creating an annual cap on the number of refugees accepted each year.

Both candidates have backed Priti Patel’s controversial policy of sending migrants to Rwanda, with Truss saying she would extend it to other countries.

Truss said: “We need to break the cycle of these appalling gangs and stop people taking dangerous journeys across the channel.

“As prime minister, I am determined to see the Rwanda policy through to full implementation as well as exploring other countries where we can work on similar partnerships.

“I’ll make sure we have the right levels of force and protection at our borders. I will not cower to the ECHR [European Convention on Human Rights] and its continued efforts to try and control immigration policy.”

Sunak said he will do “whatever it takes” to make the Rwanda scheme work, arguing that the UK’s current immigration system is “broken” and “chaotic”.

Also included in Truss’s policy pitch are plans to double Border Force Maritime staffing levels so that more Channel patrols can take place, as well as appointing a new Home Office minister to oversee the Border Force.

A source close to Truss said: “As foreign secretary, Liz worked closely with Priti Patel to formulate the generation-defining Rwanda policy.

“As prime minister she will do whatever it takes to protect our borders. She’s been frustrated with the ECHR and its mission creep. She is prepared to take a tougher stance and deliver the reforms required so the ECHR works for Britain.”

Sunak sought to match Truss on immigration with a 10-point plan that includes a commitment to a more narrow definition of who qualifies for asylum compared with that offered by the ECHR.

The plan will also give the government enhanced powers to detail, tag and monitor illegal migrants.

Sunak said: “Our immigration system is broken and we have to be honest about that. Whether you believe that migration should be high or low, we can all agree that it should be legal and controlled.

“Right now the system is chaotic, with law-abiding citizens seeing boats full of illegal immigrants coming from the safe country of France with our sailors and coastguards seemingly powerless to stop them.

“It must stop, and if I am prime minister I will stop it.”

Sunak said he would immediately work with French president Emmanuel Macron to find a solution to small boat crossings, including through a new cross-government taskforce.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Sunak said: “The ECHR cannot inhibit our ability to properly control our borders and we shouldn’t let it. We need to inject a healthy dose of common sense into the system, and that is what my plan does.”

Labour’s shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper criticised the pair’s plans and said it risked wasting £120m of taxpayer money if it is ruled unlawful by courts.

The first deportation flight was grounded in June after a series of legal challenges were lodged, with more expected to be filed in due course.

Cooper said: “The Conservatives have been in power for 12 years. It beggars belief that they claim to be the ones to sort things out when they have both failed for so long.”

The shift on to immigration comes after Sunak and Truss repeatedly clashed over economic policy.

Truss has vowed to cut taxes “from day one” if she replaces Johnson and has said she would immediately scrap Sunak’s increase in national insurance, which she argued was strangling growth and hitting families already hard-pressed by the cost of living crisis.

Sunak retaliated by branding her tax-cutting plans as “immoral” and a “fairytale”. He said he will only cut tax when inflation — currently running at 9.4 per cent — was under control.

Over the next six weeks, Truss and Sunak will take part in a number of hustings across the country in a bid to woo Tory party members.

Polling from YouGov last week gave Truss a 24-point lead over Sunak among Tory party members.

However, new polling from Opinium put Sunak slightly ahead of his rival among all voters on the question of who would make the better prime minister.

Forty-three per cent of the 2,000 adults surveyed said Sunak would make a good prime minister, compared with 36 per cent for Truss.

The two will go head-to-head in a televised BBC debate on Monday, with The Sun and Talk TV staging another on Tuesday.

Sky News will then host another debate on August 4.

Share Button

Kate Moss Recalls ‘Horrible Experience’ Of Being Asked To Remove Her Bra At Photoshoot Aged 15

Posted on by
Reply

Kate Moss has recalled being the target of misconduct by a male photographer during a photoshoot when she was 15 years old.

The British model, now 48, said during an appearance on Desert Island Discs that she had “run away” from a photography session for a bra catalogue after the unnamed man asked her to be topless.

Kate, who signed to Storm modelling agency in 1988, told the BBC Radio 4 programme she would go on her own to castings across London, armed with an A to Z book.

Kate Moss
Kate Moss

David M. Benett via Getty Images

Recounting the incident, she said: “I had a horrible experience for a bra catalogue. I was only 15 probably and he said ‘take your top off’ and I took my top off. And I was really shy then about my body.

“And he said ‘take your bra off’ and I could feel there was something wrong so I got my stuff and I ran away.

“I think it sharpened my instincts. I can tell a wrong ’un a mile away.”

The fashion icon also spoke about the 1990 shoot that made her famous, but admitted revisiting the memory was “painful”.

The late photographer Corinne Day, who Kate often worked with, shot a series of photographs of her for The Face magazine on the beach at Camber Sands, East Sussex, when she was 16.

“That scrunched up nose that is on the cover, she would say, ‘snort like a pig’ to get that picture,” Kate recalled.

“And I would be like, ‘I don’t want to snort like a pig’ and she would be like, ‘Snort like a pig, that’s when it looks good’.”

Kate Moss made her modelling debut on the cover of The Face
Kate Moss made her modelling debut on the cover of The Face

She revealed how she had “cried a lot” during the shoot because she did not feel comfortable being “naked”.

She said: “I didn’t want to take my top off. I was really, really self-conscious about my body and she would say, ‘If you don’t take your top off I am not going to book you for Elle’ and I would cry.

“It is quite difficult (to take myself back there). It is painful because she was my best friend and I really loved her – but she was a very tricky person to work with.

“But you know, the pictures are amazing so she got what she wanted and I suffered for them, but in the end they did me a world of good really. They did change my career.”

Kate also recalled shooting an underwear campaign for Calvin Klein in 1992 with the actor Mark Wahlberg, who was then known as Marky Mark.

It was her first major advertising campaign but Kate recalled taking Valium to ease her anxiety before the shoot and feeling “vulnerable and scared” when she was required to be topless during it.

Kate said she had passed lessons about the modelling industry on to her 19-year-old daughter Lila, who she manages through her agency.

Kate Moss
Kate Moss

Dimitrios Kambouris via Getty Images

“I have said to her you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” she said.

“If you don’t want to do this shoot, if you don’t feel comfortable, if you don’t want to model, don’t do it.

“I take care of my models. I make sure they are with agents at shoots so when they are being taken advantage of, there is someone there to say ‘I don’t think that’s appropriate’.

“I don’t know if that’s across the board but that’s what I can do.”

Desert Island Discs will be on Radio 4 at 11.15am on Sunday and on BBC Sounds.

Share Button

Rishi Sunak Says Liz Truss’s Plans To Cut Taxes Immediately Are ‘Immoral’

Posted on by
Reply

Liz Truss’s plans to cut taxes immediately if she becomes prime minister are “immoral”, Rishi Sunak has said.

In a major ramping up of his attacks on his Tory leadership rival, the former chancellor said the move would require the government to borrow “tens and tens and tens of billions of pounds”, which would have to be repaid by future generations.

He also said he was the “underdog” in the contest and said the “forces that be” want Truss to win.

Sunak made his comments while addressing supporters in Grantham, the birthplace of Margaret Thatcher.

Truss has pledged to reverse the rise in national insurance payments and halt the planned increase in corporation tax – policies introduced by Sunak when he was chancellor.

She has insisted that the £30bn cost of the policies can he paid for from the fiscal “headroom” in the economy.

But Sunak said: “I do believe that it is the wrong approach for the government at this moment to be borrowing an extra tens and tens and tens of billions of pounds at a time when inflation is rising to almost double digits and interest rates are already on the rise.”

He added: “Not only do I think it’s the wrong thing for the economy, I do also believe that it’s immoral because there is nothing noble or good about wracking up bills on the country’s credit card that we then pass on to our children and grandchildren.”

Suggesting that Truss was misleading voters, the former chancellor said: “We can cut more taxes, but only if we defeat the enemy of inflation and that can only happen if we are honest about the ravages it causes.

“We must see the danger in front of us and act – not pretend like it isn’t happening or, more dreadful still, make the situation worse, putting people’s homes and savings at risk.

“I will deliver a lower tax economy, I will deliver tax cuts, but tax cuts you can believe in. I will make that happen.”

The most recent opinion poll of Tory party members – who will decide who succeeds Boris Johnson – suggested Truss is 24 points ahead of her rival.

Sunak said: “Be in no doubt, I am the underdog. The forces that be want this to be a coronation for the other candidate.”

Responding to his comments, a spokesperson for Truss said: “Liz‘s plans for tax cuts will reward people for their hard work and effort, allowing them to keep more of their hard-earned money.

“You cannot tax your way to growth. We have the highest tax burden since the 1940s and as prime minister Liz will take immediate action to prioritise growth and cut taxes.

“We can’t continue with a business-as-usual approach on the economy that is failing to deliver for the British people.”

Chief secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke, who used to work under Sunak when he was chancellor, also hit out at his former boss, accusing him on Twitter of engaging in “project fear”.

Share Button

Game Of Thrones Writer George RR Martin Slams ‘Toxic’ Fans Over Backlash To Finale

Posted on by
Reply

George RR Martin has slammed “toxic” Game Of Thrones fans over the backlash to the series finale.

The hugely successful fantasy series concluded in 2019. However, the finale wasn’t a hit with everyone, with several fan petitions circulating online demanding for season eight to be remade.

One saw more than 1.8million fans signing it.

Speaking about the backlash ahead of the release of the upcoming Game Of Thrones prequel House Of The Dragon, set 300 years before the hit fantasy series, the author blasted the response of some fans.

George RR. Martin
George RR. Martin

MARK RALSTON via Getty Images

“The fucking toxic internet and these podcasts out there saying that season eight left such a bad impression that people say, “Oh, I’m never going to watch them again’,” he told The Hollywood Reporter: “I don’t trust them anymore.”

HBO Max content chief Casey Bloys added: “It was a social media backlash.

“I think in multiple parts of our society, we are reminding ourselves that Twitter is not real life.

“We knew it was going to be divisive and, of course, you want all fans to be happy, but that’s never going to happen.

“There weren’t a lot of people walking around despondent or upset. It’s a take that reads well but probably doesn’t fully reflect viewer feelings.”

Earlier this week the first full length trailer debuted for House Of The Dragon, which is adapted from George’s book Fire And Blood.

<div class="js-react-hydrator" data-component-name="YouTube" data-component-id="1549" data-component-props="{"itemType":"video","index":13,"contentListType":"embed","code":"

","type":"video","meta":{"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DotnJ7tTA34","type":"video","version":"1.0","title":"House of the Dragon | Official Trailer | HBO Max","author":"HBO Max","author_url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx-KWLTKlB83hDI6UKECtJQ","provider_name":"YouTube","description":"All the dragons roar as one. The #HouseoftheDragon trailer has arrived. House of the Dragon premieres August 21 on HBO Max.\n\nDownload the House of the Dragon app here: https://uqr.to/19k3o\n\nAbout HBO Max:\nHBO Max is WarnerBrosDiscovery’s direct-to-consumer offering with 10,000 hours of curated premium content. HBO Max offers powerhouse programming for everyone in the home, bringing together HBO, a robust slate of new original series, key third-party licensed programs and movies, and fan favorites from WarnerMedia’s rich library including Warner Bros., New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more. #HBOMax #WarnerBrosDiscovery \n\nSUBSCRIBE TO HBO MAX\nhttp://bit.ly/HBOMaxYouTube\n\nGET HBO MAX\nhttps://itsh.bo/ways-to-get\n\nMORE HBO MAX\nHBO Max: https://hbom.ax/YT \nFollow HBO Max on Instagram: http://bit.ly/HBOMaxInstagram\nFollow HBO Max on TikTok: https://hbom.ax/HBOMaxTT\nFollow HBO Max on Twitter: http://bit.ly/HBOMaxTwitter \nLike HBO Max on Facebook: http://bit.ly/HBOMaxFacebook","thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DotnJ7tTA34/maxresdefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":1280,"thumbnail_height":720,"cache_age":86400,"options":{"_start":{"label":"Start from","value":"","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s"},"_end":{"label":"End on","value":"","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s"},"_cc_load_policy":{"label":"Closed captions","value":false},"click_to_play":{"label":"Hold load & play until clicked","value":false}}},"fullBleed":false,"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"slideshowAd":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"slideshowEndCard":{"scriptTags":[{"attribs":{},"scriptBody":"\r\n (function(){\r\n var c = document.getElementById(‘taboola-endslate-thumbnails’);\r\n c.id += ‘-‘ + Math.round(Math.random()*1e16);\r\n \r\n var taboolaParams = {\r\n loader: \"//cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/aol-huffingtonpost/loader.js\",\r\n mode: \"thumbnails-b\",\r\n container: c.id,\r\n placement: \"Endslate Thumbnails\",\r\n target_type: \"mix\"\r\n };\r\n \r\n if (typeof window.modulousQueue === \"function\") {\r\n \twindow.modulousQueue.add(function(){ doTaboola(taboolaParams); });\r\n } else {\r\n \tdoTaboola(taboolaParams);\r\n }\r\n }());\r\n"}],"otherHtml":"

"},"isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isMt":false,"entryId":"62dbf102e4b000da2400705b","entryTagsList":"uktv,game-of-thrones,house-of-the-dragon,george-rr-martin","sectionSlug":"entertainment","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.entertainment","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","clickToPlayPlayer":"5a777b9b-81fe-41a6-8302-59e9953ee8a2","videoPagePlayer":"19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4"},"customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":6},"before_you_go_slideshow":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"62dbf102e4b000da2400705b","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"cetUnit":"buzz_body"}}”>

Writing on his website, he said: “I’ve seen a rough cut of the first episode. And loved it. It’s dark, it’s powerful, it’s visceral… just the way I like my epic fantasy.”

He also praised showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sopochnik for doing an “amazing job”.

“Just as with Game of Thrones, most viewers will only have heard of a few of the actors, but I think you are going to fall in love with a lot of them. (Only to have your heart broken later when… but no, that would be telling).

“I think the Targaryens are in very good hands. Anticipate away. I do not think you will be disappointed.”

Share Button