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House of the Dragon is another global hit for HBO, and more Game of Thrones spinoffs are on the way. Despite all that success, though, most viewers don’t know the name of the woman whose contribution to the franchise helped make all of that possible. Because had author Phyllis Eisenstein not convinced George R.R. Martin to “put the dragons in” his story, most of us might never have met Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, and Princess Rhaenyra. Those fantastical beasts have cast a spell over mankind—transcending both culture and time—for as long as people have told stories. They’ve also continued to capture our imaginations since the moment we started putting moving pictures on screen. And without dragons, Westeros might not be the magical phenomenon it’s become.
Dragons have been part of mankind’s myths since the beginning of civilization itself. The first such legend dates back to Ancient Sumer during the 4th or 3rd millennium B.C.E. Those mythical animals started appearing in stories from China, Egypt, and India not long after. Ancient Greece then followed with its own famous dragon tales starting 4,000 years ago, with more societies around the world independently contributing their own tales to dragon lore. (Possibly after finding dinosaur skeletons.) The classic English dragon tales that endure to this day—ones where brave knights battle giant beasts of fire—began earlier than many realize. The Medieval story “Saint George and the Dragon” traces its origins back to around 300 C.E.
The specifics surrounding tales of large reptilian monsters differ throughout history. In some parts of the world dragons are benevolent and heroic. In others they’re cruel and dangerous. Some fly and breathe flames, while others swim or crawl on land. Others have no wings at all, but sport great horns or even antlers. But while their features, size, and personalities change, dragons’ enduring place in our myths and folktales do not. That didn’t change as the way we tell stories do, either. Just as they’ve long adorned works of art, scrolls, and books, they’ve been part of our movies and TV shows for as long as we’ve had those.
The first dragon appeared on screen in Austrian director’s Fritz Lang’s 1924 “Die Nibelungen.” A dragon made its animated film debut in Disney’s 1931 film The China Plate. (They’ve remained a staple of Disney movies ever since.) Those magical beasts then made the jump to TV in 1946 on Kukla, Fran and Ollie. (The final name in the show’s title refers to the puppet Oliver J. Dragon.) The advent of CGI has only made dragons’ place on screen more ubiquitous during the 21st century. Between live-action stories, cartoons, video games, and tabletop adventures, in many ways dragons are more prevalent in society than ever before. The 21st century makes Arthurian legends seem dragon-light.
Dragons owe their oversized place in modern pop culture to the written word just as much as moving pictures, though. J.R.R. Tolkien’s tales of Middle-earth began with The Hobbit, an adventure about defeating a greedy dragon. We’ll never know if that novel would have been beloved without Smaug. Nor if publishers would have gone forward with The Lord of the Rings had the author’s introduction to his fantasy world not been so well received. But we know Bilbo’s journey led to us meeting Frodo, Gandalf, and Sauron, as well as generations of fantasy stories inspired by the Fellowship of the Ring. Without a dragon at the start we wouldn’t have many of the most beloved and influential fantasy epics we have today. That very much includes George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire.
Westeros is not interesting merely because it has dragons. It’s too rich and layered a world to only define it by one element. But it wouldn’t be the same without dragons. Those creatures add a grandeur and mystical quality the story might not otherwise have. (And, let’s be honest, dragons are always cool.) But most importantly they give A Song of Ice and Fire a timeless quality that speaks to people everywhere.
There’s a reason countless cultures, separated by both time and distance, came up with their own dragon myths. It’s the same reason their place in our stories, both for kids and adults, remains steadfast to this day. Dragons represent the power, beauty, and danger of nature. They represent both the perilous challenges and incredible possibilities all humans face. Dragons are supernatural yet made of flesh. They’re seemingly impossible to defeat or even tame, yet vulnerable as any creature. They can be good or bad or something in-between, same as us. They are a fantasy that capture the horror and wonder of the real world.
And George R.R. Martin almost didn’t include them in his story.
Martin originally considered giving House Targaryen a dragon sigil but no actual dragons. Instead he would have imbued Targaryens with “a psionic power” that was like a “pyrokinesis” where “they could conjure up flames with their minds.” Ultimately, though, his friend and fellow fantasy author Phyllis Eisenstein wisely told him to include actual dragons, forever changing the trajectory of not only Martin’s novels but the entire world of pop culture. Would his books have been as good or successful without dragons? Would HBO have adapted them without that success? And would Game of Thrones, a true global phenomenon, have found its massive audience minus an element that has long been a part of mankind’s stories everywhere?
We’ll never have answers to those questions. We don’t want to know or need to know them anyway, because we know what happened with dragons in the story. We’re reminded of that every time we watch or discuss House of the Dragon, a prequel about the time when House Targaryen had its highest total of dragons ever in Westeros.
Martin dedicated 2000’s A Storm of Swords, arguably the best book in his series, to his friend. But while Phyllis Eisenstein saw the world embrace Game of Thrones, she passed away in 2020. She never got to see dragons take to the sky on House of the Dragon.
Every time they do, though, we should remember her role in making it all possible and be grateful for what she did. Because she recognized something mankind has always known: dragons always have—and always will—make any story better.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
The post The History of Dragon Stories and the Woman Who Helped Bring Them to Westeros appeared first on Nerdist.
House of the Dragon is another global hit for HBO, and more Game of Thrones spinoffs are on the way. Despite all that success, though, most viewers don’t know the name of the woman whose contribution to the franchise helped make all of that possible. Because had author Phyllis Eisenstein not convinced George R.R. Martin to “put the dragons in” his story, most of us might never have met Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, and Princess Rhaenyra. Those fantastical beasts have cast a spell over mankind—transcending both culture and time—for as long as people have told stories. They’ve also continued to capture our imaginations since the moment we started putting moving pictures on screen. And without dragons, Westeros might not be the magical phenomenon it’s become.
Dragons have been part of mankind’s myths since the beginning of civilization itself. The first such legend dates back to Ancient Sumer during the 4th or 3rd millennium B.C.E. Those mythical animals started appearing in stories from China, Egypt, and India not long after. Ancient Greece then followed with its own famous dragon tales starting 4,000 years ago, with more societies around the world independently contributing their own tales to dragon lore. (Possibly after finding dinosaur skeletons.) The classic English dragon tales that endure to this day—ones where brave knights battle giant beasts of fire—began earlier than many realize. The Medieval story “Saint George and the Dragon” traces its origins back to around 300 C.E.
The specifics surrounding tales of large reptilian monsters differ throughout history. In some parts of the world dragons are benevolent and heroic. In others they’re cruel and dangerous. Some fly and breathe flames, while others swim or crawl on land. Others have no wings at all, but sport great horns or even antlers. But while their features, size, and personalities change, dragons’ enduring place in our myths and folktales do not. That didn’t change as the way we tell stories do, either. Just as they’ve long adorned works of art, scrolls, and books, they’ve been part of our movies and TV shows for as long as we’ve had those.
The first dragon appeared on screen in Austrian director’s Fritz Lang’s 1924 “Die Nibelungen.” A dragon made its animated film debut in Disney’s 1931 film The China Plate. (They’ve remained a staple of Disney movies ever since.) Those magical beasts then made the jump to TV in 1946 on Kukla, Fran and Ollie. (The final name in the show’s title refers to the puppet Oliver J. Dragon.) The advent of CGI has only made dragons’ place on screen more ubiquitous during the 21st century. Between live-action stories, cartoons, video games, and tabletop adventures, in many ways dragons are more prevalent in society than ever before. The 21st century makes Arthurian legends seem dragon-light.
Dragons owe their oversized place in modern pop culture to the written word just as much as moving pictures, though. J.R.R. Tolkien’s tales of Middle-earth began with The Hobbit, an adventure about defeating a greedy dragon. We’ll never know if that novel would have been beloved without Smaug. Nor if publishers would have gone forward with The Lord of the Rings had the author’s introduction to his fantasy world not been so well received. But we know Bilbo’s journey led to us meeting Frodo, Gandalf, and Sauron, as well as generations of fantasy stories inspired by the Fellowship of the Ring. Without a dragon at the start we wouldn’t have many of the most beloved and influential fantasy epics we have today. That very much includes George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire.
Westeros is not interesting merely because it has dragons. It’s too rich and layered a world to only define it by one element. But it wouldn’t be the same without dragons. Those creatures add a grandeur and mystical quality the story might not otherwise have. (And, let’s be honest, dragons are always cool.) But most importantly they give A Song of Ice and Fire a timeless quality that speaks to people everywhere.
There’s a reason countless cultures, separated by both time and distance, came up with their own dragon myths. It’s the same reason their place in our stories, both for kids and adults, remains steadfast to this day. Dragons represent the power, beauty, and danger of nature. They represent both the perilous challenges and incredible possibilities all humans face. Dragons are supernatural yet made of flesh. They’re seemingly impossible to defeat or even tame, yet vulnerable as any creature. They can be good or bad or something in-between, same as us. They are a fantasy that capture the horror and wonder of the real world.
And George R.R. Martin almost didn’t include them in his story.
Martin originally considered giving House Targaryen a dragon sigil but no actual dragons. Instead he would have imbued Targaryens with “a psionic power” that was like a “pyrokinesis” where “they could conjure up flames with their minds.” Ultimately, though, his friend and fellow fantasy author Phyllis Eisenstein wisely told him to include actual dragons, forever changing the trajectory of not only Martin’s novels but the entire world of pop culture. Would his books have been as good or successful without dragons? Would HBO have adapted them without that success? And would Game of Thrones, a true global phenomenon, have found its massive audience minus an element that has long been a part of mankind’s stories everywhere?
We’ll never have answers to those questions. We don’t want to know or need to know them anyway, because we know what happened with dragons in the story. We’re reminded of that every time we watch or discuss House of the Dragon, a prequel about the time when House Targaryen had its highest total of dragons ever in Westeros.
Martin dedicated 2000’s A Storm of Swords, arguably the best book in his series, to his friend. But while Phyllis Eisenstein saw the world embrace Game of Thrones, she passed away in 2020. She never got to see dragons take to the sky on House of the Dragon.
Every time they do, though, we should remember her role in making it all possible and be grateful for what she did. Because she recognized something mankind has always known: dragons always have—and always will—make any story better.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
The post The History of Dragon Stories and the Woman Who Helped Bring Them to Westeros appeared first on Nerdist.
Starting November 3, BET+ is turning up this holiday season with ten new films that showcase Black culture starring some of the most beloved actors of our time. BET+ holiday movie alumni Dorien Wilson, Terrence Carson, and Jasmine Guy join newcomers LaLa Milan, Seraya LeToya Luckett, and Ye-No in stories that embrace all the laughter, joy, and drama that the holiday season inspires.
There’s nothing like turning on a holiday movie while wrapping presents, baking cookies, cooking holiday meals, or decorating the tree. As holiday travel becomes more complicated with flight delays and unexpected changes, streaming movies on mobile devices is a way to pass the hours engaged in stories that make us laugh and just feel good for a while. These holiday films are filled with actors who many of us have grown up with and new cast members who will bring their unique flavor to the holiday season.
A Wesley Christmas: November 3
Four adult siblings go home for the holidays only to be met by dramatic, unexpected challenges that cause a messy holiday that impacts the entire family.
Cast: Dorien Wilson, Jasmine Guy, Terrence Carson, Loren Lott, Terayle Hill, Mike Merrill
Director: Patricia Cuffie Jones
Writer: Bree West
The First Noelle: November 10
Twenty years is a long time to be in the friend zone. Just as Terrence and Noelle decide to date, he gets offered a dream job in London, ending the relationship. Now Terrence is back in the states for Christmas with a new girlfriend from London, whose name is — wait for it — Noelle, and the first Noelle wants her man back.
Cast: Novi Brown, LaLa Milan, Todd Anthony
Director: Patricia Cuffie Jones
Writers: Ariel Driskell and Patricia Cuffie Jones
Christmas Party Crashers: November 17
Two scammers meet crashing a millionaire’s holiday party, and decide to grift together. Is it love? Watch and see.
Cast: Skye Townsend, Jaime Callica, Cocoa Brown
Director and Co-Producer: Sheldon Epps
Writer: Scotty Mullen and Chad Quinn
The Christmas Clapback: November 24
Three sisters’ annual battle to win the church Christmas cook-off is disrupted by a social media influencer who spices up the competition.
Cast: Nadine Ellis, Porscha Coleman, Candace Maxwell, Kara Royster, Eltony Williams, Brandon Sutton, Lisa Arrindell
Director: Robin Givens
Writer: Christopher Oscar Pena and Joy Kecken
Holiday Hideaway: November 24
After a “mistletoe misstep,” the diva of the holidays escapes to a holiday with family, where she gets a new perspective on forgiveness and the work it takes to love.
Cast: Camille Winbush, Vivica A. Fox, Leonard Earl Howze, Rodney Van Johnson
Director: Cole Patterson
Writer: Sharon Brathwaite
The Sound of Christmas: November 24
A broke but busy music teacher guides a “wealthy widower” away from his opportunistic girlfriend and shares the perfect Christmas gift: true love.
Cast: Ne-Yo, Serayah, Draya Michele, Michael Bless, Alijah Kai
Director, Writer: Booker T. Mattison
Rolling into Christmas: December 1
Reunited after over ten years, two roller skating enthusiasts who were childhood sweethearts reconnect during the holidays. Will Christmas cheer spark a new relationship, or will it just roll on by?
Cast: Rhyon Nicole Brown, Donny Carrington, Brandee Evans, Gary Dourdan
Director: Trey Haley
Writer: Greg Anderson
A Miracle Before Christmas: December 8
A famous relationship therapist has all the answers for everyone else’s relationship problems but her own relationships are secretly in shambles. When an angel arrives with some Christmas magic to help her fix her own life, will she be willing to take the leap?
Cast: LeToya Luckett, Romeo Miller, Keith David, Demetrius Shipp Jr., Paula Jai Parker, and Porscha Coleman
Director, Writer, Producer: LazRael Lison
A Blackjack Christmas: December 15
When addiction threatens to break a family down, two sisters, one who moved to the United States and another who stayed in Jamaica, reunite. Will they be able to repair their bond for the sake of family?
Cast: Dawnn Lewis, Charmin Lee, Adam Lazarre-White
Director: Victoria Rowell
Writers: Mezan Ayoka and Victoria Rowell
A Christmas Gift: December 22
A family decides to opt out of celebrating Christmas, but unexpected guests arrive, secrets are exposed, and relationships shift, creating a holiday that will change the family forever.
Cast: Blue Kimble, Noree Victoria, Javon Johnson, Victoria Rowell, Aaron D. Spears, Nadia Simms, Tiffany Snow, Marc Jones, Cayen Martin
Director: Christopher A. Nolen
Writer: Cassandra Mann
It’s so much fun to watch a messy family drama when it’s not your own, isn’t it? Last year’s slate of holiday films were so popular, BET+ was inspired to create ten movies this year to bring in the holiday cheer. Not only do these holiday films feature Black talent in front of the camera, but they are also written, directed, and produced by Black creatives behind the camera. BET+ is a streaming service owned by ViacomCBS, which also operates Paramount Plus and is supported by Tyler Perry Studios.
Enola Holmes 2 brings Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill back to the screen as sleuthing siblings Enola and Sherlock Holmes. The film takes us through many delightful twists, turns, and tricks as they solve a mystery surrounding a missing matchstick girl. We get to see many returning faces, including Edith, Eudoria, Lord Tewkesbury, and Lestrade, but there are also lots of new characters to keep up with. One person we didn’t expect to see arrived in the very final moments of the movie and now has us wondering if there will be a third film. Enola Holmes 2 introduces Doctor John Watson in a very brief yet heartwarming appearance.
At the end of Enola Holmes 2, Sherlock is a bit of a different man. He’s almost… human with emotions and stuff, including a profound adoration and respect for Enola. Sherlock proposes they go into business together as Holmes & Holmes; however, Enola declines because she doesn’t want to live in his shadow. And, to be truthful, she probably doesn’t want to live with him in general because he’s a mess. His place is in complete discord and he has no close friend to have his back. Enola and Sherlock agree to “check in” on each other on Thursday at 4:00 p.m.
At the appointed date and time, Sherlock hears the doorbell and, to his surprise, it is a man standing there. He says a young woman told him to go to that address and he inquires about being his new flatmate. And that man is none other than Doctor John Watson, portrayed by Himesh Patel. Sherlock fans know this character well as the best friend, assistant, and living companion of the eccentric detective. They are undoubtedly one of the greatest fictional duos across any genre of all time. In an interview with writer and director Harry Bradbeer, Nerdist asked about bringing Watson in for a wonderful Enola Holmes 2 cameo.
“What better way for Watson to come into the story but by the hand of Enola herself?,” said Bradbeer. “She introduces them because she knows that Sherlock needs a friend. And that has become very clear by the end of the story. So, it all came together organically…” Bradbeer also revealed that Watson was in the very first draft of the first film; however, they wanted to really focus on building up Sherlock’s character.
While we never know the supreme plans of Netflix, we do know that the Enola Holmes film franchise seems prime for more adventures. And, it appears that Sherlock Holmes will finally have his perfect partner match with Dr. Watson.
Enola Holmes 2 is currently available on Netflix.
Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.
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