Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator’ Epic Had a Major Influence on HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ in 1 Aspect That Still Has the Fans Raging
- Jack Gleeson's portrayal of King Joffrey in 'Game of Thrones' was influenced by Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus from 'Gladiator'.
- Viewers who are discovering 'Game of Thrones' late are getting agitated by Gleeson's portrayal of King Joffrey.
- Battle of Rook’s Rest in 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 was filmed at the same location used for 'Gladiator’.
When Gladiator appeared in theaters in 2000, it was something that the audience had not seen before. The epic historical drama showed Russell Crowe’s vengeance, and the movie is still remembered for its grandeur and heavy performances. However, no one could have imagined that the historical drama would one day inspire one of the greatest fantasy-drama TV series.
Quite similar to Gladiator, Game of Thrones was also something new for the viewers when it premiered in 2011. The way it visualized George R.R. Martin’s fantasy novels made it one of the most popular shows ever. However, there is an interesting connection between Westeros and ancient Rome.
How Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus Shaped King Joffrey
Jack Gleeson‘s character King Joffrey Baratheon is probably one of the most hated characters in Game of Thrones history, and it is quite interesting that the inspiration behind his character came from Joaquin Phoenix‘s portrayal of Emperor Commodus in Gladiator.
In an interview with GQ, Gleeson said he was quite influenced by Phoenix’s performance, and his characterization had an impact on his character.
A big influence was Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator. Sometimes, when I’m sitting on my throne, I think of Phoenix sitting on his, with that smirk on his face.
This revelation by Gleeson gives a new perspective to King Joffrey Baratheon’s mannerisms and expressions. Viewers now know from where all the subtle smirks and evil gazes came. It also shows the longevity of Gladiator‘s performances and how it influenced a new generation of villains.
Now, some viewers who are discovering Game of Thrones quite late are raging towards King Joffrey for the way Gleeson portrayed him on screen. One of them is British writer Jason Okundaye, who expressed his feelings on social media recently.
JOFFREY YOU INBRED BASTARD COUNT YOUR DAYS
— Jason Okundaye (@jasebyjason) August 18, 2024
The hatred I have for Joffrey might be unmatched by anyone in television ever. I need the most painful death imaginable for him
— Jason Okundaye (@jasebyjason) August 19, 2024
Pedro Pascal, who will appear as Marcus Acacius in Gladiator II, also played Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones. In an interview with TV Guide, Pascal revealed that George R.R. Martin wrote his Mountain and the Viper sequence after watching The Princess Bride. This again shows how various cinematic influences made Game of Thrones great.
How Gladiator Shaped House of the Dragon‘s Epic Scenes
Gladiator not only influenced Game of Thrones but also its prequel series House of the Dragon Season 2 in one of its most popular sequences and battles, the Battle of Rook’s Rest.
The location that was selected for the battle was Bourne Wood, which was the same place where the opening battle scene of Gladiator was filmed. Production designer Jim Clay himself acknowledged this connection and said (via Epicstream),
Bourne Wood is a bit of a popular location because it goes back to Gladiator days and Ridley Scott. So you think, ‘If Ridley Scott chose it, then it’s got to be pretty good,’ and it did.
Ser Criston Cole, played by Fabien Frankel also shared his excitement about filming at the iconic location. He told fans ( (via Epicstream),
There is an absolute beast of an episode and some of it was filmed at Bourne Wood, where they filmed the opening sequence of Gladiator. For weeks, it was me, Freddie Fox, who plays Ser Gwayne Hightower at the heart of it with Alan Taylor, Ryan. On many occasions, I remember thinking ‘I’ll never get to do anything like this again’.
The Battle of Rook’s Rest is one of the most important events in the Dance of the Dragons, where a three-way dragon fight was shown in the show, which made its particular episode the highest-rated episode of the House of the Dragon season 2.
Death of Rhaenys Targaryen and her dragon Meleys and the ground battle was quite epic and drew parallels to the epic scale of Gladiator‘s opening sequence.
Gladiator is available to stream on Prime Video.
Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon are streaming on Max.
