George R.R. Martin’s Deal with HBO Suspended While House of the Dragon Keeps Filming
4 min read
As the strike between the WGA/SAG-AFTRA continues indefinitely with still no end in sight, countless film and television projects are in perpetual limbo across the country. Over at HBO, while its local productions have shuttered, its high fantasy wonder-hit House of the Dragon has continued on schedule, mainly due to the fact that its actors and crew belong to U.K.’s union called Equity. This puts the production beyond the jurisdiction of the strike, and per union rules actors are not permitted to protest in solidarity with the union of another country. George R.R. Martin, original author of the show’s source content Fire and Blood as well as the Game of Thrones series, has since voiced his full support of the strike. However, per a report from Collider, he took to his personal blog once again recently and revealed that his ongoing five-year deal with HBO and Warner Bros/Discovery as a front-row writer for the House of the Dragon series and beyond has been “suspended” since June 1st.
The historical strike that has united both the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG-AFTRA) in solidarity for fair wages and better working conditions has pulled back the curtain on the callous measures suggested by the studio executives, who have so far refused to even consider the demands of either union. Even as most of Hollywood has now come to a screeching halt, wealthy figureheads like Disney’s Bob Iger have feigned concern for the situation and those involved, and there have since been threats to starve writers out of their homes, and furthermore use A.I. to gain “ownership” of the likeness of thousands of actors for continued corporate profit. However, both unions have continued to hold strong, and despite his contractual obligations to HBO, notable supporter George R.R. Martin has helped explain the monumental importance of what’s happening on the picket lines across America.
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Not only has it shaken Hollywood to its core, its effects are rippling across the world, particularly to Europe where many international projects like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon are produced. Sectors of Equity have since taken to the streets of London to protest problems within their own union, though not (yet) to the degree of a country-wide strike. Depending on how things proceed with WGA and SAG-AFTRA in time, the outcome could very well indirectly motivate historical change in other countries.
George Martin Reassures Fans Despite His Current Suspension
Renowned fantasy author George R.R. Martin disclosed on his blog that his ongoing deal with HBO and Warner Bros/Discovery, as a main writer and producer on projects like House of the Dragon as well as other planned future projects within his Game of Thrones universe, has been suspended in the wake of the ongoing strike, in fact since June 1st. This probably pertains more than anything to the fact that writers on any level are prohibited from working during the strike, including him. Whether his previous remarks of support for the strike influenced his suspension isn’t clear, but at this point Martin now has a far back seat for productions like House of the Dragon, which is still pressing forward and, according to Martin, is at least halfway through production on Season 2. What this means for future seasons of the show, and the planned Hedge Knight spin-off series as well remains to be seen. However, Martin has reassured fans that what’s happening is tough but necessary, because the true victims are all the writers and actors struggling to break into the industry and make a name for themselves, just as he once did.
“I still have plenty to do, of course. In that, I am one of the lucky ones. These strikes are not really about name writers or producers or showrunners, most of whom are fine; we’re striking for the entry level writers, the story editors, the students hoping to break in, the actor who has four lines, the guy working his first staff job who dreams of creating his own show one day, as I did back in the 80s.”
A silver lining is that it’s allowed him to focus on The Iron Throne stage production coming soon to West End, and of course his continued work on the latest installment in the Game of Thrones book series, Winds of Winter. Meanwhile, Season 2 of the House of the Dragon is still on schedule to release sometime in 2024.
