We’re currently in the thick of Game of Thrones season 7, a show that continually stirs up plenty of chatter on social media. But during the airing of the most recent Game of Thrones episode — “The Queen’s Justice” — this past Sunday, people were tweeting about an entirely different HBO show, one that hasn’t gotten past the planning stages yet. Using the hashtag #NoConfederate, they were expressing their distaste with Confederate, a show from the minds of Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss that explores what the United States of America would be like today if the South had won the Civil War and slavery was a “modern institution.”
To start, let’s clarify that Benioff and Weiss aren’t the only people working on Confederate. They’re sharing executive producing duties with husband-and-wife team Malcolm Spellman and Nichelle Tramble Spellman, both of whom are black. The show has stirred up a lot of controversy since HBO announced it earlier this month, with many calling it insensitive. The #NoConfederate idea was thought up by April Reign, a former lawyer and public speaker who spearheaded the #OscarsSoWhite campaign in 2016. The idea was to tweet using that hashtag during the airing of “The Queen’s Justice” to send a message to HBO. According to The Hollywood Reporter, #NoConfederate was trending in the No. 1 spot for the US and the No. 2 spot worldwide on Twitter, so a message was sent.
Here’s a sampling of some of the tweets that ran on Sunday:
#NoConfederate All Reconstruction gains were repealed, and the domestic terror lynching era began, but *imagine* if Confederacy won, huh?
— M. Rasheed 🇺🇸 (@Monsters_101) July 31, 2017
Because, for some, the Confederacy isn't alt-history. It's right now. #NoConfederate @hbo pic.twitter.com/NEm2vmghEJ
— April (@ReignOfApril) July 31, 2017
#NoConfederate Black pain is not your plot device
— Tricia the Militia 🥊 (@MilitiaTricia) July 31, 2017
The outcry was such that HBO released a statement on the day the episode aired:
"We have great respect for the dialogue and concern being expressed around Confederate. We have faith that [writers] Nichelle, Dan, David and Malcolm will approach the subject with care and sensitivity. The project is currently in its infancy so we hope that people will reserve judgment until there is something to see."
Reign, speaking to THR, sees things differently. “What confidence should we have in two gentlemen who can’t talk about race on their own show and have had seven seasons to introduce significant characters of color?” she said.
Are the objections enough to stop HBO from making Confederate, which they ordered straight to series? (Meaning that Benioff, Weiss, and the Spellmans won’t have to bother making a pilot to prove the show can work.) The foursome’s attempt to explain the show’s premise clearly didn’t allay concerns. We’ll see what twists this story takes as it develops.
Next: Game of Thrones showrunners discuss last night’s episode-ending death scene
Whatever happens, Game of Thrones fans can rest assured that production on Confederate won’t interfere with Thrones — production on Confederate won’t begin until after Game of Thrones season 8 is finished.
To stay up to date on everything Game of Thrones, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Watch Game of Thrones for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels.