New Game of Thrones prequel will be “much cheaper,” and thank goodness

As a seasoned viewer and critic of the fantasy genre, I’ve seen my fair share of dragons, battles, and political intrigue. From the grandeur of Westeros to the mystique of Middle-earth, I’ve traversed countless realms on the small screen. Yet, in all this journey, it’s the subtle tales that often leave the deepest impressions.

The popularity of Game of Thrones expanded significantly over time. Initially, the first season on HBO had a budget ranging from $50-$60 million per season, making each episode cost approximately $5-$6 million. In the subsequent season, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss decided to economize slightly on each episode in order to stage “Blackwater,” which was the series’ first major battle scene. This episode ended up costing them $8 million, a substantial investment at that time.

As “Game of Thrones” reached its peak as a cultural sensation, HBO was investing approximately $11 million on episodes such as “Battle of the Bastards,” an expensive production that still boasts one of the most breathtaking medieval battles ever filmed for television. By the time season 8 rolled around, with the series enjoying unprecedented popularity and cast salaries soaring along with frequent dragon appearances and combat sequences, the budget had swelled to roughly $15 million per episode.

At that time, “Game of Thrones” had become the most significant television program, making it worthwhile to invest such a large sum of money. However, subsequent series followed its lead. For instance, the second season of the prequel series “House of the Dragon” is estimated to cost approximately $20 million per episode, and the expenses for Amazon’s “Lord of the Rings” show, titled “The Rings of Power,” are unimaginable. It’s not only fantasy shows with hefty budgets; even a series like “Severance,” which revolves around office workers, required $20 million per episode to produce. Similarly, “Secret Invasion,” a Marvel series that received criticism from both fans and critics, is said to have cost roughly $35 million per episode.

As a devoted fan, it’s no surprise to me that Hollywood is grappling with escalating production costs, especially considering the prolonged gaps between new seasons of some shows – two years or more! It seems the studios are investing heavily in unproven series, releasing episodes at such infrequent intervals that fans might just forget about them by the time the next season rolls around. Can this sustainable? I wonder…

This discussion leads us to an upcoming Game of Thrones prequel titled “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” scheduled for release next year. It’s adapted from the “Dunk & Egg” novellas penned by George R.R. Martin, the mastermind behind “A Song of Ice and Fire.” Martin recently paid a visit to the set, expressing only positive remarks, which is an encouraging sign for the series. I found his comments about the production’s grandeur particularly intriguing.

KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS is a smaller show than either GAME OF THRONES or HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, with a MUCH smaller budget, but I really want it to be great. Ninety per cent of the story is set in a field, surrounded by tents, we would not need the huge sets the other shows had featured, but it couldn’t look fake or cheap either, and the costumes and the heraldry and the fights all had to be splendid, and…I was so so happy when I got there, and saw what Ira and his team had built.

Unlike shows like “Game of Thrones” or “House of the Dragon,” which showcase large casts of noble characters engaged in wars across continents, frequently on dragonback, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” focuses on a knight named Dunk and his squire Egg. Since dragons are absent during this time in Westeros’ history, they won’t be making an appearance. The initial season is adapted from George R.R. Martin’s novella “The Hedge Knight,” which primarily takes place at a single location: a tournament in Ashford, within the Reach. Although there are aristocratic characters present, we’ll get a closer look at the lives of the common people, spending much more time with them rather than the nobility.

In simpler terms, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” stands out among other popular fantasy and sci-fi series due to its intimate, humorous, and less pompous style. This could be quite refreshing after watching so many shows that seem to have grown excessively grand. For example, did you find the season 2 finale of “House of the Dragon” underwhelming? It’s said that the showrunners had more planned, but the season was shortened due to budget constraints. If production studios can’t afford to provide spectacular, expensive action from the start, they should think creatively and build towards an expensive climax instead. “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” could be a step towards this approach.

As of now, we haven’t set a specific launch date for “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” just yet. However, we do anticipate its release to happen sometime next year, with our fingers crossed that it comes out sooner rather than later.

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2024-10-22 17:41