Writer Steven Knight has revealed he thought “Game of Thrones” was a kids show until he cast one of its actors in his own series.
Knight, who’s perhaps best known for creating Cillian Murphy-starrer “Peaky Blinders,” was speaking at the Royal Television Society conference in London, in conversation with BBC journalist Katie Razzall when he made the admission.
He recalled how his young son was obsessed with “Game of Thrones,” asking for a DVD boxset for Christmas, which Knight was happy to provide having seen it featured dragons. It was only when he came to cast “Game of Thrones” alum Aidan Gillen in “Peaky Blinders” he realized the George R. R. Martin-created series had more adult themes.
When someone suggested Gillen for “Peaky,” they told Knight that he plays the brothel keeper in “Game of Thrones.” Knight responded in shock: “What are you talking about? It’s a kid’s show!”
Gillen played Lord Petyr Baelish in the HBO fantasy series before stepping into the role of Aberama Gold in “Peaky.” He’s also appeared in “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Mayor of Kingstown” and the “Maze Runner” franchise.
Knight shared some “Peaky” memories during the conference, including that he first came up with the idea for the Birmingham-set show in the 1980s and pitched it to a U.K. broadcaster although it didn’t work out. “I started off writing it as a novel then I presented a treatment to Channel 4,” he said. “I’m glad it didn’t happen [then]. The technology wasn’t right to actually depict a period drama like that properly.”
Years later, he said, someone asked whether he had any ideas for TV and he pulled the treatment for “Peaky Blinders” out of a drawer where it had long since lain forgotten.
Knight is currently working on a movie adaptation of the series for Netflix, which will star Barry Keoghan and Rebecca Ferguson as well as Muphy. He wouldn’t reveal any spoilers but said “It’s set in the Second World War, it should really be good.”
The writer has had a storied and varied career, having co-created long-running quiz show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” through to taking on an upcoming (and as yet untitled) “Star Wars” movie set to be directed by “Ms. Marvel” helmer Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.
He is also a frequent Pablo Larraín collaborator, for whom he wrote Princess Diana biopic “Spencer,” starring Kristen Stewart, and the upcoming “Maria” starring Angelina Jolie, which recently bowed at Venice.
The multi-hyphenate writer, director and producer is fiercely passion about about the U.K.’s screen industry and has founded a film and TV studio complex in his home city of Birmingham, the town where he also set “Peaky Blinders.”
“The way people see our country is via our industry mostly,” he said, emphasizing the importance of investment in the arts and screen industries in the U.K. “We need to ensure people in this country know this is a career that you can have.”
Other speakers at the Royal Television Society conference, which is hosted this year by Netflix, include streaming boss Ted Sarandos, footballer David Beckham and culture secretary Lisa Nandy.
