ASOIAF pilot script

[snorkackcatcher]

Just in case you missed it -- via asoiaf, a script for the planned pilot of A Game of Thrones has been posted. Brief comments on it below the cut:



I'm used to the general concept of filmed versions of books making odd, seemingly pointless changes to the characters and basic story -- see the HP and LotR films for plenty of examples -- but here the script seems to stay very faithful while trimming things down to the highlights. We have the prologue and first chapter practically as is, and the same goes for the ending of the pilot (Bran discovering Jaime and Cersei and being pushed out of the window). One oddity is that Jaime is described as killing Aerys with a spear -- didn't he use his trademark golden sword?

The scriptwriter does invent a couple of scenes to summarise things best shown rather than reported in a screen version, but they fit -- there's a scene with Cersei and Pycelle at Jon Arryn's deathbed in which the phrase 'the seed is strong' is mentioned, and one with Jaime interrupting Tyrion in a brothel to tell him that the court is heading north. And a number of original dialogue phrases are kept.

Incidentally, they don't seem to have done much in terms of prudishly toning things down, which was a surprise, but impressively so -- plenty of sex and swearing here. Although they have raised the initial ages of Daenerys, Jon, and Robb -- she's 15, they're 17. That's probably a good decision, as it means the boys at least will be safely 18 by the time they get laid. I don't suppose they could as easily raise Dany's age to 17 without messing with the plot, but the Drogo/Dany wedding night scene with a thirteen-year-old bride would not play well with many people. (It's rather iffy in the book, really, even if it is an accurate reflection of Martin's historical sources.)

In short, it looks promising. If, of course, they get the go-ahead for a series, and if the final shooting script bears any resemblance to this one!

Comments

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

Oh yay! That's fantastic. I wonder how they will cast it.

I'm still only on book 2. :( Someday I'll finish the series.

[snorkackcatcher]

Oddly, I only tend to have vague pictures of characters in my head so don't bother too much about casting unless it's obviously weird. :)

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

The first time I heard about the proposed ASOIAF project, I shuddered. I just couldn't see how it could be made. But actually, I now find myself thinking that if it could be good, it could be great. Not just because I would enjoy this particular series, but in opening up the sort of books that do get filmed, and filmed properly.

[snorkackcatcher]

Yes -- it's a complex story, with aspects likely to shock. Also, it's long. I tend to have a rule-of-thumb that 100 pages = one hour of screen time if taken as-is. Which means that for many books trying to squash them down into one film loses too much. A series is a much better way to do it.

Then again, I have little expectation that it will get as far as Storm of Swords without being cancelled ...