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  • ‘3 Body Problem’ Interview: Benedict Wong and Liam Cunningham

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    Premiering on Netflix March 21st is the new series ‘3 Body Problem,’ which is based on the popular Chinese novel ‘The Three-Body Problem’ by author Liu Cixin and was created by ‘Game of Thrones’ co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo (‘True Blood’).

    The series stars Benedict Wong (‘Doctor Strange’), Jovan Adepo (‘Babylon’), Eiza González (‘Ambulance’), Jonathan Pryce (‘The Two Popes’), and Liam Cunningham (‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’).

    Benedict Wong and Liam Cunningham talk '3 Body Problem'.
    (L to R) Benedict Wong and Liam Cunningham talk ‘3 Body Problem’.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Benedict Wong and Liam Cunningham about their work on ‘3 Body Problem’, the book the series is based on, how they approached playing their characters, and shooting the game sequence.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Wong and Cunnigham, as well as Jess Hong, Jovan Adepo, John Bradley, Alex Sharp, Rosalind Chao and Zine Tseng.

    Related Article: TV Review: ‘3 Body Problem’

    Liam Cunningham as Wade, Benedict Wong as Da Shi in '3 Body Problem.'
    (L to R) Liam Cunningham as Wade, Benedict Wong as Da Shi in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Ed Miller/Netflix © 2024.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Benedict, were you familiar with the book the series is based on before you signed on for the project?

    Benedict Wong: No, I wasn’t. I met the guys on Zoom whilst I was filming ‘Doctor Strange.’ I was just immediately very suspicious, why did they need three showrunners for this project? Then delving deep into the first novel is so dense, this science and this world of the game world. I was thinking, I don’t even know how this is going to be filmed. It’s such a challenge. I just picked up the gauntlet and ran with them.

    MF: Liam, did you read the book before you started shooting?

    Liam Cunningham: No, I’m going to wait till I’m done. I generally don’t do it. Even the last project I did with David and Dan (‘Game of Thrones’), I never read those books. I didn’t want two voices in my ear. My blueprint was the scripts and that’s what I was employed to deliver. If I read the books, if I’d had trouble with any of it, I would’ve used that as a reference. But that’s when I think I might be in trouble when I must go somewhere else for information. So, I didn’t want two voices in my ear, the book voice and the script voice. So, I am going to keep that treat until we’re all done on this. Then I’ll sit down on a beach somewhere under a palm tree and I’ll dig deep into the book.

    Liam Cunningham as Wade in '3 Body Problem.'
    Liam Cunningham as Wade in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Ed Miller/Netflix © 2023.

    MF: Liam, can you talk about your preparation and approach to playing this role?

    LC: We do enormous amounts of preparation. Enormous amounts, but we prepare for the scene. Our showrunners are very good at formulating a character that is not about, he went to school here or anything like that. In fact, I had a couple of small questions, but I don’t think I ever talked about where he comes from.

    MF: Benedict, how did you prepare to play your character?

    BW: I think the world builds around you and within this center of your universe, you have everyone at your command. The calls that you make are answered and there’s so much power within that, and that builds that level of who this person is. We did get the blessing of Cixin, the author, and he knew that this was going to be inspired from the books because they were telling a global story but then it still had this Asian spine of myself, being from Manchester and Jess (Hong) being from New Zealand, and then the character of Ye Wenjie played by Zine Tseng and Rosalind Chao. But to tell much more of a global story of look, we have someone who’s Irish in command with this duo and its fascinating to watch because it’s almost like, well, how did they get there? And they have every right to get there too.

    Benedict Wong as Da Shi in '3 Body Problem.'
    Benedict Wong as Da Shi in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    MF: Finally, Liam, can you talk about shooting the game sequences?

    LC: It was very much what the guys are very good about it, but they kept it to a minimum. So, these cinematics as they call them, the room we were in was very high-tech. It wasn’t that volume that they used on ‘The Mandalorian,’ that semicircular LCD wall. It was a very particular lighting setup on an enormous level. They gave us this huge amount of room to wander about in this place. There were minimal sets. What you hang your hat on is what happens. What’s the information that’s given? You’re seeing this AI representation of whatever word the threat is. So, there was a certain amount, and you did have to use an enormous amount of your imagination and paint the pictures in your head, which can be interesting if it’s very important to the storytelling. It was a joy to do. It was quite a challenge, but a real joy.

    '3 Body Problem.'
    ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    What is the Plot of ‘3 Body Problem’?

    Ye Wenjie (Rosalind Chao) is an astrophysicist who saw her father brutally murdered during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Later, she was conscripted by the military because of her scientific background and sent to a secret radar base in a remote region. Her fateful decision at the base echoes across space and time to a group of scientists in the present day, forcing them to face humanity’s greatest threat.

    Who is in the Cast of ‘3 Body Problem’?

    • Benedict Wong as Da Shi
    • Jess Hong as Jin Cheng
    • Jovan Adepo as Saul Durand
    • Eiza González as Augustina “Auggie” Salazar
    • John Bradley as Jack Rooney
    • Alex Sharp as Will Downing
    • Rosalind Chao as adult Ye Wenjie
    • Jonathan Pryce as Mike Evans
    • Liam Cunningham as Wade
    Sea Shimooka as Sophon in '3 Body Problem.'
    Sea Shimooka as Sophon in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

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  • TV Review: ‘3 Body Problem’

    Liam Cunningham as Wade, Benedict Wong as Da Shi in '3 Body Problem.'
    (L to R) Liam Cunningham as Wade, Benedict Wong as Da Shi in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Ed Miller/Netflix © 2024.

    Launching on Netflix with all eight episodes on Thursday March 21st, ‘3 Body Problem’ represents two gigantic challenges all at once: how do the creators of the ‘Game of Thrones’ TV adaptation follow their mammoth fantasy undertaking, and how do they do it using one of the most acclaimed science fiction novel series of recent years?

    As it turns out, the answer is: with an abundance of brains and style, putting together a quality cast and fully using the resources offered by Netflix’s deep pockets to bring the novels’ story (or at least the first in the ‘Remembrance of Earth’s Past’ trilogy, which in book form is known as ‘The Three-Body Problem’) to life.

    Related Article: TV Review: ‘The Brothers Sun’

    Does ‘3 Body Problem’ solve the adaptation challenges?

    Eiza González as Auggie Salazar in '3 Body Problem.'
    Eiza González as Auggie Salazar in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    ‘3 Body Problem’ is excellent right out of the gate, even more so than ‘Thrones’. It’s audacious, detailed, emotional and sweeping, hooking you with a teasing mystery (at least for those who have not read the books) that slowly and logically unfolds.

    A hefty challenge is that a chunk of the narrative revolves around some big physics concepts, but the show smartly explains them in ways that anyone can understand. You won’t feel like you have to have ‘A Brief History of Time’ open on your lap as you watch.

    The story weaves its way towards big revelations, but never feels out of reach, grounding its concept in human behavior and satisfying character interactions –– the main group all feel like people you want to spend time with as you take this journey alongside them.

    Script and Direction

    Jess Hong as Jin Cheng in '3 Body Problem.'
    Jess Hong as Jin Cheng in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Ed Miller/Netflix © 2024.

    D. B. Weiss and David Benioff know plenty about adapting sprawling stories with big casts, but here, even more than with ‘Thrones’, they smartly choose to follow a (relatively) small group so as to keep viewers engaged.

    So while the story trips through two different time periods and focuses on a few different places across the planet (plus an advanced, immersive video game system that becomes key to the plot), you’re never left wondering who is doing what and why.

    Working alongside fellow showrunner Alexander Woo (‘True Blood’), they stay mostly faithful to the book while making necessary changes for the new medium. Thanks to certain moments, they do get to indulge in what you might expect given their previous show –– the series kicks off with some serious head trauma and there is some nudity (though not sexual) in a future episode.

    Sea Shimooka as Sophon in '3 Body Problem.'
    Sea Shimooka as Sophon in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    And with luck, they’ll avoid the pitfalls of ‘Thrones’ controversial final season, as the ‘Remembrance’ novel trilogy has an actual ending (no disrespect to George R.R. Martin there).

    The show employs ‘Thrones’ veteran director Jeremy Podeswa plus Minkie Spiro, Derek Tsang and Pixar leading light Andrew Stanton, who has been building his live-action directing career steadily with the likes of ‘Legion’ and ‘For All Mankind’, and they all contribute some fantastic visuals as well as subtle and entertaining character work.

    There are moments in this series that will have your jaw drop, though we won’t spoil anything here –– trust us, though, you’ll be sorely tempted to watch all the episodes as soon as possible.

    Performances

    Eiza González as Auggie Salazar, Jess Hong as Jin Cheng, Saamer Usmani as Raj Varma, Jovan Adepo as Saul Durand, Alex Sharp as Will Downing in '3 Body Problem.'
    (L to R) Eiza González as Auggie Salazar, Jess Hong as Jin Cheng, Saamer Usmani as Raj Varma, Jovan Adepo as Saul Durand, Alex Sharp as Will Downing in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Ed Miller/Netflix © 2024.

    Having clearly been happy with a lot of their cast on ‘Game of Thrones’, a few of key actors carry over here.

    John Bradley plays Jack Rooney, a man who has hit it rich with his snack business but is still close to his college friends. Rooney offers Bradley the opportunity to play a polar opposite of ‘Thrones’ Samwell Tarley, a cocky but still loveable sort who is one of the first start playing the mysterious game that will be a core element of the early chunk of the story.

    Liam Cunningham, meanwhile, feels more like his ‘Games’ character of Davos Seaworth, sharing the cunning brain and salty tongue of the Westeros resident, but as Thomas Wade, a man with a definite mission to protect humanity (no matter the cost), he’s authoritative and darkly funny –– suffering zero fools.

    ‘Thrones’ High Sparrow, Jonathan Pryce, meanwhile, plays a character who… Well, that would be telling.

    Benedict Wong as Da Shi in '3 Body Problem.'
    Benedict Wong as Da Shi in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    On Wade’s team is Benedict Wong’s Da Shi, and this is honestly the best role the actor has enjoyed for years. He knocks it out of the park as the world-weary but funny not-quite-cop who is investigating what is happening to scientists in the UK. While we’re big fans of Wong’s role as, well, Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he has more to do in one scene here than most of the movies he’s shown up in.

    The core of the characters is the scientist group who are friends with Rooney, who all feel like actual buddies instead of actors swapping dialogue. And they’re all very different personalities, brought to life by the likes of Eiza González, Alex Sharp, Jess Hong and Jovan Adepo.

    ‘3 Body Problem’ is a show blessed with a near note-perfect cast: everyone is worth watching here.

    Final Thoughts

    Jess Hong as Jin Cheng in '3 Body Problem.'
    Jess Hong as Jin Cheng in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    Our advice for this one is: if you’ve yet to read the books, stay away from them and avoid Wikipedia! It’s absolutely recommended to go into this one knowing as little as possible, so the surprises hit harder, and the characters feel fresh.

    Book readers are likely to be happy with the adaptation, which certainly doesn’t embarrass itself when put up against the literary source. But having seen the whole series, we’re confident in saying that this is a superior, satisfying piece of science fiction TV we can easily see ending up on Best of 2024 TV lists.

    ‘3 Body Problem’ receives 9 out of 10 stars.

    John Bradley as Jack Rooney in '3 Body Problem.'
    John Bradley as Jack Rooney in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

    What’s the story of ‘3 Body Problem’?

    ‘3 Body Problem’s story begins in 1960s China when a young woman makes a fateful decision that reverberates across space and time into the present day. When the laws of nature inexplicably unravel, a tight-knit group of brilliant scientists must join forces with an unflinching detective to stop humanity’s greatest threat.

    Who is in ‘3 Body Problem’?

    The ‘3 Body Problem’ cast includes Jovan Adepo, John Bradley, Rosalind Chao, Liam Cunningham, Eiza González, Jess Hong, Marlo Kelly, Alex Sharp, Sea Shimooka, Zine Tseng, Saamer Usmani, Benedict Wong and Jonathan Pryce.

    Vedette Lim as Vera Ye in '3 Body Problem.'
    Vedette Lim as Vera Ye in ‘3 Body Problem.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

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  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Creators May Only Write 1 Star Wars Movie: Report

    ‘Game of Thrones’ Creators May Only Write 1 Star Wars Movie: Report

    David Benioff and DB Weiss
    HBO

    For more than a year, Star Wars fans have known that Disney brought “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss on board to write and produce a new Star Wars movie series. Now, it seems, plans may have changed somewhat.

    In a new article about Benioff and Weiss’s huge new deal with Netflix, The Hollywood Reporter cites sources who indicate the duo may actually only pen one Star Wars film. Disney previously announced they’d write a movie series. The insiders claim that Benioff and Weiss will write one but not necessarily all of the films. (Moviefone has reached out to Disney for comment and will update when we hear back.)

    Disney was reportedly one of the studios that was interested in reaching an overall deal with Benioff and Weiss. In the end, though, Netflix got them to sign a five-year, $250 million deal, per THR. Whether or not that affected the existing agreement with the Mouse House remains unclear.

    In May, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that the next Star Wars movie after 2019’s “Rise of Skywalker” would come from the duo but didn’t discuss future projects.

    “The next movie that we release will be theirs,” he said of Benioff and Weiss. “And we’re not saying anything more about that.”

    Meanwhile, “The Last Jedi” director Rian Johnson is working on a new Star Wars series of his own, one that won’t be tied to the Skywalker saga. He recently spoke to Observer about the moving “beyond the legacy characters.”

    “I think that the fun and challenging part of it is to dive in, figure out what’s exciting and then figure out what it’s going to be,” Johnson said.

    He’s busy thinking about what is “the essence of Star Wars … and what that will look like moving forward.”

    Whoever ends up penning the various scripts, Disney doesn’t seem to be slowing down. The studio has three Star Wars movies on the calendar, and one will open in December every other year, starting in 2022.

    [via: THR; Observer; h/t: Collider]

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Creators David Benioff, D.B. Weiss Reach Massive Deal With Netflix

    ‘Game of Thrones’ Creators David Benioff, D.B. Weiss Reach Massive Deal With Netflix

    HBO

    It’s official: Netflix has locked down “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.

    After checking out their options, the duo have officially reached an exclusive multi-year deal with Netflix. And it’s a big one. Benioff and Weiss signed a nine-figure deal, according to Deadline‘s sources. Neither party has confirmed the numbers.

    Initially, there were several studios vying to make an overall deal with the “Game of Thrones” creators. There were reportedly six in contention at one point, but that number later dropped to three — Amazon, Disney, and Netflix — before the latter won out. Needless to say, the streamer is pretty pleased with how things turned out.

    “We are thrilled to welcome master storytellers David Benioff and Dan Weiss to Netflix,” said Ted Sarandos, the company’s chief content officer, in a statement. “They are a creative force and have delighted audiences worldwide with their epic storytelling. We can’t wait to see what their imaginations will bring to our members.”

    Meanwhile, Benioff and Weiss commented as well, first celebrating the “beautiful run” they had with HBO. They then went on to say, “Netflix has built something astounding and unprecedented, and we’re honored they invited us to join them.” With Netflix, they’ll make both films and TV series.

    Before entering the deal, Benioff and Weiss already had some big projects in the pipeline. Among them is the new Star Wars movie they’re developing for Disney, which is due out in 2022.

    [via: Deadline]

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Showrunners Out for 2019 Comic-Con Panel

    ‘Game of Thrones’ Showrunners Out for 2019 Comic-Con Panel

    Maisie Williams in Game of Thrones
    Helen Sloan/HBO

    The highly anticipated “Game of Thrones” panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 will look different than expected.

    A handful of key players have backed out of the event. HBO has updated its list of panelists, and noticeably absent are showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, actors Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont) and Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei), and director Miguel Sapochnik, as Variety reports. HBO chalked the changes up to production and schedule conflicts.

    The good news is that there are still plenty of panelists set to participate. Maisie Williams (Arya Stark), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth), Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm), John Bradley (Samwell Tarly), Conleth Hill (Varys), and Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran Stark) are all on the list. The “Game of Thrones” Twitter account promoted their presence in a tweet Wednesday.

    This will be a last hurrah of sorts. The eighth and final season of “Game of Thrones” concluded in May, so the event is bound to be bittersweet. The panel is set for Friday, July 19 at 5:30 p.m. in SDCC’s Hall H.

    For all of our San Diego Comic Con coverage, please click here!

    [via: Variety]

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Creators Revealed When They Figured out How to End the Show

    ‘Game of Thrones’ Creators Revealed When They Figured out How to End the Show

    Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams in Game of Thrones
    Helen Sloan/HBO

    The end of “Game of Thrones” has been in the works for longer than you might have realized.

    Now that the cast and producers are hyping the hit show’s eighth and final season, we’re learning a lot of interesting information. Brazil’s São Paulo Expo drew the show’s creators, David Benioff and Dan Weiss, along with stars Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) and John Bradley (Samwell Tarly). While they were there, they not only unveiled the first teaser, they offered new tidbits, including when Benioff and Weiss decided how to end the show.

    It was Williams who asked the showrunners-slash-creators the question about the end of “Game of Thrones.”

    “Out of genuine curiosity, when did you first figure out how you would end ‘Game of Thrones’?” she asked, per the show’s Twitter account.

    Their response revealed that they came up with their idea quite some time ago. In fact, the answer came between Season 3 and 4, which could have been as early as 2012 or possibly 2013.

    “Sometime after we finished the third season is when we knew,” they told Williams.

    Since Benioff and Weiss came up with their ending, they’ve brought us four more seasons. The last one, Season 8, will consist of just six episodes, but they’ll reportedly extra long ones. Fans, of course, are both sad and eager to see the conclusion unfold.

    “Game of Thrones” Season 8 premieres in April on HBO.

    [via: Game of Thrones/Twitter]

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Was Originally Going to End With 3 Movies

    HBO

    “Game of Thrones” episodes have screened in movie theaters before. But according to the show’s producers, the final season of the series — set to wrap on HBO next year — was actually envisioned to be made up entirely of feature-length films.

    In a lengthy cover story in Entertainment Weekly, “Thrones” creators Dan Weiss and David Benioff reflected on their original plans for the show’s swan song. As they explained to EW, when they first pitched the show to HBO, they already knew that the series finale would be capped with an epic battle scene, even larger and more complex than season six’s Battle of the Bastards.

    As early as season three, Weiss and Benioff began to realize that the scope for this battle — which had originally been reported to have taken 55 nights to shoot, but in reality took more than twice that number — was simply impossible to film, even with the show’s already exceedingly-high $5 million per episode budget. That led the duo to come up with the idea to make season eight six hours long, and split it into three film installments to be released in theaters, reasoning that they’d need more time and more money to pull off their grand vision than series television would allow.

    HBO ultimately passed on that plan, but promised Benioff and Weiss that they would be provided with the resources to make season eight “a summer tentpole-size spectacle.” That translated into a longer than usual shoot, and each of the final season’s episodes clocking in at a cost of more than $15 million.

    The results will certainly be worth the wait, if the first photo and plot teases from the new installments are any indication. Now, we just have to wait for winter — and 2019 — to arrive.

    “Game of Thrones” season eight will premiere on HBO sometime in early 2019.

    [via: Entertainment Weekly]

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Showrunners to Write, Produce New Star Wars Movies

    Two cultural phenomena are meeting: “Game of Thrones” and Star Wars. It’s almost too much to handle.

    Disney announced Tuesday that the hit HBO fantasy drama’s creators, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, are set to write and produce a new series of Star Wars films.

    Yes, that means yet another one is coming and the studio again is busting out the big guns. Unfortunately, Disney hasn’t offered many details on what to expect from the series, just that it’s different from the Skywalker saga and Rian Johnson’s new trilogy.

    Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy sang Benioff and Weiss’s praises in the announcement, alluding to their “Game of Thrones” success.

    “David and Dan are some of the best storytellers working today,” she said. “Their command of complex characters, depth of story and richness of mythology will break new ground and boldly push Star Wars in ways I find incredibly exciting.”

    Meanwhile, Benioff and Weiss spoke of being long-time Star Wars fans and their excitement about contributing to the franchise after they wrap up the eighth and final season of their award-winning HBO series.

    “In the summer of 1977 we traveled to a galaxy far, far away, and we’ve been dreaming of it ever since,” they said in a joint statement. “We are honored by the opportunity, a little terrified by the responsibility, and so excited to get started as soon as the final season of ‘Game of Thrones’ is complete.”

    This gives us even more reason to want “Game of Thrones” Season 8 to just get here already, but we have to settle in for a wait. The show isn’t expected to return till spring 2019, so we’ll be waiting even longer for the first film in Benioff and Weiss’s new Star Wars series.

  • HBO Boss Admits ‘Mistake’ to Reveal Controversial ‘Confederate’ Show That Way

    2017 Summer TCA Tour - Day 2HBO is standing behind “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, but the network president wishes they had handled the announcement better. Sensitive material should be handled with more sensitivity, HBO boss Casey Bloys said.

    Bloys spoke about the “Confederate” backlash during the Television Critics Association press tour. He said they knew there would be some backlash, and still hopes people will judge the show by the material itself, but he wishes HBO hadn’t just dropped a press release on the subject with no context.

    “Confederate” is meant to take place before the Third American Civil War in a nation where slavery still exists and has become a modern institution. Critics weren’t happy at the idea of seeing still more slavery images, and feeding white supremacist fantasies. Many also pointed out that GoT showrunners Benioff and Weiss are white men, currently running a show that features mostly white characters. However, the other two writer-producers who make up the four-person team are African-American wife-and-husband Nichelle Tramble Spellman and Malcolm Spellman68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - ShowHere’s what Bloys told reporters in response to the backlash:

    “File this under hindsight is 20/20. If I could do it over again, HBO’s mistake — not the producers’ — was the idea that we would be able to announce an idea that is so sensitive that requires such care and thought on the part of the producers in a press release was misguided on our part. [We] had the benefit of sitting with these four producers, we heard why they wanted to do the show, what they were excited about, and why it was important to them, so we had that context, but I completely understand that somebody reading the press release would not have that at all. If I had to do it over again, I would’ve rolled it out with the producers on the record so people understood where they were coming from.

    The bet for us is on our talent — on Nichelle, Malcolm, Dan, and David; they’re going to be the difference. My hope is that people will judge the actual material as opposed to what it could be, should be, or might be, and they — and we — will rise or fall based on the quality of that material. … These four writers are at the top of their game; they can do whatever they want. This is what they’re passionate about, so I’m going to bet on that.”

    Bloys added that Malcolm Spellman “said it best in one of his interviews: ‘This is weapons-grade material we’re dealing with.’ Everybody understands that there’s a high degree of difficulty with getting this right. But the thing that excites them that excited us is if you can get it right, there’s a real opportunity to advance the race discussion in America.”

    Bloys also said the critical response was actually “invaluable” to the team as they go back to write on the project.

    “People still may not like the show or may not like the idea for it, but they could at least hear from the producers why they’re trying to do it. All we can do is ask that people judge the final product of these artists and not what it could be or might be.”

    The initial press release from HBO said production on “Confederate” will begin following the final season of “Game of Thrones.” GoT Season 7 is currently airing its seven episodes, with Episode 3 this Sunday, and the final Season 8 has six episodes to come.

    [via: EW]

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  • ‘Confederate’ Producers Call Backlash to Series About Slavery ‘Premature’

    LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 18: Writer/producers David Benioff (L) and D.B. Weiss accept Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for 'Game of Thrones' episode 'Battle of the Bastards' onstage during the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 18, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)The reaction to the announcement from two “Game of Thrones” producers that their next series will be about an alternate reality where slavery never ended was met with swift and overwhelming disapproval on Twitter, with fans suggesting the revival of just-canceled historic WGN series “Underground” instead.

    David Benioff and D.B. Weiss defended the show to Empire”) — will be co-producing as well as writing the show with them. The foursome talked to Vulture about the project and why they wanted to do it.

    Benioff said he’s always been fascinated with the Civil War and the “what if’s” if the war had gone a different way, but added he’ll be approaching the “real” and “raw” material in “Confederate” in a very different way from “Game of Thrones.”

    Weiss explained, “It goes without saying slavery is the worst thing that ever happened in American history. It’s our original sin as a nation. And history doesn’t disappear. That sin is still with us in many ways… It’s an ugly and a painful history, but we all think this is a reason to talk about it, not a reason to run from it. And this feels like a potentially valuable way to talk about it.”

    Malcolm Spellman anticipated the backlash, saying, “You’re dealing with weapons-grade material here.”

    Tramble Spellman said she does understand the negative reaction by from the black community: “I do understand their concern,” but adds she wishes they had waited until after the show actually airs.

    Spellman concluded with: “What people need to recognize is, and it makes me really want to get into the show: The shit is alive and real today. I think people have got to stop pretending that slavery was something that happened and went away… [this is] a story that allows us to now dramatize it in a more tangible matter.”

    Whether this changes people’s minds about the controversial premise remains to be seen, but some people are keeping a “wait and see” attitude.

    Then again, both Spellmans deleted their accounts on Twitter the day after the announcement: