Game of Thrones Creator : HBO's Iron Throne "Not What I Want"

[StewShearerOld]

Game of Thrones Creator : HBO's Iron Throne "Not What I Want"

Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin doesn't think HBO's take on the Iron Throne is faithful to his book series.

As any Song of Ice and Fire purist could tell you, there are a lot of things that HBO's Game of Thrones gets wrong. Some are things that can be justified by the limits of television. There are characters from the books that never make appearances, for instance, on account of there simply not being enough time to include every person ever introduced into the literary version of Westeros. That being said, there are some changes that still nag at fans of the book and, it would seem, at the man who wrote them as well.

George R.R. Martin, author of A Song of Ice and Fire, recently posted an entry on <a href=http://grrm.livejournal.com/327569.html>his blog describing the myriad ways that the TV version of his fantasy epic messed up the <a href=http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Iron_Throne>Iron Throne, seat to the kings of Westeros. While Martin doesn't hate the HBO throne and admits that it's "iconic," he doesn't consider it a close enough match to the Iron Throne he described in his books. "It's not the Iron Throne I want my readers to see," said Martin. "The way the throne is described in the books... HUGE, hulking, black and twisted, with the steep iron stairs in front, the high seat from which the king looks DOWN on everyone in the court... my throne is a hunched beast looming over the throne room, ugly and asymmetric." The HBO versions "is none of those things."

Martin would include in his blog post a painting by artist Marc Simonetti that he feels to be an accurate portrayal of the Iron Throne as he conceived it. "Marc has come closer here to capturing the Iron Throne as I picture it than any other artist to tackle it," said Martin. "This Iron Throne is massive. Ugly. Assymetric. It's a throne made by blacksmiths hammering together half-melted, broken, twisted swords, wrenched from the hands of dead men or yielded up by defeated foes... a symbol of conquest."

Source: <a href=http://grrm.livejournal.com/327569.html>Not A Blog


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[viranimus]

But... but... If it were like the one in the painting how could anyone making profit from selling me one of my very own??!!??

http://store.hbo.com/game-of-thrones-life-size-replica-iron-throne/detail.php?p=373634

 

[DugMachine]

That's definitely more menacing than the HBO version. The way I imagined it is also closer to the artists depiction except not as tall. But it definitely gives that uncomfortable, jagged look to it. Didn't previous kings cut themselves on the chair? That's brutal

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

*Activating flame shield*

I actually like the one on the television show. It's more believable, both in size, and the likely hood of impaling a servant who trips next to the thing.

 

[J Tyran]

Didn't previous kings cut themselves on the chair? That's brutal

One was actually killed by it, or so the rumours at court suggested. Might have been a good cover story for someone that murdered him.

 

[FalloutJack]

George, get back to writing the damn book. We don't need to see you slacking off and talking to the camera while your high-grossing show is catching up to your successful book series. Just keep writing and let other people do THEIR job while you do yours.

 

[Ghonzor]

I find the more imposing, oppressive throne to be much more interesting. I've always been a fan of well done asymmetry as well.

 

[FrozenCones]

Didn't previous kings cut themselves on the chair? That's brutal

One was actually killed by it, or so the rumours at court suggested. Might have been a good cover story for someone that murdered him.

As I recall from the book, Joff cuts himself on it in front of an entire court full of people and starts crying.

 

[Zhukov]

Yeah, that is a lot cooler looking. Bit silly though. Looks kinda like something you'd expect to see in a Warhammer poster or a heavy metal album cover.

Personally I'd never really imagined it to look like... anything, really. Big chair made out of swords. Gotcha, moving on.

 

[AngelOfBlueRoses]

As much as I like George and think he's got the right to complain about things in the tv show being done differently to the book, he needs to understand that things are done differently in the tv show for a reason. For one, the producers state many times, if you listen to the commentary, in just what sorts of ways they had to really work to cut down and fit HBO's budget line.

HBO just doesn't have infinite money to throw at problems, George; they're smarter than companies like EA.

 

[Snowblindblitz]

George, get back to writing the damn book. We don't need to see you slacking off and talking to the camera while your high-grossing show is catching up to your successful book series. Just keep writing and let other people do THEIR job while you do yours.

This. This.

The show is going to overtake the book series at this rate, and if they can keep Daenery's rolling, unlike the fifth book, we might be onto something.

 

[AngelOfBlueRoses]

As much as I like George and think he's got the right to complain about things in the tv show being done differently to the book, he needs to understand that things are done differently in the tv show for a reason.

In the blog post he explains that he understand that sometimes sacrifices need to be made. He describes how his idea of the iron throne would take a set something like the size of St. Paul's cathedral, and that no studio has a set like that.

I don't see a problem with him saying "What they've got works for them, but the one I write about is more symbolic/imposing/brilliant/dark/etc."

Oh, I see plenty of problems with him blurbing words. Stop blurbing words! No one cares about your thesis paper on the silly chair, George! Get back to writing!

If I have to hire someone to stand behind him and constantly crack a whip in his direction, I will!

 

[Eleima]

It's fairly common that movie or series adaptations of novels don't quite live up to the original work, and Game of Thrones is no exception (Eragon and Wing Commander also come to mind).
The Iron Throne in the novels is massive, huge, twisted, asymmetrical and has steep steps. It's also uncomfortable, you can't lie back in it or you'll be cut to shreds. FrozenCones is correct, Joffrey does cut himself at one point in the books, and there are a few cautionary tales about previous kings cutting themselves as well (I remember one character in particular saying that Aegon had a deep gash on one of his forearms once because he got careless and tried to use the armrest).
Would be a bit of a problem if the actors sitting in the chair constantly needed to get stitched up.

 

[Rutskarn]

George, get back to writing the damn book. We don't need to see you slacking off and talking to the camera while your high-grossing show is catching up to your successful book series. Just keep writing and let other people do THEIR job while you do yours.

Imagine creating something good enough that whenever people see you doing something, anything besides creating more of it, they get angry.

 

[RaikuFA]

From what I've seen that throne in the show looks like a pile of swords. This one looks badass. Like out of a metal album.

 

[Teoes]

It's fairly common that movie or series adaptations of novels don't quite live up to the original work, and Game of Thrones is no exception (Eragon and Wing Commander also come to mind).
The Iron Throne in the novels is massive, huge, twisted, asymmetrical and has steep steps. It's also uncomfortable, you can't lie back in it or you'll be cut to shreds. FrozenCones is correct, Joffrey does cut himself at one point in the books, and there are a few cautionary tales about previous kings cutting themselves as well (I remember one character in particular saying that Aegon had a deep gash on one of his forearms once because he got careless and tried to use the armrest).
Would be a bit of a problem if the actors sitting in the chair constantly needed to get stitched up.

If the throne is that dangerous then why haven't they simply made pillows and other such things so that those using it don't end up killing themselves on it? Seems rather stupid to me.

Part of the throne's point is that it is uncomfortable and dangerous, so that kings cannot rest of their laurels - literally as well as figuratively. It's there to remind those who sit in it of what took place to have it created.

However, seeing Joff perching on it with a floofy little cushion would've been a nice touch to his character.

 

[DarkRyter]

Martin's throne does sound way more awesome.

The show throne, has a bit of a different depth to it. In being relatively small and a little awkward, it puts the events of the story in a weird perspective.

All the blood and all this drama, ultimately to decide who sits on a small, tacky chair.

 

[tlgAlaska]

His version of the throne looks awesome, but it would be almost impossible to frame any decent shots with more then one actor if they would go with that version.