George RR Martin calls out House Of The Dragon ‘toxic’ plot changes

Published

2 weeks ago

September 5, 2024

admin

Author George RR Martin has criticised the second series of House Of The Dragon, saying he “argued against” a plot change because it now creates a “butterfly effect” for future episodes.

The writer, who is co-creator and an executive producer on the show, warned in a since-deleted blog post “there are larger and more toxic butterflies to come”.

Martin had previously said he would share “everything that’s gone wrong” with the adaptation of HBO’s House Of The Dragon, which is partly based on his book Fire & Blood and is the prequel to the hit series, Game Of Thrones.

In the lengthy blog post, he described a disagreement about removing a character, Prince Maelor, from the plot – insisting it has larger repercussions for series three and four.

He said: “The prince’s birth was no longer just going to be pushed back to series three. He was never going to be born at all. The younger son of Aegon and Helaena would never appear.”

Martin said there were practical reasons against casting another child, including the cost.

But he said showrunner Ryan Condal previously “assured me that we were not losing Prince Maelor, simply postponing him” after the author had initially “argued against” dropping the character from the second series.

In a statement reported by showbiz news website Deadline, HBO defended Mr Condal: “Commonly, when adapting a book for the screen, with its own format and limitations, the showrunner ultimately is required to make difficult choices about the characters and stories the audience will follow.

“We believe that Ryan Condal and his team have done an extraordinary job and the millions of fans the series has amassed over the first two series will continue to enjoy it.”

Martin went on to compare the HBO series with Fire & Blood, which the show is based on.

He said his book features Aegon and Helaena Targaryen – played by Tom Glynn-Carney and Phia Saban, respectively – who have twins Jaehaera and Jaehaerys along with a younger son, Maelor.

But he said in the show the couple only have the twins.

He said: “Maelor is a two-year-old toddler in Fire & Blood, but like our butterfly he has an impact on the story all out of proportion to his size.”

He argued the changes “may make sense in terms of budgets and shooting schedules. But simpler is not better”.

On a recent episode of HBO’s official House Of The Dragon podcast, Mr Condal explained “we had to make some compromises in rendering the story” when it came to eliminating the Maelor character.

“It did have a ripple effect, and we decided that we were going to lean into it and try to make it a strength, instead of playing it as a weakness.”

Meanwhile, George RR Martin’s blog post also described how the original story in his book progresses [we are avoiding any spoilers], speculates on the show’s character and plot development, and finally ends on a cryptic note.

“There are larger and more toxic butterflies to come, if HOUSE OF THE DRAGON goes ahead with some of the changes being contemplated for series three and four,” he said.

Entertainment

Baby Reindeer stars among big winners at Emmys – as Shogun makes history

Published

23 mins ago

September 16, 2024

admin

Baby Reindeer stars among big winners at Emmys - as Shogun makes history

Hit British series Baby Reindeer was among the big winners at this year’s Emmy Awards – as Shogun made history and there were also big wins for The Bear and Hacks.

Richard Gadd, who created and starred in the popular but controversial drama Baby Reindeer, collected awards for writing and starring in the limited series category, while co-star Jessica Gunning was named best supporting actress.

Japanese historical drama Shogun became the first non-English language show to be named best drama, and also set a record for the most single-season Emmy wins – taking home four prizes on the night to make it 18 in total, following previous gongs at the creative arts event handed out earlier this month.

The Bear picked up four awards in the comedy categories, including wins for stars Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Liza Colon-Zayas, while Hacks took the overall win for best comedy series.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Debicki also won her first Emmy for her portrayal of Diana, Princess of Wales, in fictionalised royal drama The Crown.

On stage, Gadd, 35, said it was “stuff of dreams” as he accepted awards for outstanding limited or anthology series, best writing, and lead actor for Baby Reindeer, which is said to be inspired by his real-life experiences.

In pictures: Red carpet style at the Emmys

The show sees his character Donny Dunn stalked by a woman called Martha. After becoming a viral hit earlier this year, the programme made international headlines after a woman claiming to be the inspiration behind Martha filed a lawsuit against Netflix, alleging the story is inaccurate.

In his acceptance speech for the writing award, Gadd said: “Ten years ago, I was down and out. I never ever thought I’d get my life together… then here I am, just over a decade later, picking up one of the biggest writing awards in television.

“I don’t mean that to sound arrogant. I mean it as encouragement for anyone who’s going through a difficult time right now to persevere… if you’re struggling, keep going – keep going and I promise you things will be okay.”

Accepting her supporting actress prize, Gunning said she was “incredibly proud” to be part of the show. “Thank you for trusting me to be your Martha,” she said to Gadd. “I will never, ever forget her or you or this.”

This year’s Emmys ceremony, held at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, was also a huge success for Shogun. The show launched in February and is based on James Clavell’s best-selling novel, set during the 1600s.

Stars Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai became the first Japanese actors to win Emmys in the dramatic acting categories.

Sanada, who received a standing ovation, told the audience he was “beyond honoured”, and added: “Shogun taught me that when people work together, we can make miracles. We can create a better future together.”

A tearful Sawai, a first-time nominee, said: “I was crying before my name was announced. I’m a mess today. This to all the women who expect nothing and continue to be an example for everyone.”

Baby Reindeer and Shogun were not the only shows to receive multiple prizes, with hit series The Bear also a big winner.

In their opening monologue, father-son hosting duo Eugene and Dan Levy joked that the show, which depicts the stresses of life working in a professional kitchen and stars Jeremy Allen White as a chef running the family business after the death of his brother – would be better off categorised as a drama.

Allen White described himself as “so, so, so lucky” after picking up the Emmy for lead actor in a comedy series for his role as Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto.

“This show has changed my life, it has instilled a faith that change is possible, that change is possible if you are able to reach out, you are really truly not actually alone,” he said in his acceptance speech.

His co-stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Liza Colon-Zayas also picked up the awards for best supporting actor and actress in a comedy.

This is the second Emmys ceremony this year, after the September 2023 event was postponed to January 2024 due to the US writers’ and actors’ strikes.

The Bear was also among the big winners then, along with Succession and Beef.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Entertainment

Emmys red carpet fashion 2024: All the best looks from the stars and nominees

Published

23 mins ago

September 16, 2024

admin

Emmys red carpet fashion 2024: All the best looks from the stars and nominees

Nominees and celebrity guests hit the red carpet in style ahead of this year’s Emmy Awards.

British shows The Crown, with 18 nominations, and Baby Reindeer, with 11, were among this year’s biggest contenders, rubbing shoulders with The Bear, Shogun, Only Murders In The Building, and True Detective: Night Country.

This is the second Emmy Awards ceremony of the year, after the 2023 event was delayed to January because of the Hollywood writers’ strike.

Here are some of the looks from the red carpet.