Yahoo News GoT bosses hit back at slavery show backlash
Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss have heard your complaints about their new slavery-themed show loud and clear - but they're not backing down.
The writers have faced a backlash from many about their newly-announced deal with HBO to write and produce Confederate, an alternate history story imagining a world where the South successfully seceded from the North in the US.
Confederate brings the story forward to modern times, as the slave trade continues and both sides of the Mason-Dixon Demarcation Line come dangerously close to another civil war.
There has understandably been some criticism of two caucasian writers turning the horrific real-life institution of slavery into fodder for a fictional TV drama, but it is worth noting that Benioff and Weiss are working closely with African-American writers Nichelle Tramble Spellman and Malcolm Spellman on Confederate.
Now all four have come together to defend the project in an interview with Vulture, in which David Benioff argued that the backlash was undeserved at this stage.
"So everything is brand new and nothing's been written," Benioff clarified. "I guess that's what was a little bit surprising about some of the outrage.
"It's just a little premature. You know, we might f**k it up. But we haven't yet."
Nichelle Tramble Spellman and Malcolm Spellman also staunchly defended Confederate while acknowledging that some of the concerns expressed were valid.
"I do understand their concern," Nichelle said. "I wish their concern had been reserved to the night of the premiere, on HBO, on a Sunday night, when they watched and then they made a decision after they watched an hour of television as to whether or not we succeeded in what we set out to do.
"The concern is real. But I think that the four of us are very thoughtful, very serious, and not flip about what we are getting into in any way.
"What I've done in the past, what Malcolm has done in the past, what the D.B.s have done in the past, proves that. So I would have loved an opportunity for the conversation to start once the show was on the air."
Malcolm went on to explain why he was reluctant to engage with critics on Twitter, after briefly trying to walk back initial scepticism on social media earlier in the week.
"You cannot litigate this on Twitter. It's not possible," Malcolm insisted. "I don't know that we can change anyone's mind… but what people have to understand is, and what we are obligated to repeat in every interview is: We've got black aunties. We've got black nephews, uncles.
"Black parents and black grandparents. We deal with them every single day. We deal with the struggle every single day. And people don't have to get on board with what we're doing based on a press release. But when they're writing about us, and commenting about us, they should be mindful of the fact that there are no sell-outs involved in this show.
"Me and Nichelle are not props being used to protect someone else. We are people who feel a need to address issues the same way they do, and they should at least humanize the other end of those tweets and articles."
The foursome haven't officially started work on the project, which is not expected to debut on HBO until Game of Thrones completes its eighth and final season either next year or in 2019.
Game of Thrones continues on HBO on Sunday and Sky Atlantic on Monday. Watch a preview of this weekend's episode below:
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Twitter account and you're all set.
You Might Also Like
