The dog who played Bran Stark's direwolf Summer passes away due to cancer

The blend of fantasy and reality that Game of Thrones created on-screen was so magical that we would forget that many such things don’t exist in our world. Direwolves were one of those things. Although dire wolves (actual species) have long been extinct in the real world, we have Northern Inuit dogs that are crossbred and look like wolves. One such dog, Odin who played Bran Stark’s direwolf, Summer as a pup in the first season has passed away. It’s sad news for the fans of Game of Thrones during this time of crisis for the world due to the coronavirus pandemic.

William Mulhall, Odin’s owner shared the news on Instagram. “Our family are at immense heartbreak to announce that Odin passed away early this morning. It’s difficult to put into words how this has impacted us as a family for Odin led a life like no other dog,” William wrote in the post. Odin appeared on the HBO show in the first season’s first episode as a direwolf puppy that Bran receives and is then named Summer.

“We can all take great comfort in knowing that he is forever immortalised in the great TV show Game of Thrones as Summer, Bran Stark’s Direwolf Pup in Season 1 episode 1. To everyone that was lucky enough to meet him and put a smile on your face, please remember that moment. It’s an incredible piece of luck to have a pet you love so well become world famous and touch so many people’s hearts,” Mulhall further wrote in the post.

William runs Direwolf Tours, which takes people to visit different GoT filming locations in Northern Ireland with his dogs. Odin survives through his brother Thor, who also appeared on Game of Thrones. Thor played Grey Wind as Robb Stark’s direwolf puppy in the first episode of the first season. 10-year old Odin developed mouth cancer last year in November and was undergoing treatment since then. After the shutdown due to COVID-19, William could no longer hold the tours. Thus, it wasn’t possible for him to afford the costly treatment for Odin’s severe condition. He had urged fans to donate on his GoFundMe page to meet a target of £15000. The page had met its target successfully by Friday, but could not result in saving Odin. William thanked everyone for their donations.

The post also informed us of Odin’s final days and doctor’s efforts to save him. “He was always fond of the beach and his favorite treats which he had almost every day before his passing…the vets did everything to keep him going but he passed away in his sleep,” the post read.

While it’s not welcome news at all, we wish Odin finds peace in the realms here and beyond. He will always be Summer! If you’ve taken any of William’s direwolf tours, you can share your stories and photos with him. It would certainly make his day.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Game of Thrones was the biggest TV show of the 21st century. It set the bar for quality TV shows really high. The fantastical epic became a household name and caused a gigantic rise in HBO’s viewership. The series won tons of awards during its run, making the show a popular franchise. However, HBO has suffered a steep decline in ratings and viewings since the conclusion of Game of Thrones.

The 50 top-rated networks of 2020 by adults in the 18-49 age range shows that HBO suffered a 52 per cent drop. Linear viewing (i.e. watching shows at scheduled times) on the US premium network saw an overall demographic drop of 38 percent. Other US networks were also hit with declines as reported by Variety. However, cable news networks were high up on the list owing to big stories in 2020. Fox News Channel reported a 43 per cent increase in viewing figures.

HBO is planning to make a huge comeback post the Red Wedding year 2020. The television giant released their epic line up for upcoming shows and movies. The list included much-awaited movies like Zack Snyder’s Justice League. It also included a teaser for Game of Thrones prequel House of The Dragon.

Game of Thrones fans are already hyped up for the prequel series. The epic line-up shows huge promise and will definitely put the network back on top. Are you excited about the upcoming shows and movies? Talk to us in the comments below!

The world is a boxing ring where you fight to keep yourself on your feet. People all around the world had to box really hard through the Red Wedding year 2020. The new year comes with huge expectations and promise. Game of Thrones’ Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson has already started preparing for the bouts he has to face (quite literally). The strongman faced Irish boxer, Steven Ward, in an exhibition match and astonished everyone with his skills.

The duo went head to head at a sold-out Conrad Dubai on Friday. As it was an exhibition match, there was no victor declared. Ward was knocked down by Björnsson in the second round of the match. However, he bounced back in the final round with a flurry of punches that left Björnsson with a bloody nose.

Thor was full of praise for cruiserweight Ward after the lively draw: “Steven is unbelievable. I doubt many people would want to step into a ring with someone my size. Stevie has a big heart. To come here and do this exhibition with me means a lot. I needed that experience. Steven is the same height as my opponent in September, and this was great.”

Björnsson will face long time rival Eddie Hall later in September this year in Las Vegas. Are you excited about the World’s Heaviest Boxing match? Talk to us in the comments below!

Game of Thrones was the biggest TV show of the past decade. It was a blissful escape from reality for the audience and a gold mine for HBO. The show set the standard for quality TV shows really high. It seems the television network is keen on exploring the Game of Thrones universe even more. HBO recently released a teaser for the show’s prequel, House of The Dragon in their programming line-up for 2021-2022. This has created a huge hype amongst the fans of the fantasy series who want to relive the mythical landscape.

There’s more good news for fantasy lovers, as HBO is planning for more Game of Thrones related projects at their headquarters. One of them is an animated TV show based on the series. An animated Game of Thrones series is in the very early development stages at HBO Max, Variety has confirmed with sources.

There are no details available about what the focus of the potential series would be. No writers or talent are currently attached to the project. The television giant declined to comment.

Last week there were rumours about another Game of Thrones prequel in early stages of development. A series based on George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg is in the works at HBO. The story follows the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall (Dunk) and a young Aegon V Targaryen (Egg) 90 years prior to the events of Game of Thrones.

What are your thoughts about an animated version of Game of Thrones? Talk to us in the comments below!