Game of Thrones movie needs to learn from House of the Dragon – not rely on the original
Game of Thrones fatigue is real – here's how to prevent it.
If your first reaction to hearing that there's a Game of Thrones movie in the works at Warner Bros is one of indifference or even fatigue rather than excitement, you're not alone.
Over the past few years, since Game of Thrones ended not with a bang but with a whimper, there have been many attempts to replicate the success of its earlier seasons. After all, it was a phenomenon that all but ushered us into a new age of cinematic and richly built television. Why wouldn't we want more of that?
Well, for one, Game of Thrones had its time - and plenty of it. After eight seasons, the last of which was almost universally panned, audiences don't just want to watch the same stories play out again, something that's been proven by the failure of the Jon Snow spin-off, which has been indefinitely shelved.
As actor Kit Harington admitted, Jon's story has been told and there's not a good enough one to continue with. Unfortunately, that's not the only failed GOT spin-off of recent years and it won't be the last.
But, of course, that certainly doesn't mean Westeros should be put to bed. George RR Martin is one of the greatest masters of fantasy world-building that we've ever known, offering up a rich universe that's ripe for new stories to be told – and that's the key: new stories.
It's not an exaggeration to say that House of the Dragon is one of the greatest spin-off success stories of all time. Arguably of a better quality than the original show, it beautifully allowed audiences to fall in love with Westeros once again and perhaps even saved Game of Thrones's legacy after that final season palaver.
Crucially, it doesn't retell the same stories. In many ways, it doesn't even feel that much like Game of Thrones (dragons and blonde Targaryen wigs aside!). It has a different tone, a different cast of actors and characters, a different time period and setting. Most of all, it can be enjoyed on its own, outside of Game of Thrones and it has its own identity. Yes, it shares the wonderful world of Westeros and there are inevitable similarities and ties to the original show, but it stands on its own as a quality piece of television.
It sounds simple, but most of all that's the lesson the new film needs to take from House of the Dragon in order to succeed (or even to survive the production process, which is more than some of the other spin-offs have done). It doesn't have to – and in fact, shouldn't – rely on the successes of Game of Thrones.
For one, it's a completely different medium. TV series often can't be directly translated to films without feeling like there's something missing, or that something's a bit wrong. Something that was so great about Game of Thrones was the slow building of the world and the characters – the film just can't do this in such a short amount of time (although it does have the luxury of relying on the fact that we already have an understanding of this world).
It could be argued that what went wrong with Bloodmoon, the failed spin-off starring Naomi Watts, was that it was too different to Game of Thrones. In fact, former WarnerMedia chairman Bob Greenblatt previously claimed that one of the reasons he and HBO boss Casey Bloys didn't like the pilot episode was because it didn't "deliver on the premise of the original series" (as per EW).
But that doesn't necessarily mean new projects need to stick too closely to Game of Thrones in terms of character, plot, or tone. To me, the pull of Game of Thrones lies more in the storytelling, the quality, the rich world of Westeros, and the incredible visuals – all of which can be translated and paid homage to in a movie. But, at the same time, it needs to stand on its own in the way House of the Dragon has.
The film doesn't yet have a writer, director or cast attached, but whoever takes on this job have a big task ahead of them. It's not an impossible mission though – what they can do is first and foremost come up with a great story that just happens to be set in Westeros. It might need to be stripped back and it might need to be simpler than some of the stories so far told in the Game of Thrones universe.
Take a risk, tell a new story, and don't overcomplicate it, and you might just come up with a Game of Thrones movie that will actually work.
Having said of all this, I do have one personal caveat, though – don't ditch the dragons.
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House of the Dragon is available to watch on Sky.
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Authors
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
