HBO’s Game of Thrones debuted in April 2011 after showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss had attempted to develop a series based on George R. R. Martin’s novels for years. However, the unaired version of the pilot was significantly different compared to the episode that actually kicked off the series and several individuals involved in the production recently shed light on the original cut.
Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss’ efforts to adapt Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series of novels eventually led to HBO ordering a television pilot in November 2008. Production on the pilot began the following year, but HBO executives were not impressed when the episode was presented to them, demanding reshoots with significant changes, and that certain roles be recast. In the book titled Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon: Game of Thrones and the Untold Story of the Epic Series, which chronicles the behind-the-scenes history of the series, many of the actors confessed that they did not get the sense that the show was working even as they were filming the original pilot.
“Nobody knew what they were doing or what the hell this was,” said Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who portrayed Jaime Lannister for all eight seasons of the series. “During King Robert’s arrival, I remember finding the whole thing ridiculous. The absurdity of doing this parallel universe with these very noblemen. It’s a very fine balance between being serious and believing it and just being cosplayers. There was certainly not a sense that this was going to be some game-changer for anyone. But we had a lot of fun.” Lena Heady, who portrayed Cersei Lannister for the entire series run, noted that her outfits and hairstyle were more vibrant than they would be in the final version of the pilot, saying, “I looked like a Vegas showgirl in the [original] pilot — furs and massive hair, like a medieval Dolly Parton. Not that I’m complaining, I loved it. My hair devolved.”
According to Martin, one of the most notable changes was made to the wedding between Khal Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen before actress Tamzin Merchant had been replaced by Emilia Clarke in the latter role. The unaired version of the marriage consummation was more faithful to the novel, where Daenerys is seduced rather than raped, as is the case in the final version of the pilot. However, the sequence had to be reshot due to an on-set incident involving one of the horses. “It was a colt. And it was getting visibly excited by watching these two humans. There’s this horse in the background with this enormous horse schlong. So that didn’t go well either,” Martin explained.
Martin also revealed that Benioff and Weiss initially proposed writing out Rickon Stark before he convinced them to abandon that plan. “The biggest thing was Dan and David called me up and had the idea of eliminating Rickon, the youngest of the Stark children, because he didn’t do much in the first book. I said I had important plans for him, so they kept him,” Martin explained.
While Game of Thrones was heralded in its early days, the quality of the series decreased over the years in the eyes of many. So, it may not come as much of a surprise to hear that Benioff and Weiss had to take a second shot at the pilot when so many fans are wishing the same could happen for the entire final season.
Game of Thrones is now available on HBO Max.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
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