House of the Dragon star James Norton has addressed claims of AI use in the hit fantasy show. Criticism was levied towards the Game of Thrones spin-off when it launched an AI poster generator that allowed viewers to pick a side in the Targaryen war.
Fans have also regularly questioned whether AI is used to bring some of the more fantastical elements of the show to life, particularly the dragons that feature prominently.
Speaking about the show, Ormund Hightower actor Norton addressed these claims when explaining how elements of House of the Dragon come together.
HBO
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Appearing on the Table Manners podcast, he began: “I’ve never done anything like this, and it’s an interesting experience because I’m very aware of the weight, the scale of this. I’ve never been in so many memes. It’s mad!”
When co-host Lennie Ware asked about acting alongside dragons, she assumed there must be “lots of AI involved”.
Norton responded: “In the world of AI… shows like House of the Dragon really [do] stand for something important because so much of what you see is actually real. Even the heads of the dragons are real.
“So when you see the dragon, what we see as actors is three people all dressed in blue, like the Blue Man Group, head-to-toe in blue. Holding these big sticks. And they have the dragon’s head on it, and they have the wings as well. They’re like puppeteers.
“What you’re watching is a single head moving like the dragon with the wings, and then the body isn’t there, and behind them is this enormous blue screen. Then later on, special effects are added in. But it’s not AI… I mean, there’ll be AI involved.”
HBO
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Ware asked if CGI was involved, to which Norton responded: “It’ll be CGI, yeah… The mad thing about it is, in the world of AI, it is really humbling and encouraging to be on a set where the detail, the people who are involved in that show… they love it. It’s incredible, basically.
“The studio builds are vast and so detailed. Everything, the sword, the armor, it’s all so intricate. There’s a blacksmith on set! They have an old-fashioned blacksmith fashioning the metal.”
He continued: “Anyway, it’s been a great show, and it’s just coming out now, but witnessing and experiencing the global reach of it is mad. I’ve never been in anything so huge.”
House of the Dragon continues every Monday on HBO Max in the UK.
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Freelance Reporter, Digital Spy
Rebecca is a freelance journalist who specializes in TV and film. After beginning her career as a digital entertainment journalist for the Express & Star and Shropshire Star, she embarked on a freelance career in 2021 contributing to the likes of Metro UK, The Sun, WhatCulture, Screen Rant, FilmHounds Magazine and more.
Her particular field of interest is horror cinema and she has written for genre publications such as Ghouls Magazine and Moving Pictures Film Club.
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