Who is more important for the show to cast: Arianne or the Griffs? (Book Spoilers)

[RooseIsLoose]

The difference is GoT has hired a massive amount of actors, many of which were relatively low jey actors in Season 1 but have become infinitely more famous through GoT. If Emelia Clarke for instance got the chance to renegotiate her contract it would be a great deal more costly than it is now as she is now an iconic figure in probably the most popular drama series on TV.

To scale up everyone's contracts (with a main cast of 30+ actors) and keep a high budget for FX would be very difficult.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

Is TBBT even a good comparison?

TBBT is first, filmed in studio, in LA (I suppose). GoT actors have to travel a lot, also had the crew, and they need to train for certain risk that could endanger their lives (come on, even ride a horse could kill you if the horse suddenly go wild), and there is also a request for nudity, which TBBT doesn't have (right?).

Also, for what I know, a show like TBBT is filmed from July to April-May. That's pretty much the whole year. The cast of GoT has more time for them to make another projects in the meantime and it doesn't crash their schedule.

[RandomUser191]

while TBBT might not be the best comparison, GoT still brings in a lot of money with merchandising. there are only a few tv series that compete with GoT in merchandising.

frankly, i just can't see them having so many budget problems when the series' popularity is still rising and making more and more profit.

[RedShirt47]

I'm going with everyone else and saying The Griff are way more important. Arianne is just part of the Dorne storyline which is still being told (just somewhat differently). The Griff are a whole storyline to themselves. Removing the Griffs impacts Varys, Tyrion, and the whole King's Landing Story. The panic in King's Landing due to the invasion of the Golden Company should be quite an important event. Unless they have Dorne marching North with Mycella this will be lost.

I hope that the writers are keeping their powder dry and not revealing the casting of the Griff so as to surprise the viewers. There was a big deal made of the Dorne cast and everyone knows there are important characters. Announcing the Griff would do likewise.

I live in hope...

[TheKingoftheSevenKingdoms]

Cutting out Arianne - while I would be disappointed - can be adjustable with Trystane, Myrcella and the Sand Snakes. They can take her place and initiate the Queenmaker plot, and if neccessary, have Trystane take Quentyn's place as Daenerys' possible suitor (not going to lie - I am heterosexual and even I find the guy playing Trystane kind of good-looking. I dunno how Dany's going to deny that without being blind.

Cutting out the Griffs however, would be cutting out almost a quarter of the entire story. It impacts several key storylines including Tyrion's, Varys, King's Landing and the Martells. If the Griffs are cut, I don't think I can forgive the show this time.

One can hope they are holding off casting Young Griff publicly so it can be a surprise to show-watchers. It would certainly cause a frenzy, since many think Dany to be the last official Targaryen and now this kid is claiming to be her legitimate nephew, and her King. It would make good television.

[ADB]

Is TBBT even a good comparison?

It is in the sense that it provides perspective; because of the travel, harsh requirements, and cast size, GOT would be even more expensive to keep running into an 8th season. Plus, unlike network TV where they can hike the price of ads on their popular shows, HBO gets more or less the same revenue per viewer no matter how popular the show is. (Merchandising notwithstanding.)

[The King Of Cooked Steak]

Aegon won't be cut I assume, unless D&D go full-retard and merge him with Gendry. He's just too important. He's one of the biggest plot points of ASOIAF right now. I think that he's just being kept under wraps to keep the whole Targ thing a secret to viewers. Arianne, though important, can be replaced by someone else. The whole concept of Arianne really was to show off Dorne's inheritance laws, and a viewpoint for Dorne aside from Areo.

As for JonCon... I don't think he has much hope TBH. Show watchers will have no idea who he is. They'll find a way around the fact that Aegon had someone watching over him for all these years.

[Tywin Lannister_]

Tywin

*sobs*

Seriously though, Griffs. And Euron either right below that or equal to it.

[TheKingoftheSevenKingdoms]

As for JonCon... I don't think he has much hope TBH. Show watchers will have no idea who he is. They'll find a way around the fact that Aegon had someone watching over him for all these years.

I personally think that JonCon is going to be cast. I think Benioff and Weiss would not put Varys or Illyrio as the one looking after Aegon for the past nineteen years, or a random person. They can easily have a scene where JonCon explains to Tyrion or Varys does the honours about how JonCon's been looking after Aegon the Young Prince. They have an already established character in the books that they can pool from. (though I am contradicting myself when broaching the topic of Arianne)

[Mithras]

At one hand, I am optimistic that Griffs can be introduced in Season 6 but at the other hand, the Second Dance should be very expensive to film in its entirety. Why should D&D invest in this Second Dance while all they can do is to show a couple of dragon breaths and a war that we can barely see at all?

[Red Tiger]

I can't wait for JOn COnnington to appear and talk about Rhaegar and his feelings for him.

I am also looking forward to the Unsullied having no idea who Rhaegar is or why Jon Con wants revenge.

[alienarea]

Neither nor it seems.

[bent branch]

I'm just gonna throw this out there:

D&D should have introduced the Griffs earlier somehow, maybe even as some sort of epilogue

I really, really agree with you. I think they should have been introduced at the end of Season 4. Although is it out of order of the books, GRRM has been heavily criticized for introducing them too late and D&D could have fixed this. However, if the only reason Aegon is in the books so that there can be a repeat of the first DwD, then they may cut him entirely. A DwD 2.0 is so entirely outside the main storyline that it is a place where they could cut. Because of this, I think GRRM intends something else for Aegon.

I can still see Aegon being involved in the endgame. Just because he isn't the real deal dosen't mean he won't be significant, I doubt it'll even be "proved" that he is fake as:

1. Even those closest to Aegon believe him to be real.

2. The smallfolk will support him whether he's real or not, as long as he looks Targaryen.

3. Those who actually witnessed the initial killing of Aegon are all dead.

4. His opponents would call him fake even if he wasn't.

5. The only evidence for him being fake we as readers have are the "mummers dragon", the "rusty dragon", and Illyrio's dragon speech, which are barely solid evidence. Let alone information anyone in world would have access to.

I agree with you. Whether Aegon is Rhaegar's son or not, he will face the same issues. Those who choose to follow Aegon will declare him to be Rhaegar's son. Those who oppose him will say he's a fake. GRRM truly doesn't ever need to specify whether Aegon is real or not. However, if Aegon's legitimacy is important to the main story we will know definitely whether he is real or not.

I think Arianne's storyline can be handled in a different manner, so she could be cut. If the Griff's storyline leads to nothing more than ADWD 2.0, then I'd cut it like a gangrenous limb. It will cost a lot of money for very little pay off, imo. Otherwise, the Griffs definitely need to be in the story.

[Tywinelle]

I want to see Aegon in the show and continue in the books mainly because I can't stand Dany so it would really throw a wrench in her claim to the throne LOL

[sj4iy]

Aegon. I never thought Arianne was necessary.

[Mrs_Darcy]

And yet everyone goes ballistic when Arianne is cut yet are seemingly unohased by the Griffs' omission.

I think the problem for most was that they made Trystane Martell, a person who never even uttered a single line in the books, the heir to Dorne rather than Arianne. D&D have the unfortunate tendency to replace female rulers with male ones even when only mentioned (like Lord Stokeworth instead of Lady Stokeworth or the Oberyn's father being the ruler of Dorne instead of his mother). Added with the fact, that they gave Catelyn's lines in ACOK and ASOS to male Northern lords and completely wrote out Sansa's agency in the last season and many female watchers feel they are misogynists.

[Fiery Heart]

What's the reasoning behind cutting Arianne & replacing her with Trystane? I apsolutely love the show, but whilst I can apprechiate it's a massive under-taking to realise this story on-screen, I can't help but feel that D&D are 'dumbing down' the series a little too much with all these cuts. I love Arianne's character in the books. A shame... and same for 'the Griffs'... but yes maybe they'll show up later...

[ADB]

Catelyn's lines in ACOK and ASOS to male Northern lords and completely wrote out Sansa's agency in the last season and many female watchers feel they are misogynists

Correction: a miniscule group of hand-wringing book-purists think that. While another miniscule group of hand-wringing book-purists think that they're destroying the characters of Jaime and the Hound and everybody else in order to make the women more badass.

[Faint]

My suspicion is that the two tie-in together. That said, Aegon, or rather, his storyline, looks to be the more important of the two. If you eliminate Aegon -- which looks to be what they have done -- then Arianne becomes strictly a luxury.

[Rhodan]

Then there is the possibillity that just as Quentyn died becouse of Daenerys, Arianne will die becouse of fAegon, who also dies quickly later. And in the subsequent mess, Trystane will become much more prominent figure, even leading part of rebellion with forces from Essos and Myrcella as his tie to throne. It sounds unlikely, but it might be possible GRRM twist and you can see why they might want to make it more streamlined and less depressing.