In a span of 14 days, two of the biggest shows will hit the streaming platforms; Game of Thrones' much-awaited prequel, House of the Dragon will release on HBO on August 21, while Lord of the Rings: The Ring of Power will be available on Amazon Prime Video from September 2. The two shows, touted to be the most-awaited of 2022, will go head to head for the big numbers.
George R R Martin, the man behind the famous Game of Thrones series, supports both House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. However, he does hope that the Game of Thrones spin-off beats the Middle-earth show. We've got an epic fantasy showdown on our hands… though that's not quite how Martin sees it.
"I know a lot of articles, the minute the dates were announced, it's: 'Oh, the battle for fantasy supremacy. It's Rings of Power versus House of Dragon, who will win?' I don't know why they always have to do that," the author told The Independent recently.
But, that doesn't mean Martin is entirely neutral. "I hope both shows succeed. I'm competitive enough. I hope we succeed more," he said. "If they win six Emmys and I hope they do, I hope we win seven. But, nonetheless, it's good for fantasy. I love fantasy. I love science fiction."
In the same article, Martin discussed his history in Hollywood and noted that networks are often looking for pitches that “compare things to previous things that have been successful”. The author recalled how Game of Thrones was earlier pitched to the channels as The Sopranos of the Middle Earth.
He continued, “Game of Thrones was first sold by David Benioff and Dan Weiss, while I was still writing books, as I seem to be doing for the rest of my life! I was out of television for a couple of years. David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the showrunners, were the guys who took it to HBO to see if they’d buy or option them. Their pitch was: ‘The Sopranos in Middle Earth’. You have to be able to say it in a sentence!”
He also offered a brief update on the forthcoming novel The Winds of Winter. “On August 21, House of the Dragon, the sequel to Game of Thrones, will hit the airwaves on HBO,” said Martin. “Meanwhile, I’m still working on the bloody novels!”
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