As the world of Game of Thrones expanded, it was only a matter of time before Aegon’s famed Conquest was adapted in some form. Now we know it's coming as a film, which I’m sure many fans are excited about.
But at first, there are certainly reasons people might be wary of a film adaptation, since Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon have always been television shows first. How can someone fit all that lore and emotion into a single movie that runs two hours?
Well, this film has a secret weapon in director Owen Harris. Deadline confirmed that the man who took on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will direct this new film, and it will release in 2029. So why is Harris directing a great weapon?
It’s because of what he directed specifically in the world of Game of Thrones before this.
Owen Harris directed one of the best episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
With a show like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which ran for only six episodes, it can be hard to pick out distinct directing styles. Harris has a very specific kind, and the three episodes he directed were all similar in tone.
Harris directed both the pilot episode and the second episode of the season, respectively named “The Hedge Knight” and “Hard Salt Beef.” Both were widely acclaimed and helped so many people tune in to the series because they set the tone so well. However, that’s not the best episode he directed.
The best episode that we saw from Owen Harris was “In the Name of the Mother,” which centered around Dunk's trial of seven.
That’s right: Owen Harris directed the fifth episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is arguably not only the best episode of the series so far but also one of the best Game of Thrones universe episodes overall. The entire battle scene, as well as the flashbacks of Dunk’s story, were expertly crafted and featured hard-hitting moments that shocked the audience to their core, including a devastating death.
In fact, this episode was the last time I cried over an on-screen character's death, at least before I watched the season 3 finale of House of the Dragon. This episode takes me out, as it did for many others. Hearing that he’s going to direct Aegon’s Conquest feels like a goldmine of an opportunity.
Aegon’s Conquest is exactly what many people expect it to be—based on the lore from George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, the movie will follow Aegon I and his sister-wives, Visenya and Rhaenys, as they travel across Westeros and claim six of the Seven Kingdoms under one banner: the Targaryens. But with Harris at the helm, it makes me wonder about the complexity that will be brought to these characters and the way it will be shot.
Either way, it makes me curious what will happen next, and I can’t wait to see it. Beau Willimon wrote the screenplay, and he's been nominated for several awards for shows like House of Cards, Andor, and more. So yeah, I have full faith that this movie is going to be knocked out of the park.
If you’re still behind on the story of the A Song of Ice and Fire universe, you can catch up on the shows on HBO Max.
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