Before Game of Thrones‘ first episode, “Winter Is Coming,” graced the audience’s television screen in 2011, the original unaired pilot was deemed a disaster by some of the cast and close associates of showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Those not engaged in the show have never watched the scrapped pilot. This, however, hasn’t stopped discussions surrounding the topic.
Screenwriter Craig Mazin, known famously for his contributions to the uber-popular HBO series Chernobyl and The Last of Us, is among those who bore witness to this mysterious unseen pilot. And his straightforward response to the disastrous episode urged Benioff and Weiss to reconsider the entire thing.
What helped the two finally succeed in bringing forth an introductory experience to the fantasy drama series that proved worthy of people’s appreciation? Mazin’s statement could provide some insight into how.
Craig Mazin Was Brutally Honest About The Failed Game of Thrones Pilot
Screenwriters John August and Craig Mazin discuss screenwriting and associated topics in the film and television industries on their podcast, Scriptnotes. The showrunners of Game of Thrones, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, appeared on a 2016 episode to discuss the difficulties encountered when penning the HBO series.
The topic of the discarded pilot was eventually brought up. Benioff claimed that after finishing four years of work on the episode, they finally realized their mistake. The writer-producer duo decided to show Craig Mazin and their other friends the pilot. The response they received was described as “one of the most painful experiences” of Benioff’s (and presumably, his co-collaborator’s) life.
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Following was his statement:
“It took us almost four years to get the pilot made. […] We finally got it finished. And we showed it to Craig [Mazin], Ted Griffin, and Scott Frank. Watching them watch that original pilot was one of the most painful experiences of my life. […] As soon as it finished, Craig said, ‘You guys have a massive problem.'”
Mazin’s advice enabled the two to proceed with the adjustments needed to salvage existing footage and lay the groundwork for what would later become “Winter Is Coming.” The actors associated with the abandoned pilot claimed that it felt indigestible and had multiple narrative inconsistencies. One hilarious discrepancy was observed in Lena Headey’s depiction of Cersei Lannister, who allegedly looked like a “medieval Dolly Parton.” (via Entertainment Weekly)
The Game of Thrones writer-producer duo knew they had to get changes underway. And boy, did it pay off.
Craig Mazin Asked GOT Showrunners To “Change Everything”
D. B. Weiss mentioned in the podcast episode that he took notes, and the one line that stayed with him the most was Craig Mazin‘s brutally honest comment. However, the showrunners felt inspired by this response to take necessary action. David Benioff remarked the following:
“90% of the pilot was reshot. […] So much of it was reshot that a different director got credit. Craig didn’t really have any brilliant ideas, except he told us [to change everything].”
The original director tied to the premise was Spotlight’s Tom McCarthy. After the reshoots, the credit went to The Sopranos alum Tim Van Patten. Taking Mazin’s advice, the two changed almost everything (besides some original footage) about the pilot. The final product is what viewers see in “Winter Is Coming.”
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How did Mazin feel about these developments when he attended the screening of the first two episodes of Game of Thrones? He was pleasantly stunned. The following statement details his reaction:
“I will never forget being invited to the premiere of the first season. […] I went in just thinking, well, I’m going to see how this goes. […] I [was] stunned. Stunned. And I very specifically remember walking out in between, and you were there, and I said to you, “That is the biggest rescue in Hollywood history,” because it wasn’t just that you had saved something bad and turned it really good. You had saved a complete piece of sh*t, and turned it into something brilliant.”
In retrospect, the writers benefited from the decision to scrap the initial pilot. By the sounds of it, the viewers were also exempted from witnessing an incoherent premise.
In a nutshell, Craig Mazin’s brutal honesty proved to be the series’ saving grace.
Game of Thrones is available for streaming on Max.
