Stone the crows! Acting icon Max Von Sydow cast as the mysterious Three-Eyed Raven in Game Of Thrones
He has played a king in Conan The Barbarian, Flash Gordon's nemesis Ming the Merciless and iconic James Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
And acting legend Max Von Sydow has another stellar role to add to his burgeoning resume after he was cast as the mysterious Three-Eyed Raven in Game Of Thrones.
The future magical teacher of Bran Stark was briefly seen in the season four finale, though on that occasion he was played by veteran British actor Struan Rodger.
Max maven: Von Sydow is to play Bran Stark's magical teacher the mysterious Three-Eyed Raven in GOT
Swede Max, 86, will certainly bring a whole new level of gravitas to the part given his career has spanned eight decades and seen him win a hatful of awards.
Amazingly he has been playing elderly characters since the 1970s, when he appeared as Father Lankester Merrin in horror classic The Exorcist.
The forthcoming season is already in production, and Max has already been appearing in scenes according to EW.
Intriguingly, in the A Song of Ice and Fire novels the bird is a three-eyed crow rather than a raven. It is more active in Bran's dreams and helps him wake from his coma.
Sacked: Veteran British actor Struan Rodger had played the part when he was seen back in season four
But Max is not the only big name who has been lined up for the forthcoming season of the HBO hit show.
Lovejoy legend Ian McShane, perhaps better known to US audiences for his work in Deadwood, has also though his role has yet to be revealed.
They are just the latest big names to join a quality cast that has featured the likes of Charles Dance, Dame Diana Rigg and hunky Yorkshire pudding Sean Bean.
The series is expected to return for 10 episodes next spring and HBO is now planning for at least eight seasons of the show, an increase from the often mooted seven seasons.
Tree-mendous opportunity: Bran Stark will get the chance to learn magic from the master while hiding inside a giant tree beyond The Wall
- 'UFO' captured on film overtaking a flight from JFK Airport
- Military vet catches wife cheating on him with marine
- Shocking moment dad tries to RUN OVER daughter's bullies
- Hiker films petrifying encounter with Montana mountain lion
- Dez Bryant takes a swing at Cowboys teammate Tyler Patmon
- Moment cleaner has his leg ripped off by Shanghai escalator
- 'It's not over': Fuming Leolah Brown booted from funeral
- Bat boy in critical condition after getting hit in head with...
- Mourners cheer at post-funeral reception for Bobbi Kristina
- Moment street car racer cheats death flipping car SIX TIMES
- CCTV captures fight that left teen girl with horrific...
- Police escort golden hearse carrying Bobbi Kristina's body
- Father Bobby Brown is nowhere to be seen at the final...
- How 'cold as steel' Ava Gardner drove Sinatra to try and...
- EXCLUSIVE: 'Drug-fueled murderer' of US woman found dead in...
- My wife volunteered for a one-way mission to Mars: Husband...
- The moment a 'UFO overtakes' Virgin Atlantic jumbo jet...
- 'The Vicodin and Valium left a hole in my stomach': Sober...
- Mother-of-two dies from mystery illness that she dismissed...
- EXCLUSIVE - Bobby Brown breaks down: Father of Bobbi...
- 'You're gonna have so much more to be p****d about': Idaho...
- Iran's ayatollah publishes 416-page guide to destroying...
- Brown and Houston families at WAR as photo of Bobbi Kristina...
- EXCLUSIVE PIC: One year after he shot Michael Brown, cop...