How Leslie Jones got the Game of Thrones showrunners to direct her special
By Dan Selcke
Of all the things Game of Thrones fans expected showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss to do after helming the post popular series in the world, directing a Netflix comedy special for Saturday Night Live veteran Leslie Jones probably wasn’t at the top of the lists. But that’s what happened, and the special, Time Machine, dropped last week. And yes, the marketing did involve Game of Thrones references:
On the other hand, this may not have been much of a surprise. Jones has made no secret of her Game of Thrones fandom, although during an appearance on The Tonight Show, she said she cycled through a few other options before asking Benioff and Weiss.
“I had a list of directors I wanted,” she said, a list that apparently included Steven Spielberg and J.J. Abrams, because why not go big? “Then I was like, who else could catch action, but somebody who shoots a dragon?” said Jones. “What am I? A dragon!”
The special sounds pretty fun, too. The 52-year-old Jones is frank about her experiences, and wants to use her comedy to encourage people to “embrace the wonderfulness of your individuality.”
As for Benioff and Weiss, I imagine directing the special was something of a pressure valve release after spending years on a show as demanding as Game of Thrones. That’s not to say that directing a comedy special wasn’t demanding, especially when the performer is as high-energy as Jones, but compared to conducting massive battle scenes, it’s probably relaxing.
We can also basically consider Time Machine the first project Benioff and Weiss did under their new Netflix deal. What’s next? Stay tuned.
Next. Heroic Game of Thrones extra Andrew McClay is up for a BACKY Award. dark
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