Movies - TV
Why Shogun’s Director Has A Problem With Game Of Throne Comparisons
By MICHAEL BOYLE
While several years have passed since the “Game of Thrones” finale, many studios are still trying to recreate the show’s success. Some have likened FX’s “Shōgun” to HBO’s hit show.
For director Jonathan van Tulleken, however, he views "Shōgun" as a spiritual successor to two other TV shows with far more contemporary settings.
In an interview with Deadline, van Tulleken explained how “Shōgun” is centered around conversations, adding, “Truly it is a character piece and it is about this intrigue.”
He continued, “This is a dangerous world where violence can come out of nowhere but the real danger is in the machinations. A conversation can be as dangerous as anything else.’”
With conversations being the true danger in “Shōgun,” van Tulleken added, “A better comparison [than ‘Game of Thrones’] would be ‘Succession’ or ‘House of Cards.’”
While not obvious correllations to some, “Succession” focuses on calculated dialogue, while “House of Cards” follows a man scheming to achieve power.
Another reason van Tulleken may not like the comparison is that “Shōgun” is rooted in real-world feudal Japan rather than a fantasy world like “Game of Thrones.”
Van Tulleken said, “[Shōgun] is made hand in hand with the Japanese because it is a story about two cultures encountering each other and seeing ourselves in each other.”