A writer and executive producer on the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon says the show will not feature “sexual violence” against women, despite a recent showrunner saying otherwise.
Writer and executive producer Sarah Hayes said, “I want to clarify that we do not depict sexual violence on the show.” Vanity Fair, ‘We handle an example off-screen, and instead show the consequences and impact on the victim and the perpetrator’s mother.’
“I think what our show does, and what I’m proud of, is that we choose to focus on the violence against women that is rooted in a patriarchal system,” she said in a statement to the publication.
A writer and executive producer on the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon says the show will not feature ‘sexual violence’ against women, although a recent showrunner said otherwise
House of the Dragon, which will premiere on HBO Max on August 21, is based on the book Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin and tells the story of the bitter and brutal civil war known as House of Targaryen and Dance of the Dragons. The show is not historically accurate.
There are many ‘historical’ or history-based shows that romanticize powerful men in sexual/marital relationships with women who weren’t actually of the age of consent, even though they were “interested,” Sarah continued.
“We keep it onscreen, and we don’t shy away from the fact that in the first half of the show our female leads are coerced and manipulated to satisfy the will of adult men.
‘It is not necessarily done by those we define as rapists or abusers, but often by generally well-meaning men who are unable to see that what they are doing is painful. and is oppressive, because the system in which they all live normalizes it. It is less obvious than rape but equally insidious, though in a different way.’
House of the Dragon is based on the book Fire and Blood by George RR Martin and tells the story of House of Targaryen and the bitter and brutal civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.
This means that the topic of rape will be covered in the show, but not in a ‘free of charge’ way, notes Vanity Fair.
‘In general, sexual violence is difficult to portray, and I think the way we think about it as writers and creators is unique to our particular stories,’ Hayes said.
This comes after House of the Dragon showrunner and director Miguel Sapochnik discussed how sexual violence against women would be depicted in the series.
in an interview with Hollywood Reporter Last month, Sapochnik said the production “pulls back” on how much sex it reveals, yet takes a look at how sex was an incidental part of life.
This comes after House of the Dragon showrunner and director Miguel Sapochnik discussed how sexual violence against women would be depicted in the series.
The Hollywood Reporter wrote in the story, ‘Violence against women is still very much a part of the world.
Sapochnik said he approached the matter ‘carefully, thoughtfully and’ [we] Don’t shy away from it. Whatever it is, we are going to shed light on that aspect. You cannot ignore the violence done by men on women in those times. It should not be taken down or glorified.’
When the blockbuster fantasy drama Game of Thrones first aired more than a decade ago, it almost immediately became known for its violent bloodshed and frequent, unnecessary nudity.
From the very first episode of George R.R. Martin’s eight-season epic there were graphic sex scenes, stories of rape and incest, and even gruesome depictions of child murder.
House of the Dragon premieres August 21 on HBO Max
But 11 years later, times have changed—even in the fictional land of Westeros. According to Hollywood insiders, the much-anticipated prequel to the original series has woken up to House of the Dragon.
Full of nudity and risky scenes of violence were gone, which shocked and delighted audiences alike. In their place are non-binary actors, a new dynasty of powerful black characters and roles that are “sexually fluid” and “androgynous.”
In this new era set 200 years before Game of Thrones, it’s two women who battle for the show’s Iron Throne—the seat of power that controls the heterogeneous regions of Westeros.
And instead of subjecting female actresses to sexual violence, the new Post-Me Too storyline is designed to showcase the ‘power’ of women by showcasing horrific scenes of childbirth.
A Hollywood executive associated with the new series told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The original show was created before the MeToo era. Graphic sex and nudity like never before seen on television. But this new series had to take on board that we live in different times. Sex is handled very differently and there is very little to it. There is more diversity. There were only a few black characters in Game of Thrones, and one of them was chained to death.’
