Between September and October they coincided, in the key of streamingtwo of the most anticipated productions of 2022: The House of the Dragon Y The Rings of Power. Each series reached the platforms of hbo max Y Prime Videorespectively, with an extensive background of followers of television and film adaptations of those narratives, along with those who follow them from literary works.
Fans of fantasy literature and adaptations saw how, for a month and a half, two powerful narratives allowed them to relive already read stories, discover unknown ones and even present something new through some creative license. Although the latter led to conflicts about whether the canon was respected or not, in cinematographic and television terms, that is feasible. These are adaptations, not representations identical to what is told in the literary work.
In their own way, HBO Max and Prime Video raised a kind of pulse within the streaming. Netflix could not oppose any renowned production or marked by the tradition of proposals such as Game of Thrones or the trilogy of The Lord of the rings; these houses received much of the attention during September and October. Although this logic, that of a struggle between both narratives, admits some nuances.
Another chapter of the war streaming
with HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video
During September and part of October, every weekend was an opportunity to set eyes on the HBO Max and Prime Video platforms. While The Rings of Power It premiered every Friday The House of the Dragonfaithful to the tradition of its production firm, presents each episode on Sunday night.
On the surface, it looks like a clash between two companies trying to captivate an audience. However, it is not such a thing. Amazon Prime Video was launched during 2006, while HBO has offered its services since November 8, 1972. These data are more than dates; it is about years of difference in the cultivation and development of a way of telling stories, of approaching characters, of promoting an aesthetic that has derived in recognition and prestige.
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Considering this, and that Amazon Prime Video is just beginning to delve into stories, there was no such pulse from the beginning. While The House of the Dragon is part of a Game of Thrones prequel, the expansion of an HBO own story, as has already been done with True Detective either TheWire (to cite just two examples), Amazon Prime Video is now beginning to bet on ambitious and long-term projects.
The differences between The House of the Dragon
Y The Rings of Power
Although both stories fall within the genre of fantastic literature, if you think about the written works, the adaptations in television format serve to reflect nuances that distance them.
The context of The House of the Dragon
The work of George RR Martin was revived again. After Game of Thrones had eight seasons, through which it positioned itself as one of the most important television phenomena of the 21st century –if not the most relevant–, the narrative began to expand its universe through The House of the Dragon. A detail that is not minor.
The House of the Dragon came to HBO Max with the support of a tradition and the following of an audience. This could—and probably did—serve to reduce fears about adaptation. Perhaps it was never an option to move away from the established bases through Game of Thrones. A success. The transition between one story and another would not be traumatic; It even serves to add new viewers: whoever has not seen any of the 8 seasons can get to the sequel without this conditioning their experience.
On the contrary, it can serve to discover a story in which dragons and sex predominate, yes; but what is valuable is in the human relationships and the pulses of power that are presented through multiple actions. A drama full of tension and blood.
Differences in the tone of both series
The House of the Dragon Y The Rings of Power they do not share the same table because they are productions with a different narrative meaning. Although both may be covered by the same genre, the fantastic, the viewing of both productions reveals that they are on different paths, like literary works. The Prime Video series is exploring unknown years and indulging in different licenses on that journey. He is building his form of representation of JRR Tolkien’s work.
He does it from a place where his characters, at least during this first season, did not explore their dark areas too much. This in The House of the Dragon, is one of the strong. Those who fight for the Iron Throne do not run the risk of being represented in a sweetened way. On the contrary, the more cruel, pragmatic and selfish they can be, in many cases, the better. when checked The Rings of Powerthe internal conflicts of its characters, both with themselves and with their environment, sometimes seem faked, almost colliding with the brilliance proposed by the story.
the aesthetics of The Rings of Power
That tone, predominating in The Rings of Poweris consistent with the aesthetic commitment of Prime Video. The most expensive series in history boasts beauty in its landscapes, in the costumes and in the final production. Many images enchant. In opposition, The House of the Dragon open debates are allowed due to the darkness of some scenes and the blood splashing on the screen.
Each production uses aesthetics as a resource to enhance the story it wants to tell. While The Rings of Power stands in a still luminous context, guided by the light of the jewels, The House of the Dragon it moves towards progressive destruction, in which pride and ambition overflow until they become toxic factors.
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The aspect invites another type of debate. It serves to understand how conscious of the history is the production of each one. In this context, both series are elements that cannot be combined. To think of them as similar or stories aimed at competing for audiences (beyond commercial interests) is to reduce the dimension of their universe.