Tag: Game of Thrones

George R.R. Martin’s Review of the ‘Game of Thrones’ Play: ‘A Splendid Time’

Posted on by faz_business



If you’re thinking, “Of course George R.R. Martin is going to love Game of Thrones: The Mad King; it’s based on his work!” you’re forgetting his well-documented feelings about House of the Dragon. Fortunately for those involved in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Westeros-set play, which explores the Robert’s Rebellion period just before the Game of Thrones TV show, the author has given his enthusiastic endorsement. He even took to his Not a Blog, an increasingly rare event these days, to announce the production will be moving from Stratford-upon-Avon, where it opened earlier this summer after a few hiccups, to London.

“I had a splendid time in Stratford upon Avon for the premier of Duncan Macmillan and Dominic Cooke’s epic new stage production of Game of Thrones: The Mad King,” Martin wrote. “And furthermore I’m thrilled to announce that the production will be moving on to London to share the experience with a wider audience … It promises to be an exhilirating journey.”

The play’s official website also shared a short video of Martin, flanked by the Iron Throne, sharing the news:

You can head to that official site to sign up for notifications as more details are made public, which is handy since so far the only information is that Game of Thrones: The Mad King will be opening in London in 2027. No theater or exact dates as of yet, in other words.

“A long winter thaws in Harrenhal, and spring is promised,” reads the official synopsis. “At a lavish banquet on the eve of a jousting tournament, lovers meet and revelers speculate about who will contend. But in the shadows, amid growing unease at the bloodthirsty actions of the realm’s merciless Mad King, dissenters from his inner circle anxiously advance a treasonous plot. Far away, the drums of battle sound.

Family bonds, ancient prophecies, and the sacred line of succession will be tested in a dangerous campaign for power. Who will survive? Who will rise?

‘Wars aren’t won by those with most cause, but whose story’s best told.’

Come face-to-face with familiar characters from the houses Targaryen, Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, and Martell and witness the events that set the stage for the world’s most critically acclaimed series.”

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

HBO Still Loyal to ‘House of the Dragon’ Despite Creative Strife

Posted on by faz_business



Along with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, we’re getting more House of the Dragon this year. HBO hasn’t shown much of the latter show’s upcoming third season so far, but it’s been talked about lately, namely because author George R.R. Martin’s been vocally unhappy with showrunner Ryan Condal’s many changes from his books.

HBO head Casey Bloys was asked about this rift by Deadline, where he praised both parties: he’d have liked Martin’s thoughts to “stay behind closed doors,” but otherwise considers the author “a great partner to have.” As for Condal, Bloys noted that Martin had introduced him as the right person to lead the show, and he has since been “an excellent showrunner and really great collaborator. We embrace his vision and his creative choices, or we wouldn’t have done it.” He even noted the first two Dragon seasons are well-regarded on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Some of this comes with the territory,” Bloys continued. “The idea that [George] is going to agree with every creator or showrunner that is either developing or producing—two artists are not always going to agree.”

Martin has since moved on to Kingdoms and wasn’t as involved with the third season of Dragon as he normally would’ve been, and Bloys didn’t touch on whether he’d get back involved for season four. As far as that season goes, Bloys reiterated the fourth would be the last, with Condal currently working with the writers to figure out how many episodes will make up that season. However many it gets, expect that season to function as a “natural end to this particular history of that House of the Targaryens.”

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

House of the Dragon Director Breaks Down Alicent’s Big, Silent Moment of Horror

Posted on by faz_business


House of the Dragon‘s most memorable moments tend to be flashy, (quite literally) fiery, and shot through with agonizing violence. There was plenty of that in last week’s episode, but episode five, “Regent,” which aired last night, gave us one of the most powerful reactions we’ve ever seen on the show—and also one of the quietest. In a new interview, “Regent” director Clare Kilner discussed how it all came together.

Io9spoiler New

We’ve seen admirable choices involving surprising restraint before on House of the Dragon. Another big example from season two came in the premiere, when Heleana witnessed her young son’s brutal beheading, then scampered through the Red Keep to deliver the news with an apparent lack of emotion. But that’s different than the way we saw Alicent react in “Regent” when the Small Council picked her son, Aemond, to rule in place of the gravely injured King Aegon.

It’s a two-fisted blow, because not only are they shoving the far more experienced Alicent aside, mostly based on the fact that she happens to be a woman, they’re also appointing someone she knows will be a cruel leader. She also suspects, correctly, that Aemond’s the reason Aegon returned from battle in such horrible shape.

In the scene, instead of focusing on the smug, newly promoted Aemond as he starts issuing orders, Kilner brings the camera in on Alicent’s face as the sound in the room around her becomes quieter, and her physical reaction (rapid breathing, rapid heart beat) to what’s just happened becomes apparent. In Olivia Cooke’s carefully calibrated expression, you see a woman feeling a blender of emotions: angry, disrespected, and insulted—but also panic. She’s terrified about what this will mean for the future.

Speaking to the Wrap, Kilner explained why she held that shot on Cooke’s mesmerizing performance. “For every scene, I do loads of prep beforehand in terms of breaking down the scene and looking at the characters, but I also walk onto the set with my DP and we talk about if we had just one long shot how would we shoot it,” the director said. “I was just like ‘this would all be on Alicent. I could shoot this whole scene on Alicent.’ Also because Olivia Cooke just quietly brings everything. Behind those eyes there is so much going on.”

Kilner explained that she and her team all knew that was the correct choice. “Sometimes you don’t know if studio or people will let you do that. Everyone was on board with that. It just became so patently obvious that this huge betrayal was happening,” she said.

New episodes of House of the Dragon arrive Sundays on HBO and Max.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.