Recommendations of the Editorial team
With his fantasy epic “A Song of Ice and Fire” (originally: “A Song of Ice and Fire”), George RR Martin became an internationally acclaimed bestselling author. The books form the basis of the no less successful series “Game Of Thrones”, whose beginnings the writer himself also took part in.
In the soon to be published book “Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon” James Hibberd quotes some of George RR Martin’s statements, who looks back on his success story and takes stock. In this context, the novelist praises many elements of the epic adaptation, but is also occasionally critical. Among other things, he tells us which scene he liked least in the HBO series. And the answer might surprise many.
6 million dollars was not enough to allow the king to hunt adequately
In fact, the series sparked one or two controversies. Many viewers criticized the extensive torture scenes, depictions of rape and/or the lengthy battle sequences. However, the writer puts his finger on a completely different sore point.
George RR Martin reveals that his unloved scene came in the show’s first season, when production was struggling on a comparatively “tight” budget. The $6 million available per episode wasn’t exactly measly in 2011. Apparently there wasn’t enough money to stage some of the fantastic elements from the books according to Martin’s ideas.
This led to the small “scandal” that King Robert unfortunately could not go hunting properly. Because that’s what bothers Martin the most. “Where we really failed budget-wise was my least favorite scene in the entire show, in all eight seasons: King Robert Baratheon goes hunting,” the writer opens. He recalls the scene: “Four boys are running through the woods on foot with spears, and Robert is giving Renly hell.” However, Martin originally had a completely different scenario in mind. “In the books, Robert goes hunting and we find out he was gored by a wild boar. They bring him back and he dies.”
The king has to trudge through the forest on foot
However, a real hunting scene could not be realized in the series. Because it would have had to look completely different, as Martin emphasized: “I knew what a royal hunting party looked like. There would have been a hundred people. There would have been pavilions, there would have been hunters, there would have been dogs. Horns would have had to be blown – that’s how a king goes hunting!”
That would certainly have been a far more impressive scenario – and far more majestic. If only there had been more money…
“He wouldn’t have just walked through the woods with three of his friends, spears in hand, hoping to meet a wild boar,” Martin lamented. “But at that point we couldn’t afford horses, dogs, or pavilions.”
It’s easy to imagine that the fantasy author is far more bothered by this depiction than the audience. Many probably wouldn’t have chosen this sequence as the worst scene in the entire series. However, given the writer’s love of medieval history and its appropriate depiction, his choice is entirely understandable.
To watch and judge: This is what this scene is about