Confederate Officially Axed: HBO Confirms Controversial Slavery Drama From Game of Thrones EPs Is Dead
With Game of Thrones EPs David Benioff and D.B. Weiss now tethered to Netflix via a mega-bucks overall deal, HBO president Casey Bloys officially confirms to TVLine that the pair’s long-gestating, controversial slavery drama Confederate will not be moving forward.
Confederate, an hour-long, sci-fi drama that envisions an alternate, post-Civil War world wherein “the southern states have successfully seceded from the Union, giving rise to a nation in which slavery remains legal and has evolved into a modern institution,” was dogged by controversy from the moment it was announced three years ago. Critics bristled at the idea of two white men — who have already come under fire for their portrayal of race (or lack thereof) on Game of Thrones — heading up a show about slavery.
Confederate has been on life support since February 2018 when news broke that Disney and Lucasfilm signed Benioff and Weiss to create a new Star Wars trilogy. Last fall, the duo walked away from the Star Wars project, citing the demands of their new deal with Netflix. “We love Star Wars,” they said. “When George Lucas built it, he built us too. Getting to talk about Star Wars with him and the current Star Wars team was the thrill of a lifetime, and we will always be indebted to the saga that changed everything.”
Good for HBO. Those hacks are Netflix’s problem now.
Who the heck even thought creating a show like this was a good idea?!
The same people who gave us Season 8 of Game of Thrones with no source material.
Netflix is crazy. HBO redeemed themselves by letting go of such a stupid idea.
Who the heck thought creating a show where the Nazis won WWII was a good idea?
As I was trying this, I was thinking of The Man in the High Castle.
Context matters!
Nazism was not a prominent institution in America history, which is why Man in the High Castle did not get the kind of backlash Confederate did in America.
Man in the High Castle was likely as poorly received in Germany/Europe as Confederate was in America.
Conversely, Germans may be more inclined to see Confederate as it’s about the history of another country.
Nazism was birthed from American ideas of eugenics. Nazism was and continues to be irrationally popular in America.
That is absolute rubbish. Prove it. Saying so doesn’t make it so.
Hitler praises America’s race-based legislature in Mein Kampf. Eugenics were not a nazi invention.
MitHC wasn’t poorly received in Europe at all. It was a great show, too bad it’s over.
The context is that it’s different because you want it to be different.
First, it was based on a book a s secondly, it turned out to be an alternate universe, third, it wasn’t a show from Germany, but the United States. HBO is an American network and th3 Civil War literally tore this country a part.
So what? It’s a TV show.
There’s nothing wrong with the idea for the show. This is the same media who said Joker might cause a mass shooting event.
I think it’s an interesting idea. I don’t know that these two are the ones to realize it though.
Handled correctly, this concept could be interesting and insightful.
These two, however, would not be on my short list to undertake this particular endeavor (nor would they be on my long list, or any other list involving this subject matter).
Jordan Peele, for one, comes to mind….
He’d be terrible. He’s a racist. Either way D&D would be even worse given their cluelessness in regards to anyone who isn’t a rich white dude.
Jordan Peele is racist? How do you figure? And PLEASE don’t say he’s racist against white people because he’s part white and married to a white woman.
You also can’t be racist against white people. There is no power behind it or anything systemic.
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But I’m sure the OP thinks Peele is racist against white people. /eyeroll
He uses his power as a director to not hire white people in main roles and has verbally put down white people for the color of their skin. That is why he is racist.
This is false. He said that he won’t make a white man as LEAD role in his FILMS to give chance to non white male actors to lead movies, that means white men can lead his tv shows or can be main cast as long as it’s not the leading role. Look at the reboot of twilight zone or his show on Youtube this year, some of the episodes have white men as lead…
Lmao are you seriously gonna sit here and act like Alison Williams’ role wasn’t a main character in Get Out? Oh sweetie 😂
Honey, no. That is not how that works. I bet you also get really mad about diverse casting for Hamilton. Peele is also a phenomenal storyteller who would approach the subject with the nuance it deserves. Honestly, they should grab the writer’s room from Watchmen if this idea ever went forward.
First of all, the majority of actors in Hollywood and in power there are white. 99% of the main roles in movies go to white actors. All Peele is doing is giving black actors opportunities that they normally wouldn’t get in Hollywood, which is a fact. That is not “racist”, that’s making sure black actors and other people of color get opportunities they normally would not get from a white director. And, no, he hasn’t put down white people—you probably just made that up. It’s well known that actors of color don’t always get the same opportunities their white counterparts get. Funny how you have nothing to say about white directors only getting white people for main roles in their movies, which is the majority of movies that come out of Hollywood. Don’t get it twisted.
Racism isn’t about power or a system or any other nonsense you learned at Progressive U. It’s about seeing the world in terms of race. That’s all. Anyone can be racist, and most people are… especially the ones who play identity politics.
You don’t get to define what the word racism means. It has a colloquial definition (see: any dictionary) and it has an academic definition (see: any sociology classroom). The two are often confused, as is happening here.
Your opinion of what racism is “about” is totally irrelevant and meaningless.
@Awoke I don’t understand how being educated and learning about how things actually work in this world… means I don’t understand racism? Racism is: prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior. Which is a huge problem with a majority of the white population. You can study it and see it *ALL* over the world in history, in culture, in economics, anthropology… Do you even read or… talk to humans outside of your little circle? Jim Crowe? Trail of Tears? And that is just the stuff is over here. Europe has got a level of nonsense that goes back a long time. Please read a book. Watch the history channel. See whats happening outside yourself. You probably have never had to walk into a store and have the security guard follow you for no dang reason. You never have the have the conversation with your child on what to do if the police pull you over cause following the rules can still get you killed. Refuse to be ignorant.
tl:dr read a book, look at history, and stop being a d*ouche canoe.
You’re completely correct, whilst your responders are choosing to make up new definitions so they can pretend to be woke.
tbf, as a white person, we are pretty forking awful for the most part. My support? Most of history.
As a black man, your white guilt is disgusting. “We”? No, sorry. They were. White people are not collectively responsible for anything other people did before they were born.
@Eric nah bra, we’re still really gross. I mean have you been to florida? :P
With your logic than every race and culture is gross. Everyone’s past culture/race has and still are committing atrocities. The only thing truly gross is your ignorance.
You have been expelled by the white race Commonwealth. You can now be a POC as your idolo Rachel Dolezal.
Rofl. Y’all need to calm yourself and stop ignoring reality, current events, and history. And Ew no one wants Rachel. She is just dumb af and that is not how racial identity works.
You couldn’t be more wrong.. The idea that racism can exclude one is special pleading and might as well be racist itself. If I hate white people and decide not to hire based on their skin color, are you telling me I’m not racist? God help us if you think comments like yours make you “woke.”
If you don’t hire a white person because they’re white, that’s an act of racial discrimination..::but it’s not racism because racism must have a system of power behind it. That white person you didn’t hire is unlikely to experience that same situation repeatedly. They are not likely to not be hired because they are white. It would be an isolated incident. Black folk are consistently and repeatedly not hired because they are Black.
What are you actually talking about lol trying to change the definitions. Even if that were true, all my supervisors and their supervisors, as well as several members on the board of directors are black. They have power over me so can they be racist no? FYI I don’t believe Peele is a racist, but anyone of any color can be.
Lmao and for telling people to read a book you certainly are trying your best to be ignorant of other cultures past and present atrocities. Like white people are the only ones to do bad things in the name of superiority. Smh
If you dislike someone because of their race, you’re a racist. Power has nothing to do with it. Trying to excuse racism against anyone, for any reason, is despicable.
Racism against white people doesn’t exist. I’m white and it doesn’t exist. Stop making stuff up. White people historically have way more privilege then any other people in the word.
Since I can’t reply to Munro, I’m replying here, FWIW.
I’m not making anything up. Racism is “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.” Period. That doesn’t mean that white people don’t have privilege, or that racism against whites is a problem in this country: as a white person (just like Munro!), I know that’s not the case. But to say people who hate all white people aren’t racist is idiotic and damaging. Racism against ANYONE must be called out and fought, no matter the target. Don’t try to excuse anyone who exhibits racist behavior.
That’s the stupidest thing over read today.
Peddle that bull somewhere else. Anybody can be racist. If you don’t believe me , go to the projects in St. Louis as a white guy or Watts in California . See what happens.
I doubt the people in those areas think they are superior to you because you are white. If anything they don’t like you because historically white people have tried to make them feel less than because white people are the ones who feel superior over everyone.
Yes they can discriminate against white people or show bigoted behavior.
Why can’t white people experience racism? If one race tries to prohibit the success of another race simply because they don’t understand or appreciate a different culture, that’s the absolute definition of racism. And if you think it doesn’t happen often, you’re wrong. Try taking courses at a historically black university. You will certainly change your mind.
Sound like a bunch of white people circle jerking under the guise of “virtue signaling” While trying to pretend to not be racists. White people cannot be racist as the predominant power structure. pathetic. Grow up.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Thank HBO for not greenlighting a series about slavery from two men who implied rape and brutalization as character building for Sansa Stark.
Then had Tyrion say murdering slavers and rapists was a reason Dany shouldn’t be queen.
Good. In the hands of skilled Black writers & show runners, the idea has some merit, but without that, nope.
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These two are unskilled hacks
Have I missed something and only black people were slaves? Or you think a white person is incapable of writing/directing a show about slavery?
The only creative team I can think of right now who would be able to handle the nuanced subject matter would be those in charge of Watchmen. That was a masterclass in story telling while handling the nuanced subject of race.
Hahahahahahaha. I think white people shouldn’t be the ones writing an alternate history about slavery in America. That was Black slavery; Black writers get to tell that story – white people been telling that story for too many years.
When I first heard about this proposed show, it got so much backlash, and rightly so, because it was a lousy and stupid idea to begin with. And two white guys coming up with the idea made it even more problematic. So,I’m not the least bit surprised that it got kicked to the curb—the fact that it never even got off the ground shows that it was never a good ides in the first place.
Thank goodness…D&D are a mess
Reminiscent of the IFC Films fake documentary ‘C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America’ which was written and directed by the guy who wrote ‘BlacKkKlansman’.
Ha, just reading through these comments and burst out laughing at one from someone saying it’s not racist if it’s against white people. I beg to differ in fact say that’s ludicrous, live in a European country and get bricks thrown at you from both sides of a street with 2 other denominations living in them, why I was white in my own country. Plus some towns here have been taken over the whites are the minority in some areas so Forget that statement mate.
I’ve had a revelation.. instead of arguing over whose definition of racism is correct (although it’s one more than the other but I’m learning to know more about the debate to be less of an arse in the future) how about we all relish in the idea that this idea is canned and D&D won’t get a chance to ruin it. And honestly I hope they go in the way of HIMYM creators and never get work again. Good job HBO for giving them the boot. And I hope they have that other spin off in better hands
white men? Funny, how certain people can be white when they need to be criticized, but jewish every other time.
Fun fact of the day : Less than 2% of the USA population owned slaves at the height of slavery. More than 70% of American jews owned slaves during that time.
A very bad fact. 1.26 percent of the population was Jewish so even if 40 percent (the og number) of Jewish ppl owned slaves vs Jewish ppl who didn’t, that’s still a lot less than the white slave owners. Besides even if that number were true, it is originally an inflated talking point from David Duke, a notorious racist and antisemitic, and leader of the KKK. Not a reliable source.
Its a pity, to make interesting movies and tv, you have to take chances. And the world we live in now, you have to please everyone which is impossible. she/he/they who shouts loudest wins.
I think I remember reading once the Sliders ( sci-fi series where a group travels to parallel worlds) EP in a magazine interview saying that he wanted the team to slide in a world that was predominately black but the higher-ups nixed that idea…. and that was nearly 25 years ago. Guess somethings really don’t change.