The casting call for Season 3 of HBO’s resident fantasy-drama (but mostly drama) Game of Thrones was always going to be a big’un, as creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss face the challenge of further expanding George R.R. Martin’s already-unruly world; early word had the cast growing by at least 11. Today at Comic-Con, HBO officially revealed 14 new combatants in the Game of Thrones, with more announcements still to come. While many of them had already leaked out in the days leading up to the event, the biggest news is certainly that Dame Diana Rigg, best known for the 1960s British series The Avengers, has been tapped for the role of fan favorite Olenna Tyrell (aka Olenna Redwyne, aka “The Queen of Thorns”).

Hit the jump for more on Olenna and all the other new faces you’ll be seeing in Westeros next spring, including an introductory video screened at the Con. Also, click over to Matt Goldberg’s recap of the Game of Thrones panel to see what cast and crew had to say about the show.

Michael Fassbender is becoming ubiquitous so thank goodness he’s an incredible actor.  Last month, Fassbender signed on to star in Good Vibrations, which is a biopic about Belfast punk rock legend Terri Hooley. Today, ScreenDaily is reporting that Richard Dormer (Five Minutes of Heaven) will play Hooley while Steve Coogan, Bronagh Gallagher (Tamara Drewe) and Robert Sheehan will co-star.  You’re probably aware of Coogan at this point, but you need to put Sheehan on your radar.  He’s a strong dramatic presence in the Red Riding Trilogy but does a complete 180 to play the scene-stealing jackass Nathan on the British series Misfits.  There was word last month that Fassbender’s Hunger co-star Liam Cunningham would also be in the film, but ScreenDaily makes no mention of him.

The film also has a strong presence behind the camera as Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa (Cherrybomb, which also starred Sheehan as well as Rupert Grint) are directing from a script by Glenn Patterson and Colin Carberry.  Ocean’s Eleven composer David Holmes will produce and provide the score.  Filming is set to begin this summer.