More than a decade later after the Game of Throne's debut, the HBO series still sits as one of the most beloved TV shows of all time. Based on George R.R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series, Game of Thrones maintained its thrilling momentum throughout 8 seasons and approached the groundbreaking conclusion in 2019.
Following Game of Thrones' global success, it's not surprising how HBO quickly decided to greenlit a prequel spinoff titled, House of the Dragon. The spinoff is based on Martin's Fire & Blood book that centers on the Targaryen civil war set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones.
Now that the show is nearly approaching its highly-anticipated release, George R.R Martin offers a fresh update about the upcoming spinoff House of the Dragon through his official blog, called 'Not A Blog.'
"I've now watched rough cuts of nine of the ten episodes, and I continue to be impressed," Martin wrote. "I cannot speak to the SFX, many of which are not in yet, but the look of it is great, and the acting, the directing, and writing are first rate. And yes, for all you book fans, it IS my story. Sure, there are some changes from FIRE & BLOOD — we could not present three alternative versions of every major event, not and keep our sanity — but I think Ryan Condal and his writers made good choices. Even some improvements. (Heresy, I know, but being the author, I am allowed to say so)."
Martin continued, "For years, as some of you may recall, I have been saying the TV version of Shae, as portrayed by Sibel Kekilli, was a deeper, richer, and more nuanced characters than the Shae in my novels. In a similar vein, I am vastly impressed by the show's version of King Viserys, played by Paddy Considine, who gives the character a tragic majesty that my book Viserys never quite achieved. Kudos to Paddy, Ryan and his writers, and Miguel and the other directors. (There are a lot of great performances in HOUSE OF THE DRAGON — or HOT D, as I hear some are calling it. You may never have heard of some of our actors, but I think you will learn to love them, just as you did with the cast of GAME OF THRONES)."
Martin's update about the upcoming House of the Dragon certainly adds to the growing anticipation of the fans. Given the author's comment, it seems like he is confident enough that the upcoming HBO series would surpass the buzz of Game of Thrones.
Game of Thrones is available to stream on HBO Max while spinoff House of the Dragon will premiere on August 21.
Also Read: George R.R. Martin Defends Game Of Thrones, Says Red Wedding Is Better Than Star Wars
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