With the “House of The Dragon” airing this weekend, HBO will be aiming for a little bit of redemption considering the poor reception to the final season of “Game of Thrones” and its finale. The latest series, “House of Dragon,” takes inspiration directly from George R.R. Martin’s book “Fire & Blood,” covering the legacy of The Targaryen family history, and the writer had much more input on the spin-off than he ever did with the flagship show.
Martin recently spoke with The Wall Street Journal detailing his creative input on “Game of Thrones” and how he’s now retained more creative control on “House of Dragon,” the second spinoff attempt by HBO. He had participated in the original show’s casting choices, advised on plot arcs, and wrote a handful of episodes. However, Martin’s input decreased as the show’s writers went beyond the material in his novels.
READ MORE: ‘Game Of Thrones’ Creator George R.R. Martin Confirms Kit Harington’s Jon Snow Sequel Series & Its Title: ‘Snow’
“I had no contribution to the later seasons except, you know, inventing the world, the story, and all the characters,” Martin said. “I believe I have more influence now than I did on the original show.” HBO had urged the showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, to continue the blockbuster series but eventually agreed to finish with eight seasons. Martin fought the producers’ decision, wanting more seasons beyond that. “I was saying it needs to be 10 seasons at least and maybe 12, 13. I lost that one.”
When it came to “House of The Dragon,” Martin handpicked Ryan Condal to write and executive produce the spinoff, a writer who had befriended him years ago and always remained loyal to his works. Director Miguel Sapochnik vowed not to return to the ‘Thrones’ franchise after the punishing demands of the job took a toll on his personal life and health (giving him a sleep disorder). However, Martin helped change the director’s mind over lunch at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, which Condal also attended.
One spinoff concept from screenwriter Jane Goldman (“Kiss-Ass,” “Stardust“) would have focused on the origins of the White Walkers, and the pilot episode of “The Long Night/Bloodmoon” starring Aussie actress Naomi Watts (“King Kong“) cost HBO a hefty $30 million to shoot but was ultimately shelved. While Martin supported the project, he “had some concerns” given the setting was an ancient era only briefly described in the author’s previous writings, and it is worth mentioning it didn’t have the same volume of source material to draw from as other spinoffs in various stages.
Martin is still optimistic we’ll have multiple projects set in his mature fantasy universe, comparing it to Marvel and Stars Wars franchises as the model, “How many shows will make it to air? I don’t know, but I hope the answer will be several, and we’ll have something akin to the Marvel or Star Wars model by the time it’s all settled.”
We’ll have to see if things like Kit Harington’s “Snow” or “Tales of Dunk & Egg” will get as far as “House of The Dragon,” but there are still several series in development right now.
Game Of ThronesGeorge R.R. MartinHouse of the Dragon