Binge House of the Dragons: A prequel that will change the way you look at the women of Westeros

Female characters were key to the story of Game of Thrones, but the prequel House of the Dragon deliberately sheds a different light on the stories of often brutal women in a fictional medieval world. guess the

“That was a perspective that wasn’t covered in the original show,” House of the Dragon showrunner and director Miguel Sapochnik said while sitting in Los Angeles ahead of the premiere of this week’s first episode. told an insider.

“The original show had some very strong female characters, but the way they told their stories and sometimes the way they were portrayed wasn’t from their point of view, so it’s not where we are in the world. I thought it was important to change the perspective to suit.”

Sapochnik explained that sexism and inequality are major issues in today’s society, and the producers want House of the Dragon’s story to reflect that.

“Suddenly there was an awareness of the inequality that exists in the world, of gender inequality, which for some people seems like the first time,” he said.

“And it seemed right to cover that on this show. It had to be the perspective we had.”

That dichotomy is told throughout the lives of House of the Dragon’s two main characters, Princess Lenilla Targaryen and Lady Aricent Hightower.

Each role is played by two different actors as the story leaps from teenage girl to adult.

Australia’s Millie Alcock is a young Laenilla and Brit’s Emma Darcy is an older one. Similarly, Emily Carey is a young Aricent and Olivia Cooke is playing an adult character.

“We called Aricent the ‘trump lady’ and Laenira the ‘punk rock,'” Sapochnik said. “And that kind of thinking and differentiation between these two women, first girls, then women, is trying to deal with patriarchy, and is shaped out of patriarchy, and it creates conflict and drama. , and seemed full of stories we existed. It would be wrong not to tell them.”

House of the Dragon is based on George R. R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood, which tells the story of House Targaryen, specifically the succession of King Viserys (Paddy Considine) and traditionally inhabited exclusively by men. It is related to the conflict that continues as a world. Rules must fight powerful women.

“Basically what Miguel Sapochnik said very early on that brought us both into this project, and that’s also why he’s on the project, but it’s the patriarch Because it’s an investigation into dictatorship, misogyny, and power,” D’Arcy said, sitting next to Cook in an insider interview.

“And it’s a show built around two women. And it’s a show that tells the story from their perspective. And that was actually a conversation we had very early on. Miguel.” My question to was, “How do you make sure you’re staying in the eye of these two people when they’re in a world where you can’t have space?” How do you demonstrate your desire for self-actualization and self-determination when you are in a world where you don’t have the luxury of asking questions? . ”

Cook adds: And (Darcy) said, He is keenly aware of his complete lack of experience. And he really lent us to guide it. It really…that doesn’t happen. Especially with something this huge.

In House of the Dragon, Darcy explained that it’s impossible not to reflect on today’s world, especially the fight for gender equality.

“I think we are in different climates, and that affects both consciously and subconsciously how it is made and how it is received.

“I think the question of the show, and especially the one that feels really pertinent right now, is how can you convince voters if you are the woman trying to dominate? And how do we demystify the stigma that prevents women from reaching leadership positions? We are still very, very, very clearly Because we are choosing men as leaders, and I think that speaks to the current climate.”

Award-winning actor Eve Best plays Princess Reynis Bellarion, aka “The Queen Who Never Was,” because she failed to ascend the throne by her grandfather, King Jehalis, in favor of her cousin Viserys.

Her character, as an elderly politician, offers a different perspective than the younger Raenira and Aricent.

“When I first met the writers, one of the things that really got me interested was that they had me hooked at the heart of this story.” Set this realm on fire faster than you can see it.” And removing the word “iron” from that sentence was like, for most of us, an expression of my reality as a woman. For me, it’s a very interesting area to explore and a breakthrough in the current state of affairs. It feels totally relevant today. We still don’t have a female president. ”

Meanwhile, 22-year-old Alcock has addressed criticism of Game of Thrones’ portrayal of women, particularly the notoriously prolific sex scenes.

“Especially with this series, there was a lot of attention and a lot of … every sex scene that happens within the show was valid and a very long process that every actor had to go through,” she said. rice field.

“We had a close coordinator on set and a lot of other people who helped us work with all the actors who had sex scenes. I think it’s trying to create a different perspective on the first Game of Thrones and bring justice to women who weren’t served in the original.

House of the Dragon will premiere on BINGE and Foxtel on Mondays at 11am AEST. The original Game of Thrones is also on both platforms.

first published as The House of the Dragon prequel will change how fans view the women of Westeros