‘Game of Thrones’ The Viper Vs The Mountain: ‘It’s one of the best--if not the best--combat scenes we’ve done so far’ [VIDEO]
After a long break from Memorial Day weekend, "Game Of Thrones" fans are craving for their weekly GOT fix and the high-anticipated fight between the Red Viper and The Mountain is probably worth the wait. GOT season 4, episode 8 will feature the two fighters as champions of Tyrion Lannister, convicted for the murder of the boy king Joffrey, and Cercei Lannister.
Played by Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal, Oberyn Martell pledged as Tyrion's champion after he asked for trial-by-combat. Doing exactly what he came to do, the Viper promised to avenge his sister who was raped and murdered by Gregor Clegane during the "War of the Usurper."
"It's one of the best--if not the best--combat scenes we've done so far," says showrunner Dan Weiss in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "It's not just people hacking at each other with spears and swords. It's the culmination of 20 years of anger and hatred and thirst for vengeance."
Directed by stunt coordinator Paul Herbert and swordmaster C.C. Smiff, the legendary fight "delivers beyond expectations." Weiss is nothing but praises to the cast and crew of the show's biggest fight which is set to premiere on Sunday, May 31, for the show's eighth episode.
"It's one of those fights that from the very beginning of the process of planning the show before season one we knew would be a high point if done properly," he added. "And it's a real challenge because The Mountain is The Mountain--you need to find an enormous human being who can also deliver what you need on physical front. And you need an Oberyn who delivers what you need as an actor and pull off the extremely strenuous side of that fight."
According to Weiss, Pascal is the perfect actor for the role as he gives a stunning but dangerous performance as the Red Viper, and revealed that "Hafþór for The Mountain is a truly unusual specimen." A former basketball player, Hafþór stand a towering height of 6'9" and the way he moves in real life is truly amazing for someone his size.