Chapter 337: The Charming Villain

The screenwriter Stanton Studios had recruited, who had worked on adapting "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy—although not credited—was recognized within the industry for his successful experience with the project. Murphy had specifically invited him, valuing his proven track record with "The Lord of the Rings."

Despite this, George R.R. Martin had been away from Hollywood for many years and wasn't a successful screenwriter. While Martin could handle the storyline and fates of major characters, the details of the script required the oversight of a more professionally seasoned screenwriter.

Over the past year, this screenwriter had helped Martin complete the script outline and first draft and had gradually assumed a leadership role within the scriptwriting team.

However, as Murphy shifted his focus from the production of "Gone Girl" to planning "Game of Thrones," this screenwriter naturally lost his earlier leadership position. Murphy requested many changes to the script, especially the characterization of Tyrion Lannister, the Imp of House Lannister.

Somehow, this screenwriter had convinced George R.R. Martin to portray Tyrion Lannister as a complete scoundrel, aligning with Hollywood's trope of deformed characters harboring deformed minds.

Murphy, of course, disagreed with turning such a charismatic character into a villain and insisted on modifications, which the screenwriter resisted. This resistance was futile, but it inevitably soured their relationship.

The screenwriter thought his credentials from working on "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and partial support from Martin, combined with 20th Century Fox's investment and rights in the project, would allow him to leverage his position. He hoped to instigate a power struggle within the project, akin to the plots of "Game of Thrones" itself.

However, he was overly enamored with the traditional methods of Hollywood TV production, completely overlooking the fact that Kara Faith from 20th Century Fox was in charge of this project.

The outcome was predictable; he was dismissed by Murphy and Kara Faith.

The breach of contract fee outlined in his agreement wasn't substantial. Unwilling to leave with just a few hundred thousand dollars, the screenwriter demanded that Stanton Studios and 20th Century Fox pay him for the copyright of the script he had adapted. His request was refused by both Murphy and Kara Faith.

The contract had a clause stating clearly that anything created related to "Game of Thrones" during his employment was the intellectual property of the employer.

This is a common practice in Hollywood, but the screenwriter was not ready to accept it.

Murphy knew that, like the industrial pipeline of the movie industry, Hollywood's TV series production also had a mature system.

It is well acknowledged in Hollywood that television is a writer's medium. Experienced screenwriters often expand their roles in TV shows they write or adapt, supervising other departments and not just handling the script but aspects ranging from performance to editing.

They can even become the CEO of the TV production, taking on the role of a producer, and are often credited as executive producers at the top of the show's credits.

Unlike the movie industry, the production of TV series requires continuous involvement from the screenwriter.

Therefore, contracts for TV scripts not only include the compensation for creating the pilot but also additional clauses based on the screenwriter's elevated position in the project's production.

In this project, however, Murphy was the dominant force. He would respect Martin's input and the reasonable suggestions of other writers but wouldn't let anyone else take control.

This difference reflects the distinct natures of the film and television industries. In film, even top screenwriters cannot truly challenge directors, but in television, writers' roles are just as crucial, if not more so.

To avoid complications, Murphy decided to let Martin manage the entire scriptwriting team, turning the rest of the novice writers into tools to execute his and Martin's vision.

Like major film productions, TV shows hire a team of writers under the direction of a showrunner to assist in scriptwriting and production.

Subsequently, Stanton Studios and 20th Century Fox jointly established a production company called Fire and Ice Studios. All operations related to "Game of Thrones" were conducted under this studio, including contracts with other novice screenwriters.

Fire and Ice Studios signed new contracts with the writers other than Martin, improving their conditions but under a typical packaged deal arrangement.

When a production company or network signs a writer under a contract or packaging agreement, they pay a lump sum for the duration of the contract—typically one to two years, sometimes extendable by another year or more. In return, the writer's services are exclusive to that company or network, and they cannot work elsewhere.

Moreover, the contract stipulated that the writers adapt a certain number of scripts during their employment for Murphy to choose from.

This type of agreement is usually applicable to lesser-known writers. Fire and Ice Studios only needed to pay once, and unlike lead writers who might share in a show's profits, these writers wouldn't.

The agreement might change in the

 future, but Murphy wasn't about to offer high salaries at the start.

Over the next two weeks, Murphy gathered all the writers, including Martin, at the Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. They rented a large conference room to revise the script without outside disturbances.

One of the most crucial revisions was Tyrion Lannister's storyline. Under the previous writer, Tyrion had been turned into an outright villain, losing the essence of his character.

Tyrion Lannister wasn't a good person, but he had many redeeming qualities that made him a popular character if portrayed correctly and given the right narrative support. When Murphy had first skimmed through the series, he had been impressed by a conversation between Jon Snow and Tyrion, which essentially conveyed that if someone as disadvantaged as Tyrion didn't take reading and thinking seriously, he would have no future.

This storyline effectively revealed the other side of Tyrion's unattractive exterior.

Overall, the most crucial task of this script revision was to restore Tyrion to his original, charmingly villainous self.

Writing a detestable villain is difficult, but creating a sympathetic villain is even harder. Tyrion Lannister was not irredeemable scum but a character with morally questionable traits.

The revisions were led entirely by Murphy. He employed Hollywood's usual techniques for redeeming tainted characters—of course, only applicable to characters in scripts, not real life.

Human nature is complex, and different perspectives and interests can affect one's views of others. As the series was aimed at adults on a cable network, the audience had moved beyond simple good-versus-evil aesthetics. Flat, two-dimensional characters without controversy or believability could not sustain enduring appeal.

Murphy had said, "Even the virtuous White Snake, Bai Suzhen, flooded Jinshan Temple for her own selfish reasons, causing widespread suffering, let alone those engaged in the ruthless game of thrones."

Not just Tyrion, but all characters needed to be portrayed as neither purely good nor evil. Writing a flawless character was unrealistic and only suitable for audiences in North Korea. Introducing flaws or weaknesses could make characters more compelling but risked alienating viewers if not handled carefully.

For Tyrion's first solo scene in the script, Murphy used a technique of initially suppressing before promoting the character.

Tyrion's debut involved him cavorting with prostitutes and mocking the people of the North, including Jon Snow's illegitimacy.

Simply put, by first highlighting Tyrion's many flaws, Murphy set the audience's expectations low, then introduced his redeeming qualities, significantly boosting his likeability.

Audience expectations for a character like Tyrion, with his physical appearance, are naturally low, so starting with his negative traits allowed for a low baseline, which could then be dramatically improved to enhance his appeal.

Additionally, Murphy and Martin had several in-depth discussions and agreed to weaken the protagonist's halo as much as possible. When it was necessary to kill off a significant character, they couldn't hesitate.

As Murphy told Martin, "All characters serve the story, not the other way around."

After modifying Tyrion's storyline, the next task was to refine the main characters' roles.

The principle was clear: each character in the series was a complex and authentic entity, each struggling against fate while showing the darker sides of humanity in a way that still endeared them to the audience.

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