HBO's Games Of Thrones publicity stunt sparks Twitter meltdown
Game Of Thrones' season seven premiere is on July 16, HBO announced on Thursday in a marketing stunt which elated and bemused fans.
In a gimmick The New York Times called "memorably misguided," the US cable network revealed all in a Facebook Live video showing a block of ice which viewers had to melt by commenting "Fire" to reveal the date.
The process was supposed to take about 15 minutes - already a long time to be concentrating on a block of ice - but the video malfunctioned several times, drawing out the process to more than an hour.
The debacle sparked snarky posts on Twitter, where #GoTS7 was one of the top trending hashtags for hours after the announcement.
"Next year, @HBO, a press release will do," said user BeautyBrienne. - AFP
HBO to make mini series on 2016 US presidential election
HBO said on Thursday it is planning a dramatised TV mini series about the 2016 US presidential election campaign, one of the first of several such projects being discussed in Hollywood.
No casting, title or date was announced for the project, which comes from the team that produced the Emmy-winning Game Change film about the 2008 election that starred Julianne Moore as then Republican vice-presidential contender Sarah Palin.
Jay Roach, who helmed Game Change, will return to direct, and actor Tom Hanks is one of the executive producers.
Mr Len Amato, president of HBO Films, said in a statement that the project "promises to vividly capture the most unique and impactful event in modern American politics". - REUTERS
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
