Two good interviews from the Game of Thrones writers. First one is with George R. R. Martin at Amazon’s Omnivoracious blog. He talks about his relationship to the show and answers a question about the deviations from the book.
RAR: There do seem to be an increasing number of deviations from the books — not so many in Season 1 but more in Season 2…
GRRM: I think that’s a process that’s likely to continue, and some of that is just the nature of the process. I mean, when you make… Everything is related to everything else. So, if you make a small change in Season 1, it could lead to a really big change in Season 4 because the thing that was supposed to happen didn’t happen and the guy who was supposed to come in never appeared and it was just a line in that book but now you’re in this later season and you don’t have him set up. So, everything gets magnified and you have to deal with it.
Over at Entertainment Weekly, they are continuing their Thrones countdown, this time with a short an interview with showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. The topic of the interview? Dragons.
Over on the Thrones set, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss sit at wooden table that’s lavishly adorned for King Joffrey’s dinner feast. They compare the dragons’ growth to the way a baby crocodile or rottweiler can start off cute, then turn into a monster. “This is an interesting time for the dragons,” Benioff says. “When they were born they were adorable. Last season, as you say, they were still kind of cute. But now they’re turning into proper flying dragons. One of the interesting things about the books, and hopefully the show, is that the weapons of mass destruction in this world are living breathing things. And as they get older that presents problems.”
Winter Is Coming: I’m anxious to see just how big the dragons have grown this season… and what they are capable of.
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65 Comments
So Soon!
Stephen R. HanlonQuote Reply
Slowest 2 weeks of my life.
King Joffreys dinner feast? TPW?
Wrath of the GodsQuote Reply
Ha! Love the line about weapons of mass destruction.
Very interesting indeed, I love watching the dragons grow. I just can’t wait for that infamous moment in book 5 to be brought to screen, probably in the season 5 finale or something. XD
Tomas Hedwyn SavageQuote Reply
Awesome from the GRRM interview:
“I have not seen it. I’ve been very busy writing the new books and doing other projects this year, so I did not have a chance to visit the set.”
“[The show runners are] doing a terrific job with the show and the show is their baby and the books are my baby. So, I’m gonna keep writing the books and keep ahead of these guys before they catch up with me.”
DocQuote Reply
seems to me that they are progressing the story a bit to fast,faster then expected.
TheFrozenKingQuote Reply
GRRM’s answers to questions about deviations are always unfulfilling. He never directly explains/or gives his opinion on changes like Jeyne/Talisa, Dany in Qarth, etc. He did give a good explanation of the “House of the Undying,” but most of the time he gives the standard “budget” answer or the answer given here. You’re never going to hear him say, “Yes, Dany’s Qarth adventures needed to be altered to make for exciting television, something my material wouldn’t have done left as is.”
pntrlqstQuote Reply
Well well well. Perhaps we are in for the trifecta this season
FSBAQuote Reply
yeah, sounds good to me…I really love what GRRM said, good to hear that he is writing like a maniac. keep it up george, time is RUNNING :)
itto ogamiQuote Reply
Wrath of the Gods,
FSBA,
Look at the synopsis of e301.
pntrlqstQuote Reply
Joffrey’s dinner feast???? Oh boy… so it is this season after all.
spacechampionQuote Reply
I sure hope not. That would cause even more damage to the books and ruin The Red Viper’s intereactions with Tyrion, Penny’s interactions with Tyrion, etc. D&D wouldn’t ruin the story to that extent
Snakes dnthave handsQuote Reply
Why does everyone assume that a “lavish dinner feast” automatically means wedding feast? Talk about a cat looking into the flames and seeing red mice at play….
I was wrong last season about the contemporary Rains of Castamere not showing up on the show in any way (credits), however I am going on record saying there is no way in hell there will be a PW this season if RW is indeed episode 9…there just isn’t enough time.
Lord of FangsQuote Reply
Dinner feast does not mean wedding
Snakes dnthave handsQuote Reply
As pntrlqst said above, read the summary of episode 1:
zodQuote Reply
zod,
Nice pointing that out. PW will not be in season 3 guys
Tom O’ SevensQuote Reply
zod,
Beat me to it. Sorry folks, the PW is not happening this season. Do you really think Margaery would get married without her father attending? Mace Tyrell has not been cast.
Tyrion PimpslapQuote Reply
The dragons are the size as described during the start of ASOS, that of a smallish dog, growing to large dog/small pony sized by the end of ASOS, so sounds like they are going by the book.
They were actually a little too small last season (supposed to be cat-sized, were really more like kittens), so I hope it won’t seem to abrupt of a change. Viewers might think that Slaver’s Bay is really far from Qarth if the dragons have had that much time to grow en route!
QueenofThornsQuote Reply
Exactly. They were discussing the dinner feast where we’ll meet the Queen of Thorns.
DanQuote Reply
GRRM talking about making a change in season 1 that could affect season 4 : Death of Marillion?
JackQuote Reply
People who want PW next season are dooming this season to a hopeless and heart wrenching ending that will leave many viewers unsatisfied. The only thing that can make up for it is some vengeance- PW. Yes, that leaves little stuff for season 4, but they have to do this anyway since many characters (Arya, Davos, Jaime, Sam, Bran, the whole UnCat buisness and plenty of minor/non-POV characters) will need an expansion to their story for season 4 and at least season 3 will be good (REALLY good!).
JentarioQuote Reply
Jack,
Honestly, it doesn’t HAVE to be him. It could easily be someone else and it wouldn’t harm the story at all.
JentarioQuote Reply
Jack,
No, Marillion didn’t die. He only lost his tongue. And I don’t understand why people get irked about it. With no tongue, he’s powerless to defend himself against accusations.
pntrlqstQuote Reply
Wrath of the Gods,
Not *necessarily*, as we know they hold a feast for the Tyrells in the premiere too.
The Dragon DemandsQuote Reply
Every year we have a new gate. By all indications the PW is not happening this season. Can we stop talking about it in EVERY topic.
JoshQuote Reply
Josh,
Please, share with us your these indications.
Cary StormQuote Reply
Jentario,
Not happening. And it won’t doom the show. They didn’t split book 3 up to rush through it. No Mace = No PW. Don’t misjudge a ton of big events for great TV. If there is no buildup or not enough time to flesh things out then it won’t be great TV.
Tyrion PimpslapQuote Reply
No, it was the death of one of the Dothraki (don’t recall the name) that Khal Drogo ripped the throat out of. That didn’t happen in the books and apparently that Dothraki has a larger role in Book 6.
SynnermanQuote Reply
I hope pw does happen this season, so I can come here and laugh at the people who were so sure it wouldn’t.
The hounds pupQuote Reply
The hounds pup,
I feel the same way about all the people who think it will, which I believe may be more than those that don’t think it will happen, or at least equal. If it does happen, then I guess Mace is dead on the show and the QOT raised Margaery and Loras herself.
Tyrion PimpslapQuote Reply
I’m still hoping that they cast the other 2 Tyrell brothers, or at least Garlan.
ebevan91Quote Reply
Tyrion Pimpslap,
Margaery already said something about her father supplying Renly his army.
pntrlqstQuote Reply
Great interview with GRRM, but damn!
Can’t D&D float the guy who created the series an early DVD screener? Seriously! I cannot believe the creator of ASOIAF/ GOT often has to wait and watch the show like the rest of the small folk!
DarquemodeQuote Reply
No, no, no! Did you watch the first season? Other than the dragons, what was the hopeful end? Ned Stark – the main goddamned character – is killed. And yet somehow many people believe the PW ‘HAS’ to happen this year. When so far everything we’ve seen of D&D suggest they wouldn’t do such a thing. What’s been moved from one season to the next? Ok, the “three blasts” moment – but that’s an unsettling “wait until next season” moment. And everyone is operating on what – the barest of speculation and their own hunches because it would be “too sad” or something to end on other such events…but GoT fans, even just the TV show fans, are more than likely also fans of The Wire, or Deadwood, or other such programs that have taken bleak turns.
Greatjon of SlumberQuote Reply
Greatjon of Slumber,
Ageed!
Even the dragons were bittersweet since Dany lost Drogo.
The general TV public that likes police procedurals and needs happy endings is not the typical Thrones fan…..Is it?
I think many fans of Thrones are fans exactly because it is so different than anything else on TV. IMO most will in fact appreciate a dark ending and will burn for the next season wanting revenge. Although to be honest, I thnk there will be a number of “non-dark” moments in the final episodes that will serve as counterbalance to the RW.
DarquemodeQuote Reply
Can’t wait to see the Dragons reek havoc! Hopefully she uses their names this Season.
Also of note, In the EW article they say the Direwolves are the same size as Season 2 or maybe a tiny bit bigger because they tried making them even bigger but it looked stupid. (Paraphrasing)
SO glad GRRM is chugging along with the Winds of Winter, ridiculously excited for that.
Nick_ScryerQuote Reply
If Melisandre’s scene with the leeches is done awesomely as I hope, viewers will know Joffrey is fucked… So no need for the PW to make up for RW yet…
King DBCQuote Reply
Agreed. We’ll see some sort of hopeful signs for Bran et al, Jon could repel the Wildlings, et cetera.
Greatjon of SlumberQuote Reply
Tyrion Pimpslap,
Personal feelings aside….
With so many extras blogging, insiders giving reports and fan witnesses tweeting so many of the events and scenes of Seaon 3 have been specifically called out… or at least hinted at. No one has made any comment about the PW…..
If the PW does in fact happen in Season 3, D&D and HBO have pulled off one of the most epic top secret finale stealth campaigns EVER!
DarquemodeQuote Reply
Agreed 100%. PW shouldn’t happen this season, period.
the other guyQuote Reply
sunspearQuote Reply
GRRM strikes a good point by mentioning a small revision in any season
may need additional changes in the future to offer series continuity. The
ASOIAF adaptation is a challenge , but I hope the perspective remains
that this is an extraordinary piece of work that may fail with too much
tweaking. These guys are pros, so I’ll not disparage them much, having
GoT television is a win in itself. Just please though, let’s not make all
the alpha males fighting a singular quest, for love of a woman. Robb, Jon
and Stannis , had distinctive roles compared to Robert. I’m missing the
push for sovereign power.
WildSeedQuote Reply
Dragons, yea! The Pan -Starrs Comet has announced their coming. The view from
many places has been spectacular.
I’m not certain what the EW article meant by “making the dragons even bigger
turned out stupid ‘. The promo of Drogon flying near the ship ,appeared larger
in size. I guess we’ll see in a few weeks.
WildSeedQuote Reply
WildSeed,
Read it again, he said direwolves, not dragons. I’m disappointed they won’t be gigantic wolves but it’s not like they ever actually had more than 5 minutes of time on screen per season anyway…
ZackQuote Reply
I want to see the dragons in action in this season
Juego de tronosQuote Reply
Obviously. Because that just wouldn’t be true.
DayQuote Reply
Who knows, maybe the showrunners will make an even bigger change, and stage the PW only to have everyone live through it!
I don’t really think that they’ll do this in a million years, but you just never know for sure.
Maester TcostQuote Reply
Obv reference to Zxaron ducksaue (I know misspelled) gets locked away insteaed of coming back to offer dany his ships for a dragon later. Books r so long so I get they can’t get eveything into the show. How cool is that Bernnnie finds Sir Duncan the talls shield tho!? Too many details to cover
LampingItQuote Reply
I said the Direwolves not Dragons. It’s actually in this article lol I thought it was in the magazine.
Also stupid was the wrong word, he says:
Fans will notice fewer changes with the show’s direwolves this year. After growing from pups in the first season to large beasts in season two, producers have opted to keep them at the same size to maintain a greater sense of realism.
“We did some testing and at a certain point they look unreal,” Weiss says. “We reached a nice balance with them.”
Nick_ScryerQuote Reply
Day,
Or, conversely, you’re never going to hear him say, “They changed something in my story for reasons that are inexplicable and I don’t like it.”
Either way, he’s never candid when asked questions regarding deviations.
pntrlqstQuote Reply
One change in the show from the books, that I was really impressed by was Theon’s murder of Ser Rodrik. In the books, Rodrik’s death happened ‘off-screen’ and merely showed that all of the Stark clansmen were eliminated. By putting the sword in Theon’s hand, D & D really showed just how “truly lost” Theon would become. It was the final, irrevocable act that echoed Ned’s death in Season 1. It sets the stage for anything to happen in the future. And all without ruining the overall thrust of the main story.
My instinct tells me we can trust Benioff and Weiss to do the right thing.
DjWeidemanQuote Reply
The issue that they are referring to is two-fold.
They have decided not to do pure CGI direwolves. They imply that between the fur and movement, it just looks crappy. We know how wolves move and look; we don’t with dragons so our brains are more likely to accept them as “real.”
So, instead they are sizing up real wolves. Except a couple of things happen when you push the size. One, our brains tell us wolves don’t get that big. But two, and this tends to be more important, certain things don’t scale right if you just make it bigger.
An eyeball does. Hair doesn’t. Flames don’t — you can’t set fire to a model house and have it look like a house burning. And Hair/Fur is probably a big issue here. Put those Wolves at 150%, and the hair doesn’t look like hair on a bigger animal, it looks like strangely large hair.
AlanQuote Reply
WildSeed,
Really? You’re not seeing the quest for power from Stannis? From Robb, fine -it’s clear that his quest is not the same (the books also don’t make clear how drawn out his plan is either…does he plan on conquering the Seven Kingdoms or just throwing everyone out of the North?). But Stannis seems pretty hellbent on becoming king, and Jon, well, it’s unclear what Jon’s journey is by now as well.
Greatjon of SlumberQuote Reply
Tough titty, weak-ass little bitches will just need to deal with it. And they will, don’t worry.
Anyway, Dany’s storyline should give you the counterweight you’re seeking.
Steven SwansonQuote Reply
Exactly, because he’s a professional, and is not going to throw these guys under the bus. He took his interviewing lessons from Crash Davis, “I just want to help the ball club, and the good lord willing, things will all work out.”
Steven SwansonQuote Reply
ah, yes, thanks for fixing my slip up. Still, we haven’t seen much of them.
Greywind was huge in size though, can’t imagine him much bigger than S2.
WildSeedQuote Reply
Nick_Scryer,
Yes, I caught my slip up. Both were mentioned, but in different aspects of the show.
Arthur and I were discussing Direwolves , in an earlier post, and I’m jazzed about the
recent comet display just yesterday. I keep remembering ACOK with the mention of
the Red Comet heralding a new age. Old Nan and maester Aemon mentioned
dragons, I believe.
WildSeedQuote Reply
Greatjon of Slumber,
TV Stannis is okay, just too much seduction taking place on screen. Even Davos
called him out on the influence Mel is having. No worries, the ” hell bent ” Stannis
made his appearance at the Blackwater episode. There’s more to come in future episodes.
WildSeedQuote Reply
People still talking about PW drive me mad! If someone says in an interview that Joff farts, you conclude that PW will happen now!
Are you trolling or something? If PW is in this season how come they could say the book is split into 2 parts? They’d have to move to book 4 in season 4.
There’s a lot of good stuff to prepare us for the PW. Actually the second half of the book is all about that. 4th season will be all about that as well.
So please stop doing this!
dragonrebornQuote Reply
I can’t wait for the speculation over the PW to end, but I suppose it won’t till episode 10. It would be too much to cram it in this season, they have loads going on already! It wouldn’t leave enough big stuff for season 4 either.
DoorQuote Reply
Door,
I guess it will stop as soon as we get the episodes synopsis from HBO.
zodQuote Reply
Maybe they will just teleport Arya to Joffreys doorstep and kill him that way in episode 10. No PW needed and a great final which people can relish in until season 4 …;)
PetrusQuote Reply
RW doesn’t happen until episode 9 and episode 1o is always more of a wrap up episode so I don’t see any way possible that the PW is this season Not to mention the role of the Red Viper has yet to be cast and last time I checked he was present for the PW No Viper no PW
Duff ManQuote Reply
Doc,
That’s always good to hear! I know GRRM must get tired of his fans pushing for him to write faster but…. I don’t want to have to wait 5 years for the next book! And I certainly don’t want the last season of GoT to come out before the last book, which there was talk of since D&D know generally how it will all end.
KateQuote Reply
Josh,
Hear hear
MrsWunQuote Reply
I think the PW should be in episode 2 of season 4. Like you said, episode 10 of a GoT season is usually wrap up, and episode 1 of a season is usually introducing new characters and locations.
The RW and PW were fairly close together in the book, only like 100 pages or so (8 chapters) between the two.
ebevan91Quote Reply