You read that right. I was able to get my hands on a copy of the script for the pilot episode of Game of Thrones. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning right now. I just read through it and I’m going to give you my thoughts.
But wait, you might ask, why not just upload the script for everyone to see? Well honestly, when I first started this blog I told myself if I ever got a copy of the script I would leak it. But I’ve since changed my mind. First off, I don’t want to get into any hot water with HBO. I’m not sure about the legalities behind leaking a script for a project still in production but I imagine it has to violate some intellectual property laws or something. Secondly, and more importantly, Mr. Martin has been kind enough to give this blog an endorsement, of sorts, and I don’t feel like leaking a script on a project he is heavily involved in is an appropriate way to repay him.
I hope, however, that he will not begrudge a huge fan of his work a chance to share his joy and excitement over getting a sneak peek at this project and that he won’t mind if I share my thoughts on the script. So click through to read Winter Is Coming’s exclusive review of the script for the pilot of Game of Thrones!
First, a synopsis:
As already mentioned by Benioff and Weiss, we open with the prologue. Waymar, Gared and Will ranging beyond the wall when they are set up by Others.
After the prologue, the credit sequence. A raven is sent from Castle Black to King’s Landing. As it flies over Westeros we see the map, the raven dips down over points of interest (Winterfell, The Eyrie, etc.) and the map fades from view to show the actual castles. Eventually, the raven flies into the Red Keep and lands on the Iron Throne. End credits.
Next the beheading scene. Plays out almost exactly like the book, down to Theon kicking the disembodied head. Then the direwolf pups are discovered.
Cut to Dany in Pentos. Viserys and her discuss the wedding and his plan to retake Westeros. Illyrio introduces Viserys and Daenerys to Drogo.
Next, we jump to King’s Landing. The lifeless body of Jon Arryn on his deathbed. Cersei and Pycelle discuss his final words. “The seed is strong.” Cut to a brothel. Tyrion is enjoying the company of one the “employees” there. Jaime barges in, tells him they are heading to Winterfell.
Cut to Catelyn and Ned in the godswood, they talk about the King coming to Winterfell. The King and his party arrive. Robert and Ned go down to the crypts to talk. Next scene, the feast in the Great Hall. There is an exchange between Ned and Jaime that wasn’t in the book. Jon and Benjen talk about the Night’s Watch. Tyrion and Jon talk about bastards. Cut to Catelyn and Ned in their bedchamber. They receive the message from Lysa. Ned decides to accept the King’s offer. The next day, we see the Stark and Lannister boys at their sword play. All these scenes play out very closely to the book, with the exception of the Ned-Jaime encounter, albeit condensed quite a bit.
Cut back to Pentos. Drogo and Dany’s wedding feast. We see some dancing, some raping, some killing. The gifts are given. Dany and Drogo consummate the marriage.
Back to Winterfell, Robert and Ned speak before leaving to go on a hunt. Bran climbs. Spys Jaime and Cersei in the act. “The things I do for love.” Fade to black.
Winter Is Coming: Whew! That was a little more detailed than I thought it would be. To the powers that be, I hope that isn’t a problem. Now my thoughts.
The first thing I thought when reading it was, how cool is it going to be to see this on screen! I cannot wait. I also was surprised by how much they crammed into one episode. Prior to reading this, I was a bit concerned about the pacing of the episode, since in the book not a lot happens between the prologue and Bran’s fall. Benioff and Weiss have done a great job of getting all the important info in and keeping things interesting.
The other surprise to me was some of the changes to the story and additional scenes not seen in the book. With GRRM mentioning how faithful an adaptation it is, I expected it to follow the book a little more closely. For example, in the script, we don’t actually see Royce engage in combat with the Others, nor do we see undead Royce. Rather the Others surround Royce and Will and it is implied that they are killed.
Perhaps the biggest surprise to me was the addition of the scenes in King’s Landing. I think it works though. It is good that we are introduced to an important city in the first episode. Also introducing Tyrion in a brothel is, I think, hilarious and fits his character perfectly. Even though these scenes don’t appear in the book, Benioff and Weiss have done a great job with them, especially the dialogue between Jaime and Tyrion in the brothel. They really have captured the essence of the characters.
A few more details I found interesting. Regarding ages, Jon and Robb are listed as 17 in the script, Sansa as 13, Arya 11 and Bran as 8, Dany is listed as 15. All the other children seemed to be the same age as in the books. Was a bit odd when a 13-year old Joffrey was acting like a 17-year old Robb was no match for him. Also, the credit sequence, this very idea was proposed over at the Westeros forums. I wonder if David & Dan took it from there? Or if they had it in the script already? My script doesn’t have a date on it so I don’t know for sure. Also, no flashbacks. I think the history of the world is established well, even without the flashbacks. We get pieces of the story of the Rebellion, Robert and Lyanna, the Mad King, etc. through dialogue between characters and not through flashbacks or exposition. This is the way it should be though and it works well.
Overall, the script was great. Very tight, pacing was good. Dialogue was excellent, quite a few funny lines from Tyrion, Robert, even Jaime. Some of the dialogue is lifted word-for-word straight from the book. The characters are all established well and we really get a sense of who they are. The pilot has a healthy amount of sex, language, and gore. It is certainly faithful to the book in that respect! HBO would be crazy to pass this up. Unless they botch the production horribly or they just decide that it is too expensive. As long as neither of those two things occur, we are in for a real treat. Winter is coming and I can not wait!
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100 Comments
Thanks for the review, I’m glad someone leaked you the pilot and I think you made the right decision. It’s nice to hear a general review; I don’t feel like I’ve been spoiled too much. I know that changes are made between script and screen, but it certainly looks promising.
aseop_Quote Reply
I’d be interested in what Ned and Jaime discuss. The two rarely interact directly in the book (if at all?), so what they have to talk about intrigues me.
It all sounds pretty good, though.
JonLQuote Reply
Winter, Did they have Illyrio giving Dany the eggs?
AnonymousQuote Reply
Wow, great work on the review. It sure sounds promising. I think the fact that Martin has experience in television is going to make this succeed. Not that he will be that closely involved, but since he understands both story and the realities of television, he can help them figure out how to make it work while staying true to his vision.
pualoQuote Reply
Jon, They speak mostly about Jaime slaying the Mad King. I believe it was put in mostly to establish Jaime’s character and reveal more of the back story.
Anon, Yes, all the gifts are there. Visery’s gift of the handmaidens, Illyrio’s gift of the dragon eggs, and Drogo’s gift of the filly.
WinterIsComingQuote Reply
Impressive stuff. Particularly impressed by the idea to have the map of Westeros in the title sequence.
Was the brothel Tyrion in named as being Chataya’s, or just a random one?
Adam WhiteheadQuote Reply
Adam, it doesn’t say. However, the whore is noted to be a redhead. So it could be Dancy, who works at Chataya’s.
WinterIsComingQuote Reply
Winter…you displayed an amazing amount of integrity by not posting the script. That is a rare thing in cyberspace these days….I am sure the producers and writers would agree….However, your description of events is excellent. I am absolutely floored that the pilot is going into production. Remember going on a class trip when you were a kid?…and the bus ride was just as exciting as the destination?….this blog is the ultimate busride…thanks for your posts..I think we are witnessing the birth of a monster HBO winner. Thanks again to Benioff and Weiss for sharing…
Snaggs22Quote Reply
i always thought these books had the potential to be as great as LOTR, as long as it was done right and it sounds like things are on the right track, the credit sequence with the raven sounds amazing and gave me goosebumps as i was reading it and just picturing it.
travisQuote Reply
When translating from book to screen, I always take ‘being faithful’ as ‘faithful in spirit’ as opposed to ‘faithful in every tiny detail’.
For example, you cannot transfer the complex character thought patterns revealed over the course of a book onto the screen unless you want to have people breaking out into soliloquies every minute. And even then you are adding dialog that wasn’t in the book.
So when GRRM says the adaptation is faithful, I think he means exactly that. Plot is the same, but minor details may be omitted and ordering may change. Characters are the same — they do and say things that might have been in the book, but just weren’t mentioned. The history, geography, and feel of the world are the same (see LOTR movies). Dialog from the book is used as much as possible. Etc.
The overview makes me extremely confident that the series will be faithful as well as awesome. Good job Benioff and Weiss!!
Scott RycroftQuote Reply
Winter: How does it deal with the language barrier?
NinepennyQuote Reply
Does Tyrion still exhibit acrobatic skills?
AnonymousQuote Reply
Any details on the conversation between Jamie and Ned?
PhoenixDarkQuote Reply
I’m glad you didn’t post the script. :) I wouldn’t want to upset the producers. I hope they wouldn’t be too perturbed that the script was leaked.
They have done an amazing job with the pilot though. A very clever (and yes, very faithful)translation.
podrickQuote Reply
I think establishing prior events through dialogue is a good idea. However, I really hope we do see the Robert/Rhaegar fight at some point as it is an iconic image from the books and features in some of the better ASoIaF artwork out there (it’s the cover image for the new ASoIaF RPG rulebook, for example).
I assume we’ll see the Tower of Joy when we get to Ned’s dream much later on. I think that we really need to see it on screen as it is one of the best moments in the novel.
Adam WhiteheadQuote Reply
Did this ‘leak’ come through official channels? If not, I hope you didn’t just shoot yourself in the foot after the shout-out GRRM gave you a while back…
Michael NataleQuote Reply
Ninepenny, Illyrio translates for Drogo. There is no Dothraki words in the script, so I’m assuming it will just be gibberish.
Anon, Nope. He jumps down from the ledge, but no tumbling.
PD, Without going into too much detail (I fear I’m treading on thin ice as it is about what I’ve revealed so far), Jaime mentions avenging Brandon and Rickard’s deaths and Ned kinda blows him off.
Michael, Yeah, me too.
WinterIsComingQuote Reply
Did it mention anything about the pilots length, it seems like quite alot happens for 45 minutes?
Glad u didnt leak it all, though would be interesting if you gave us a hint as to who ‘deep throat’ or ‘x’ is.
AnonymousQuote Reply
Yeah… I always wondered about those acrobatic things that Tyrion dose at the beginning of the book, and you really never see him do it again. What was up with that?
AnonymousQuote Reply
HBO dramas are always actually 60 minutes long, as they have no ad breaks. That extra 15 minutes allows them to pack a surprising amount into each episode.
Westeros.org linked to the script summary, so I suspect putting up a precis of the script will not a major problem. Benioff and Weiss did say where the script begins and finishes, so anyone with a copy of the book could map out what happens in the first episode. The only major revelations are the title sequence (talked about on the Westeros board anyway) and the ‘new’ scenes, which are not really revealing anything we didn’t know elsewhere from the books.
It’s a bit hard to have a strict spoiler policy on a series of books that (at least ) two million people have already read ;-)
Adam WhiteheadQuote Reply
One question! Dose the script mention the hound?
AnonymousQuote Reply
lol i just had to look that up (Tyrion acrobatics), weird stuff.
AnonymousQuote Reply
Yeah your quite right Adam, forgot we were talking about HBO. Thankfully the BBC is the same (i can imagine this being on BBC2 about 9pm). So annoying when a show lasts 45 minutes or less in UK because it is an American import.
Was more interested if this would be a longer pilot they sometimes do? maybe?
-Dunhere
AnonymousQuote Reply
Anon, Yup, the script clocks in at 60 pages (as was mentioned by the anonymous commenter a few blog entries back). So 60 minutes is the length.
Anon, Yeah, The Hound is in there and has a few lines.
WinterIsComingQuote Reply
Having Jaime and Ned speak in the pilot will nicely set up when they speak in KL, on the opposite side of swords
jaybushmanQuote Reply
Oh my god, I love you! I mean, I hate you for not leaking the script but I love you anyway for posting the summary.
Fate’s BitchQuote Reply
Thank you for doing this.
Could you please let us know if there are any scenes with Arya and Sansa?
AnonymousQuote Reply
In your opinion, which character do you think gets the most development in tne pilot?
Also how prominent are the children in the script?
AnonymousQuote Reply
Sweetness.
JohnnyXeoQuote Reply
Anon, The only scene they have together is a momentary shot of Arya doing needlework with Sansa and the princess before she sneaks out.
Anon, I would say Ned. And the children are very prominent in this version of the script.
WinterIsComingQuote Reply
Tyrion’s tumbling in AGoT will be revisited in the novels, according to GRRM. Not something he’s forgotten about or changed, just something that didn’t fit in the Tyrion chapters that followed that.
BalerionQuote Reply
Dude, you rock. Wise move to not post the script. Your blog will excel if you can walk the tightrope of balancing between being a free marketing tool for the producers without saying too much; and being the de facto source for ASOIAF news without seeming like a marketing pawn to the fans. So far you’ve managed the balance perfectly. Keep up the good work.
AnonymousQuote Reply
Do Jon and Arya have their first scene together, or is that cut?
AnonymousQuote Reply
Do I at least get a naked Catelyn Stark?
AnonymousQuote Reply
Wow that’s a lot… King’s landing to Winterfell in one episode. Kinda funny when you think how hard the the return trip becomes.
In all this action, is there enough time to establish Bran as the climber who longs for nothing less than to become a Knight of the Kingsguard?
I hope they consider extending the initial episode to let it breathe and establish the characters a bit.
Interesting that there’s no Dragonstone/House with the Red Door flashback for Dany.
AnonymousQuote Reply
Thank you for posting this. Is there any mention of the direwolves besides the discovery scene? Any description of them interacting with any of the characters or any other details? Just curious how they will be handled, but perhaps that has not been decided yet.
MarlaQuote Reply
Without sounding too skeptical, how do you know that said script is genuine? What assurances do you have?
This is the internet, so I take everything with a grain of salt.
RachelQuote Reply
Sounds pretty awesome! Can’t wait!
DemersonQuote Reply
good thing there is a lot of focus on Ned early on. hope that newcomers to aSoIaF get very attached to our honorable swordsman… hehhehheh
AnonymousQuote Reply
SSooo EXCITED!!!
SnowQuote Reply
I am so excited! A small part of me wants to see the script, but I am mostly glad that you didn’t post it. Great show of integrity.
And I’m STILL EXCITED, agh. XD
LizQuote Reply
Was there any mention of Rickon in the script? It would be pretty unfaithful to cut him out but I suppose it wouldn’t be too difficult.
Every time I read these books I think of how every scene would be perfect for HBO, ala Rome etc. The intense dialogue sequences plus the gore, sex and profanity would translate so well.
Andrew HaddowQuote Reply
I also wonder what is going to happen with Rikkon. He hasn’t done much in the books, so would be easy to cut, especially given the difficulties in casting a part so young. I’m sure he is going to become important down the line though, so it would be bad if they never introduced him and a few seasons down the line (hopefully it goes that long) Rikkon becomes a big part of the story
AnonymousQuote Reply
Rachel,
If he was lying…GRRM would call him out on his blog and rip him to shreds. I doubt either we nor he would want that to happen, so I’m giving this my full trust. Judging by the description of that opening scene, I’m buying into it. Sounds absolutely amazing!
I’m racking my brains for questions. But I really don’t have any. I just really really really really really want them to do this well.
Like Rome well…or Sopranos well…
Garrett GabehartQuote Reply
Jaime talking to Ned about what happend in KL when he slayed Aerys, so early in the series? I’m not sure I like the idea.
Jaime’s character and motives developing late in the story, are one of the things that blew me off in the books. I’m worried that this shock effect wil get lost when we get to know too much of him in the pilot.
That doesn’t take away the fact that i’m very excited about it all and can’t wait.
AnonymousQuote Reply
The intro sounds amazing…I wish we knew the music that’s going to play when showing it…
I think this sounds very good. I also liked the King’s Landing scenes, because they introduced the most important city in the books early on and introduced some of the most important characters witht heir quirks (a pity they didn’t manage to show, however briefly, Littlefinger and Varys). Is it bad that I almost cried from happiness at having some Jaime-Tyrion interaction? With Storms end, I thought we’d never have it again, and there’s so little, in the original books…! Dany’s story seems disconnected, as always.
I think they did a mistake in not up-aging Joffrey as well, because his rivarly with Robb sounds ridiculous this way, particularly for poor Robb. I also think that Dany should’ve been 16 if Jon is 17, under the risk of incurring in time mistakes (though now that she’s 15 her marriage and selling doesn’t sound nearly as horrendous). Arya, 11, is escorted into Winterfell’s Great Hall by a 5 or 6 years-old Tommen. OMG
Can’t wait to see “the things I do for love” in live!!!!
sara-rojoQuote Reply
Wow, this sounds good!!
Very true to the books, all the nastier stuff present and no disney-ing of the story. This gives me hope!!
DItteQuote Reply
To echo whats already been said, thank you very much for the summary and your review.
Based on what you revealed, I have nothing but the highest hopes for HBO making this series fantastic!
AnonymousQuote Reply
Can you pleeeeease give us information which of the minor characters appear/are named in the script?
Ser Rodrik, Jory, Master Luwin, other Winterfell men… ?
hurgaQuote Reply
Oh I CANNOT WAIT for them to bring this to life!!! :)
Stacy The Peanut QueenQuote Reply
Wow. Very cool.
The timing for the Kings Landing scenes and then jumping to Winterfell seems off, though. The pups would be well grown by then.
Of course, Rome had people zipping back and forth from Gaul in the first episode (or 2), so I guess it’s just TV travel time.
Looking forward to seeing this.
Stuart
aka Myrddin (from westeros.org)
saetterQuote Reply
“I expected it to follow the book a little more closely. For example, in the script, we don’t actually see Royce engage in combat with the Others, nor do we see undead Royce. Rather the Others surround Royce and Will and it is implied that they are killed.”
You’ve confused me here are you saying we’re NOT going to see Ser Wymar engage the other in the pilot, then rise up to choke Will? and that this is how it’s unfaithful? or that we are going to see these scenes but they’re somehow different in the pilot?
AnonymousQuote Reply
That is pretty much awesome. The changes are alright, apart from this:
“For example, in the script, we don’t actually see Royce engage in combat with the Others, nor do we see undead Royce. Rather the Others surround Royce and Will and it is implied that they are killed.”
I really hope this doesn’t happen. I believe the book’s prologue translates to screen damn near perfectly as it is; to alter it like that would be to diminish it greatly. There are at least four good reasons why the prologue should be kept intact:
- Will and Waymar separating increases the creepiness and unease of the scene;
- Waymar shows his bravery in the face of the Others, thus showing that he’s not just an arrogant asshole and indicating early on that there are no real one-dimensional characters in the story;
- There’s a really cool swordfight, what with the weird-looking and sounding ice blades and Royce’s sword getting freaking shattered;
- And perhaps most importantly, seeing Waymar get turned into a wight serves as foreshadowing for when the bodies of Othor and Jafer are found, not to mention it’s a great HOLY CRAP scene that truly grabs the reader’s (and, hopefully, viewers’) attention.
The only two disadvantages I see are the fact that the ‘resurrection’ scene might be a bit jarring in the context of the pilot’s relative realism (but then why include the Others at all), and that the intro would be a couple of minutes longer. Really, though, the pros outweigh the cons by a long long way, at least in my opinion.
What do the rest of you think?
LookQuote Reply
Garrett – First, does GRRM check this website every day? A plug is not the same as a bookmark. This site is not “officially GRRM sanctioned” — it’s a place that GRRM pointed out where discussion about the TV show could thrive. (Probably to get it off his blog.) The info isn’t coming in a secret pipeline from GRRM or from Benioff and Weiss — who post elsewhere.
Second, I ask because I had a friend who ran a website about a book series that was turned into a TV show. He had a lot of sources about the book series — including, later, information sent to him by the author (who contacted him because he did such consistently good work on the website) — but when it was turned into a TV series, someone sent him false information claiming to be the summary of the TV episodes. It really damaged his credibility. This is the Internet, after all. If I create the e-mail address “RacheltheHBOExecutive@gmail.com”, I’m still not an HBO executive.
I look at this site as a place for speculation, not a place for concrete facts about the show. Amanda Peet hasn’t been cast, nor has the kid who posts videos on Youtube. The fact that one fanblog mentions them doesn’t mean they’re credible contenders.
I’m not saying the script described is necessarily false, but the fact that the site owner hasn’t leaped to the defense of the script’s authenticity — said, “oh, I have a friend who works in HBO!” or “Someone in food services stole a script for me!” — is a little strange. Also, so is the fact that it appeared so quickly — before they’ve even announced locations? Before anyone has been cast? — and has things exactly as they were described on a fan board. This is more than a little fishy.
Again, this could be real, and if so, awesome, great scoop. But even if it is, it’s not a shooting script — and there’ll be a lot of changes. So I maintain a healthy amount of skepticism.
RachelQuote Reply
Let me get to some of these questions:
Anon, the Jon and Arya scene is in there.
Anon, Catelyn is presumably naked in the scene where she gets Lysa’s letter. The script mentions that she has the blankets pulled up to her chin and when she gets up she wraps herself in a blanket, so we probably won’t see anything.
Anon, Bran’s climbing is established prior to his fall. No mention of him wanting to be a knight though.
Marla, there are a couple moments with Jon’s wolf and Bran’s wolf.
Andrew, Rickon is seen in the scene where the King arrives in Winterfell. He is listed as 3 year old btw.
hurga, Hullen, Maester Luwin, Jory and Rodrik Cassel are all in it and have some lines. Septa Mordane is seen, but has no lines.
Anon, The scene ends with the Others surrounding Will and Waymar. So no fight and no undead Royce.
WinterIsComingQuote Reply
Rachel,
I expected many people to be skeptical. Frankly, you should be. I don’t want to say how I got the script, I don’t want any one to get in trouble.
If it is a fake though, it is a damn good one. It matches everything we already know about the pilot episode. The first and last lines, the length of the script, the aging up of the characters. If somebody wrote this as a fake they didn’t have much time to do it since all this info was only given to us in the past few weeks.
Also, what is so surprising about the script being leaked now? The series was optioned almost three years ago. Benioff and Weiss have been working on the script since that time. One thing about the entertainment industry is that it is surprisingly easy to get a hold of scripts. Even a lowly intern or mail room employee can have access to scripts for projects in development. Maybe not a current draft, but something. I am sure there are lots more copies of the script floating around.
Taking all that into account, I have to assume this is the real thing. If George or David or Dan tell me otherwise, I will retract everything I have said and apologize for leading everyone to believe it was the real thing. Unless that happens, I stand by this as legit.
WinterIsComingQuote Reply
In my opinion, cutting the scene with the Others is a very big mistake. I understand that in the tranlsation to TV, it would be very handy to have the Prologue fit into the three-minute (or whatever) slice before the jump to the credits.
But you really emasculate things by trying to make something complex fit into the smaller space.
The Others scene in its full weirdness, creepiness, and complexity is one that even the book (which has so much room) coasts on for quite some time. There is no stronger scene in AGOT for hundreds of pages; it’s what helps you deal with the massive amount of explication that GRRM does over the first few hundred pages of the book.
And to simplify the scene into one in which merely the boojums kill the good guys, simplifying the nature of the Others is gonna have implications longterm as well, because it informs Samwell Tarly’s encounter much later.
The Prologue is quite frankly one of the strongest scenes in the tetralogy so far. In a fantasy somewhat lacking in spectacular magic, the Prologue to AGOT certainly remains one of the few most eerie, strange and magical scenes in the whole series, and one that continues to imbue the series with possibilities even four books later.
Those involved should definitely restore the scene, even if it means coming back to it after the credits, simply because truncating the thing does too much damage.
rastronomicalsQuote Reply
@ rastronomicals: that’s a very cool idea, that after the credits we have another scene (10 seconds would be enough) in which the camera zooms in on dead Royce, half buried in snow, and he just opens his eyes, and we see them glowing blue. I think that would be awesome.
AnonymousQuote Reply
@rastronomicals: Although I am convinced that the prologue would work perfectly on screen (Royce grabbing Will would be a great scene), you give it far too much credit. Among all the things that happen in the first chapters, Royce fighting the others is simply the most unimportant, as all the other chapters deal with so much background and character information, that is needed in the next chapters (episodes).
Contrary, establishing the Others as a thread will also work when we meet the corpses in AGOT or later then in ASOS.
I can also see one advantage: When the rangers find the corpses beyond the wall, none of the spectators will think “alright…those will become zombies like the guy in the 1st episode…”.
It will be really suprising and shocking, and might even work as a cliffhanger from one episode to the next.
@winteriscoming: thanks for the information. :)
hurgaQuote Reply
Just to back up Winter Is Coming, it is insanely easy to get your hands on scripts. They float around abundantly as shows/movies move into development. I took a screen writing class this semester, and our professor has spent over six years working in the industry (he’s won multiple awards for his scripts). And one thing he taught us is that your script will be shuffled through so many hands, it’s not worth trying to keep track.
Aside from the hired readers and coverage writers, almost anyone involved with whatever aspect of production would be given a script. Then it’s just a matter of copying it and letting your friends check it out.
Scripts are not top secret.
BradyQuote Reply
It’s nothing to do with simplifying or shortening to fit in to a pre alloted time. HBO are extremly flexible with such things.
In fact it was actually talked about and suggested on many disscusion threads for the prologue to be changed in this way. It gives the Others more air of mystery.
The prologue is an amazing scene but I think you can only truly appreciate it second time through the book or after reading large amounts of the series. It’s special because it is so out of context with the rest of the series early on so you don’t really get it first time.
I didn’t even remember the prologue untill I read the series through again after Storm. When I read the prologue I was like “Wow, was this really revealed so early??”
Now by truly revealing the Others later, the context of the world will be set and it will mean something more to people immediately.
DekuQuote Reply
About the prologue, of course I love the book version, but the script version works just as well. It gets the point across without being too lengthy. I think it will be very creepy.
Also, those who are saying that the appearance of the wight later will be a surprise are only partly correct. The fact that the dead bodies are gone when they get back to the camp hints that they have turned into zombies. So there is a bit of foreshadowing there, which I think works well. Alert viewers will probably pick up on the fact that they turned into zombies while many will just assume the Others moved the bodies.
Either way, it is going to be an awesome scene.
WinterIsComingQuote Reply
Winter, thanks so much for giving us this little tidbit! Great job on that and on this blog! Other than agreeing with others that Joff should have been made a little older, the script really sounds amazing. While we want a faithful telling of the books we love, I’m sure we all realize that not everything as written will work well on TV. Keep up the great work!
AnonymousQuote Reply
Wow…I hope this gets picked up. I just hope they don’t cheese out on the colored armor and special effects.
AnonymousQuote Reply
I think young Joff works fine. Since Robb and he don’t actually fight, the age gap doesn’t really matter, and makes Joffrey’s blustering even more stupidly arrogant. And it also will eventually give the Lannister side a more Byzantine feel, with their insane boy-king against the noble young-man rebel Robb.
Also you can’t age Joff to much because then he would rule in his own right.
AnonymousQuote Reply
How about posting a picture of the cover????
That would allow us to actually “see” the script!!
Cristiano BernardiniQuote Reply
Robb and Joff do actually fight
we come into the scene in Arya’s P.O.V. chapter right after she is runs out on her needlework
her and I come into the scene right after Robb and Joff have finished a bout, which for some strange reason Joff has the arrogance to think he’s won, even though he’s getting his ass beat. That’s when Joff calls for live steel, so the age gap might be kinda weird. Sounds cool tho.
Jon SnowQuote Reply
Then again… if we do not see zombies rising, people are going to think that the Others used to be the people in the camp.
AnonymousQuote Reply
Going against the generel opinion a little … As big a fan as I consider myself, I still think it is too faithful, with too many, un-necessary second-stringers name-dropped. This is a completely different media, and if they try to just copy-paste it into the format, it will fail; if it even makes it past the pilot.
But the pace seems adequate, and I have high hopes.
munkholtQuote Reply
I’M NOT WORTHY!!!!!!
AnonymousQuote Reply
MAJOR ISSUE??!?!? How can Dany be only 15 if Robb and Jon are 17. Didn’t her father die during the sack of KL? The producers/writers will have to be careful messing with time/ages.
slikdudeQuote Reply
Aging some of the kids a bit is a very good idea. Obviously it’s necessary from a logistics POV and given the sex-scenes (implied or implicit). But it’s also good for the story in general, as long as it fits together at the end.
I realize that the idea is that things happen earlier in that world or the middle ages for that matter, but some of their ages in the books just seem off to me. Particularly Arya acts way too mature for her age IMO. So starting her at 11 is a good idea. The same for Robb and Jon, considering all the fighting they’re in and the responsibilities they carry.
Sansa makes sense at 13, since she’s very, very naive and child-like. Dany is ok at 15, but 16-17 would also be fine and her story doesn’t really deal with growing up.
AnonymousQuote Reply
@anonymous from 10:30 — Dany’s story “doesn’t really deal with growing up”? Which Dany chapters have you been reading? She steps out of the shadow of her bully of an older brother, learns to live in a new land, has sex for the first time, sees death, destruction, rape, and pillage, learns to love, has the object of that love taken from her, wreaks vengeance, learns the truth about her father and brother, and is constantly learning how to be a queen. I’d say that’s a fair amount of growing up. All the “children” are forced to grow up in this series. After all, Winter is Coming…
AnonymousQuote Reply
I watch True Blood and Little Britain, USA at a friends house because I don’t have HBO, and I really like those shows. But if HBO goes through with A Song of Ice and Fire, I’ll definitely get HBO. 3 fav. shows are enough to get HBO IF one of them is Ice and Fire.
I think Jaime and Ned’s little encounter will be awesome as long as they make Jaime out to be a cocky asshole from the beginning. It’ll foreshadow his importance later on, which is what HBO needs to see to green light the show. I hated Jaime at first, and to be honest, though I like his character, I still haven’t forgiven him for what he did to Bran and Jory.
And as for Bran, we’ll see that he aims to be a good fighter in life when we see him beating Tommen when Arya and Jon are together watching the fight. I hope they have a good actor for the Hound though (and Jon, Robb, Dany, Ned, Jaime, Tyrion, Cat, Bran, Cercei, you get it). And I thought Robb, Jon, and Dany were born around the same time, shouldn’t the boys be 16? (at least in the beginning, I think Robb is almost 18 at… Edmure’s wedding)
ps. heck no they can’t cut Rickon, I guarantee he’ll be important in the future of the North.
AnonymousQuote Reply
To resolve the authenticity problem, how about someone just links this post on GRRM’s blog and asks him? I’m guessing Winter here would not be opposed to that?
AnonymousQuote Reply
I’m 14 in the beginning when we feast King Robert at Winterfell. Robb is a little younger than me.
Jon SnowQuote Reply
shaddup ya bastard
AnonymousQuote Reply
Anon, I have no problem if someone would like to send the link to this to George. My guess is he probably wouldn’t respond though. If it is the real thing, as I suspect it is, I don’t think HBO would want him to acknowledge it as such.
If it is not real though I hope he would clarify that, as I don’t want to keep poring over the script, imagining scenes in my head that won’t actually get filmed. ;)
WinterIsComingQuote Reply
WinterIsComing – Thanks for clarifying. Again, I only worry because I’ve seen this happen in previous fandoms, and to my good friend, and I don’t want people to feel bad.
RachelQuote Reply
HBO must have a long production cycle or many seasons programming in mind for this if they are willing to advance script development while GRRM isn’t demonstrating much progress in completing the series.
Were I at HBO, I wouldn’t begin production until GRRM’s completed the current book and handed HBO a detailed plot with supporting narrative concluding the entire saga. It’s risky to begin producing a project when the author night never complete it, and at GRRM’s pace, and with his over-bulked physique, I’m grimly uncertain he’ll get there — or, perhaps, that I’ll live long enough to read it.
At least we can rest assured there will be enough calendars, replica swords and figurines to pave over all of Brandon’s Gift soon, whether this grand saga is ever completed or not.
AnonymousQuote Reply
If this is the same script as the one referred to by another poster a few weeks back, the script is dated June 2008. I believe Benioff and Weiss have done another full draft since then, and there will be many changes before the shooting script is settled on, so it’s probably not too much of an issue that this early draft got out.
Adam WhiteheadQuote Reply
Its good you didn’t post the script.Too much detail can lead to disappointment if the final script differs from the one leaked.
I think the synopsis is sufficient to get an idea of how it will flow.
Changes are inevitable,and everyone will feel betrayed at some point.
Black Will FlowersQuote Reply
Any Hodor?
AnonymousQuote Reply
No mention of Hodor or Old Nan. Do we even see them in the book at all during this time though?
WinterIsComingQuote Reply
ahh I was in Grand Rapids last weekend because I needed a reprieve from the wall and Stannis and I my waiter the waiter I had at Big Boy would make the perfect Hodor.
Jon SnowQuote Reply
I think, for terms of pacing and surprise it works better that we don’t see undead Royce now. I can’t remember which of the three it was, or even if it was in the first book, but I’m sure someone gets brought back and then comes back to life. This works better for someone who hasn’t read the books I think.
MauriceQuote Reply
I had a very similar idea for the opening credit sequence, but it also involved the table at Dragonstone.
ThomasQuote Reply
Don’t think Hodor is specifically mentioned till after Bran’s fall. I think Old Nan is mentioned. I was hoping meaybe the script called for him int he background somewhere at the feast or possibly in the yard during the sparring session.
AnonymousQuote Reply
I am rereading book 1. When Eddard first speaks with Pycelle, Pycelle mentions Cersei was on her way to Castle Rock with her father when Jon Arryn died. How exactly is she around to discuss “The Seed is Strong” with Pycelle?
AnonymousQuote Reply
Winter ..
The biggest question of all is how are they going to deal with the “thoughts” of each charactor and all of the narratives that fill each chapter… Are there going to be voice-overs when each of the charactors are thinking, and is their an over-all narrator for the show?
The ASOIAF chapters all follow a very strict and effective formula which always includes a huge amount of historical narrative as well as a ton of “thinking” by each POV charactor (which provides very neccesary knowledge, as well as gives each charactor his/her personality — the things thought but not said)..
Any idea how they are going to deal with such essential parts of what makes ASOIAF so great?
AnonymousQuote Reply
pretty sure there is a narrator
Jon SnowQuote Reply
Anon and Jon: No narrator. No voice-overs. It is all done through dialogue and, well, acting.
Unfortunately internal monologues is one of the things you lose when you adapt a book to screen. A great script and a great actor can still get across what a character is thinking though, without having to resort to narration or voice-overs.
WinterIsComingQuote Reply
Finally, my dream is coming true. HBO I love you and I know you have 10 shows to choose from (hopefully you’re picking a couple and not just one), and even if you need to pick one show from that 10, this is the one to do!
This epic tale has the potential to bring fantasy even more mainstream that LoTR did! PICK A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE!
AnonymousQuote Reply
forget Catelyn Stark, how ’bout a nude Cersei Lannister…
AnonymousQuote Reply
I have such high hopes for this. I’ve just started watching Rome, and if HBO picks this up and keeps comparable quality, I’ll be pretty much the happiest person ever.
Many thanks to WinterIsComing for the summary!
TehsealQuote Reply
I am thrilled to the idea of this story on screen.
I have also seen Rome , and if HBO can produce the same quality with this, I’ll be in heaven.
P.S : Does anyone know if they are looking for non-qualified actors?
Alexis LeperlierQuote Reply
In my opinion They ruined the Dune screen adaptation by interjecting the internal monologue and thoughts of POV characters. I certainly hope they don't try that, at least not too much.
AnonymousQuote Reply
Winter. You should put together an email to help HBO choose from the ten pilots. To demonstrate the exteme popularity and large market size they are getting from producing a show on these books. Those exec's up top may not know it and if it comes down to shear numbers if they saw that they already have a market of like 3 million eagerly waiting viewers just wating to sign up for HBO just beacuse of this show, that just might be the bargaining chip that gets this series made. I know I alone could pread such an email through a few hundred people and so could the rest of you.
Might be an idea.
AnonymousQuote Reply
I have to say I don’t normally comment but that was worth a nod
VoiceoversQuote Reply
why would jaime barge in to the brothel and tell tyrion. presumably he'd have a couple of hours spare to wait.
AnonymousQuote Reply
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