A new Game of Thrones film is in development and is expected to bring one of the biggest events in the history of Westeros to theaters. The Warner Bros. project will be based on the world created by author George RR Martin and his A Song of Ice and Fire books.
However, while the idea of a big fantasy spectacle with giant dragons seems tempting to fans, the story the film is expected to tell could create an interesting problem: how will the film make viewers sympathize with characters who are essentially considered “bad”?
Aegon Targaryen's conquest
The film will reportedly focus on Aegon Targaryen's invasion of Westeros, an event that took place about 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones. This invasion brought the Targaryen family — a dynasty with purple eyes and dragons — from Dragonstone to the continent of Westeros, uniting six of its seven kingdoms.
The story is typical of a great cinematic spectacle: dragons covering the sky, castles burning, and an entire continent changing its fate.
But according to Martin's books, including The World of Ice & Fire and Fire & Blood, the events unfold in a very straightforward manner: Aegon arrives with three dragons and demands that the kings of Westeros submit to him. When some of them refuse, he burns their armies and castles until they surrender.
The problem of "heroes"
This means that the Targaryens win not because they are heroes or brilliant strategists, but because they have three devastating flying weapons: the dragons Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes.
In George RR Martin's books, this dynasty is often depicted as authoritarian and obsessed with power. Therefore, in many ways, they seem more like antagonists than protagonists.
This creates a challenge for the film: modern audiences typically sympathize with characters who are “small” and fighting against a powerful system, not a dynasty that conquers continents with dragons.
How can the film resolve this?
To make the story more palatable to the public, the script could take a few different paths. One possibility is to portray Aegon as a reluctant unifier, using force only to bring peace to Westeros.
Another possibility is that some of the kings of Westeros are portrayed as brutal tyrants, making the invasion look like a "liberation."
Hollywood has also used another common solution: creating a new heroic character who doesn't exist in the original books – for example, a simple figure who helps shape the story.
A great spectacle – with an unusual ending
Despite the narrative challenges, the film has the potential to be a great visual spectacle, with some of the most spectacular moments George RR Martin ever imagined.
However, one thing is certain: the story will end in a way unusual for blockbuster films – because, after all, it is a story where the audience can be asked to cheer as the empire wins. /GazetaExpress/
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