The Maesters, if you will, of the Game of Thrones adaptation series by HBO, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, discuss their show at length in a new interview. Why did Emilia Clarke not get nominated for an Emmy? Who’s their favourite new cast members? And just what are they going to do about the tome that is A Storm of Swords?
In the Daily Beast interview, the creators express their gratitude that they’ve been nominated for Emmys, but share the interviewer’s frustration that Emilia Clarke’s performance as Daenerys did not warrant a nod. Weiss reasons that:
In my unbiased opinion, she deserved a nomination. But there will be many other nominations and awards in her future. As to why she didn’t get it this year … some of her most powerful work was in the last two episodes. Maybe those hit too late? I don’t know.
They also talk about how different the second season will be, and Benioff admits that they’re facing “increased difficulty,” with “more characters, more locations, more dragons.”
Moving on to the new cast members, the two writers share the enthusiasm for the actors they’ve found, claiming that in several cases the audition was followed by a mutual “he/she’s the one” revelation. Of Hannah Murray as Gilly, Benioff says:
Hannah brings a wonderfully damaged quality to Gilly—the character is a bit like one of those girls who is kidnapped and abused for years, and brainwashed by her captor into thinking he’s a prophet and a righteous man. Hannah understands that intuitively; her Gilly is also lovable and fetching and sympathetic.
And speaking about Carice van Houten, who was cast as Lady Melisandre, Weiss jokes that had they not found this actress, we might’ve just had to put Lena [Headey, who plays Cersei] in a red wig,” because, as Benioff explains, it’s “a tricky role.” He goes on to describe that:
Very few actresses have all the attributes required. Drop-dead gorgeous? Check. Charismatic and fiercely intelligent? Check. Able to convey a sinister, menacing presence without going over-the-top villainess? Check. In Carice’s hands, Mel is like Lady Macbeth and the three witches rolled into one.
They also talk about Gemma Whelan as Yara (Asha) Greyjoy, gushing about her chemistry with Alfie Allen’s Theon, and Gwendoline Christie, whose Brienne “perfectly embodies the kind of wounded strength the character requires.”
It sounds like they’ve found a cast that perfectly suits their vision!
Finally, the writers are asked about the third novel, A Storm of Swords, which Weiss calls a “very long, dense book.” Benioff goes on to reveal their tentative plans for the adaptation:
A Storm of Swords will not be a single season. Beyond that, we’d rather not speculate, as HBO has not yet confirmed a third season and we’re not in the mood to jinx anything.
We don’t want to jinx it either! But with all that material, it might be good to see the story fleshed out over more than 10 episodes. Although we do have to worry about the aging child actors, who play such key roles in the story.
The full interview also covers the writers treading the line between too much nudity and too little, and they tease the second season – notably, Hodor’s big monologue… “Shakespeare, watch your back!” Benioff jokes. It’s all available here at The Daily Beast!