Summary
- George R.R. Martin feels excited when his works are adapted accurately to screen, likening them to his “fictional children.”
- Martin noted that adaptations can sometimes make significant changes which may not align with his original work but can improve it.
- The portrayal of Paddy Considine as Viserys Targaryen in House of the Dragon was an example of an adaptation that surpassed his written character.
George R.R. Martin shared how he felt when he saw the results of his books being adapted into TV or movies. The Game of Thrones author admitted that there are good and bad sides.
Martin is an American novelist, short-story writer and TV producer. He is best known for his epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, which was adapted into HBO’s hit Game of Thrones from 2011 to 2019. He also published the book Fire & Blood in 2018, which tells the history of the House of Targaryen. Although written years after Game of Thrones, it is the story behind the prequel series House of the Dragon. Since several of Martin’s works have been adapted, he was asked how he felt when he saw the stories he had written on TV or the big screen.
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Martin sat down for an interview with Collider while promoting the movie In the Lost Lands from his short story of the same title. The feature film stars Milla Jovovich and is directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. The three talked about the movie when the interviewer asked Martin about the positive and negative sides of his works being adapted. Martin likened the stories he wrote to kids since he had no children. According to him, authors have two choices when they sell their works for adaptations: they can get involved in the production or settle themselves that somebody else is making a movie from their work. And if the adaptation was as great as how they wrote it, Martin admitted it felt great. He said:
If you sell your book for a movie and maybe you’re involved with the movie, maybe you’re not. Maybe you don’t see any until opening day. But when you see it on opening day, if it’s good in the way that you wrote it, it’s like your dreams have come alive. These fictional children are on the screen. I can’t describe how great a feeling that is, how exciting it is.
The popular author also acknowledged that their work could change when adapted, whether good or bad. He knew some authors who walked out at the premiere of movies inspired by their books. However, in his case, there was a particular instance when the scriptwriter made “substantial changes” to a character different from the book, but he ended up loving it. GRRM felt that the changes shown in the adaptation were better than his original work. The scribe even believed that the actor portraying the character deserved an award. Martin was referring to Paddy Considine’s Viserys Targaryen in House of the Dragon. He said:
The character of Viserys Targaryen is very minor in my book and not but they got Paddy Considine to play him. And he was robbed, he should have won an Emmy. It was really amazing. Amazing. And his character… his Viserys is so much better than my Viserys. It made me want to go back and rewrite the book, but I didn’t. But that can happen too. So this is really a profession for gamblers. Wouldn’t you say? You never know how it’s gonna turn out.
Martin is one of the most established authors today, and many of his works have been adapted for TV and movies. He was on point with the pros and cons when their works were being adapted. Martin was also right that there were notable changes in Viserys from the book and show. In Martin’s Fire & Book, he was portrayed as a weak leader who died peacefully in his sleep, but some suspected that he was poisoned. Although he was a fair ruler, he was deemed a weak leader because of his kindness, preferring peace to ruling decisively. In House of the Dragon, Considine portrayed him as more sympathetic but tragic, adding a layer to the character. For instance, his final dinner scene was poignant and heartbreaking because it showed how much he wanted his family to stick together. The show gave him a devastating illness and a tragic ending, unlike in the book. Additionally, he was a clear protagonist in House of the Dragon Season 1 and not a historical figure as portrayed in the book.
House of the Dragon currently streams on Max.
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Source: Collider