Game of Thrones is undoubtedly one of the biggest shows in the history of television and its influence can be seen even now in various mediums. Naturally, the show is still a topic of discussion, more than four years after its conclusion.
Game of Thrones‘ success lay in the fact that it created a compelling narrative, coupled with excellent world-building, that gave fans something to look forward to for over eight years. Unfortunately, the series ended in the worst way possible, as season 8’s final episode is regarded as one of the worst endings to a show ever – effectively killing the series’ hype.
The MonsterVerse Saga Remains One Of The Most Compelling Forms Of Storytelling In Any Medium
The concept of monsters fighting other monsters has been around since the very first Godzilla film back in the 50s. The concept took off and became a major franchise, spanning decades across various mediums.
It was eventually adopted into its own series in the West, known as the MonsterVerse. The arc began with 2014’s Godzilla and includes other films such as Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Godzilla vs. Kong. The saga continues with the ongoing series titled Monarch: Legacy of Monsters – with Matt Shakman as Executive Producer, who has also previously worked on Game of Thrones.
Matt Shakman Took Inspiration From His Game Of Thrones Work For Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
Matt Shakman made a name for himself after directing WandaVision, which was Marvel Studios’ first foray into a TV series. Prior to that, he previously worked on a couple of episodes of Game Of Thrones season 7, where he definitely learned a lot.
While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Matt Shakman was asked about working on Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. The second episode of the show featured a dragon, which raised the question of whether he was influenced by his time working on Game Of Thrones. Shakman confirmed that to be the case, stating that Season 7’s The Spoils of War episode had a great influence on his work in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
”Yeah. I learned a lot from working there about integrating real foreground human action and drama with big scale visual effects. And certainly working on “The Spoils of War” episode of Game of Thrones, I really wanted my point of view on that fight to center on the human experience of the Lannister army down below, watching war change forever. They had been up in the sky with Daenerys in moments of triumph as she burned her enemies, but now, this was two beloved characters fighting each other for the first time on that show. And it was that sense of, “Okay, I want to prioritize what it’s like to be a soldier down below with a spear and a shield, seeing an F-16 come into battle for the first time.” And that was incredibly exciting as a filmmaker.
The creator stated that working with the Game of Thrones was exciting and the way that it incorporated things, influenced him to do the same in his works as well. He further continued with explaining,
And yes, that was definitely a big part of the approach to this show. I was like, “Okay, now we’re doing the same thing. This is Cate [Anna Sawai] on the ground seeing Godzilla on the bridge, and this is experiencing things from the human point of view.” And episode two, similarly, is their discovery of something incredible. One person might have imagined it, but the others have never imagined what is out there. And that moment changes their life forever. It all gets to this idea of wonder, which is maybe the thing I love the most about movies. That’s what I love about Spielberg, Kubrick and Nolan, and this sense of wonder is awe and mystery and fear altogether. Game of Thrones certainly captured those moments a lot, and hopefully, we have some of those moments on Monarch as well. That’s exciting for me.”
Matt Shakman is already keeping himself busy in the Marvell Cinematic Universe, as he is currently directing a Fantastic Four film as well, which is set to release in 2025. Shakman is currently having the time of his life as a director and it is likely he wouldn’t have it any other way right now.
