The Game of Thrones franchise is officially containing thanks to its brand new series on HBO. House of the Dragon has a lot to live up to as the sole spin-off show, and while some think it might be doomed to fail, it could very well success where its predecessor failed.
Emilia Clarke was a star on the original show, and she helped make it a success. Despite the vital role she played in Game of Thrones taking off, she was insulted by a CEO at the premiere of House of the Dragon.
Let's take a look and see what went down.
In 2011, HBO debuted Game of Thrones, a series based on the Song of Ice and Fire book series by George R.R. Martin. Fans of the books had high hopes for the show, but no one could have guessed that it would turn into the biggest thing on television.
Starring cornerstone performers like Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, and more, Game of Thrones was unstoppable in its prime. Try as they may, other shows consistently fell short of the benchmark that Game of Thrones said each season.
As you can imagine, the show dominated pop culture conversation. Everyone watched it, everyone loved it, and everyone had their theories on how it would all play out on the small screen.
Sadly, the final season of this show flamed out, and instead of being heralded as the greatest show in history, Game of Thrones is hardly talked about, and it serves as a cautionary tale of what happens when a powerhouse sputters out.
Due to the show's immense popularity, there were rumors of several spin-off projects, and after many years, fans are eager to see the one that actually came to life.
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House of the Dragon is the new series in the Game of Thrones franchise, and it's one that HBO is hoping will earn them some goodwill after the disastrous way that they concluded Game of Thrones.
What exactly is this show about?
According to CNBC, "House of the Dragon" tells the story of the Targaryen civil war that took place about 200 years before the events portrayed in "Game of Thrones." It is based on George R.R. Martin's novel "Fire and Blood." Unlike Martin's other books in the "Song of Ice and Fire" series, this one features an omniscient narrator who documents the histories based on collected accounts of events. In some cases, these stories contradict each other and there are multiple versions of events."
That sounds promising, but potential audiences are skeptical on the show. After all, Thrones ended so poorly. However, at the time of this writing, House of the Dragon has an 85% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes, so maybe all is not lost.
At the show's premiere, things seem to be going as planned. That is, until a higher up decided to insult Emilia Clarke for no apparent reason.
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According to Crikey, "Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany described Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke as a "short, dumpy girl" at the premiere of the long-awaited prequel series House of the Dragon, shocking attendees. Delany made the comments during a speech before the screening of the first episode of the series at the Sydney premiere at the Entertainment Quarter. The long-time Foxtel executive retold how he was late to start watching Game of Thrones."
So, what did Delany say, you ask?
"I was like, 'What's this show with the short, dumpy girl walking into the fire?'" he boldly said.
That's a serious low blow from Delany, and it was both inappropriate and unprovoked.
"It felt like he was expecting us to laugh along but people in the room were obviously shocked by it,'" one attendee said.
Eventually, a statement of apology was released following the massive online blowback that took place.
"The Foxtel Group apologies if his remarks were misunderstood and caused any offense.. The aim was to convey that for him, 'Games of Thrones' was something very different for television in 2011 and that Emilia Clarke went from relatively unknown to one of the most recognized and most-loved actors in television and film," the statement reads.
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Whatever the aim of that statement was, it completely missed the mark. Clarke has kept silent about the incident, but we cannot imagine what it was like to catch a stray like that.