“Game of Thrones” showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss reminisce over their favorite character deaths in the renowned HBO series, providing insights into their writing and creative processes. They shared these revelations during an interview conducted whilst they were promoting their new Netflix series, “3 Body Problem”.
Enjoying the Old-Fashioned Joys of Killing the Bad Guys
The question posed was about their favourite character death across their careers. Reflecting on their time with “Game of Thrones”, Weiss said, “there was so much killing of good guys, and we finally got to really kill both Joffrey in season four and Ramsay Bolton in season six.” He justified it as a return to the simple joys of dealing with a traditional unambiguous antagonist. Weiss added, “It felt like we were balancing the scales a little.”
How the Antagonists Met their Ends
For those who may not remember, the dastardly Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) met his end by drinking poisoned wine, courtesy of Lady Olenna Tyrell and Lord Petyr Baelish. Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon), after losing a fight to Jon Snow (Kit Harington), was imprisoned in the kennels and ultimately suffered death by his own neglected hounds, all under the watchful eye of Sansa (Sophie Turner).
The Significance of Sansa’s Smile
Benioff then brought attention to the climax of the Battle of the Bastards where after Sansa sets the hounds on Ramsay, she stays to watch. He commented, “You don’t really see the death. You see some of it in the background, but you don’t really see the death. But what you do see is Sophie or Sansa’s smile.” This significant glance at Sansa’s character development was captured in one shot, filmed numerous times to get it just right. “It was just that feeling of — that’s so epic,” Benioff shared, highlighting Sophie Turner’s exceptional performance.
Wrapping Up
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’s reflections shed light on the creative decisions behind some of the most memorable moments in “Game of Thrones.” Their ingenuity not only tantalised global audiences but revolutionised the techniques and standards in the film-making industry. Dive deeper into the world of film and television making with HitPlay.
