Alan Taylor, director of the new superhero sequel "Thor: The Dark World," spoke with io9 recently about how directing episodes of "Game of Thrones" prepared him for taking on Marvel's God of Thunder.
Taylor talked about keeping the film based in reality, though most of it is set in Asgard (home of the Norse gods including Thor and his brother Loki): "I think 'Game of Thrones' was critical to me being able to do this movie, and being able to feel like there is a straddling of reality and fantasy. I sort of thought that I had already been in that process [in 'GoT']."
The world of Westeros in the "Game of Thrones" series may have dragons and supernatural creatures but said the books and television adaptation have handled fantasy elements in a very realistic way: "I've always admired how much 'Game of Thrones' tries to lean away from the fantastical, so when it comes you actually really savor it. In season one, when the dragons finally turn up it's not like episode two, 'DRAGONS!' You almost don't really believe it. They don't believe in dragons in that world either. So when they turn up there's a real 'wow' quality to it. I really admire the way they handle it."
Even though Taylor is now directing superhero blockbusters, he still longs to return to Westeros as he told Zap2It: "I always plan to come back to 'Game of Thrones,' but something gets in the way," he said. "I missed Season 3 due to 'Thor 2' and I missed four due to post-production. And there's another movie I'm circling that's going to mean I miss Season 5, but I always plan to come back."
To read more about Taylor's experience directing "Thor: The Dark World" check out the rest of the io9 interview here.
"Thor: The Dark World" hits theaters, Nov 8.
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