Because why not? A new website called Game of Canada imagines what Game of Thrones would be like if it HBO’s seminal series were shot entirely in Canada with Canadian actors. What would that look like, exactly? Is the wine replaced with Molson Canadian beer? Does William Shatner now portray Archmaester Marwyn? Is Prince Edward Island the setting for Dragonstone? Do the northerners trek across Hudson’s Bay and Labrador? Let’s see what the Canucks are up to.
CHARACTERS
Game of Canada swaps out 10 popular Game of Thrones actors with Canadian stars, using “personality traits” as criteria. Most are intriguing, although one is downright baffling. Let’s look at a sampling:
Jon Snow: Kit Harington is replaced with Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds, a Canadian-born actor who would certainly bring a snarkier edge to that character. “As the heartthrob of the show, only Ryan Reynolds could be considered iconic enough to play Jon Snow.” If you say so, Game of Canada.
Daenerys Targaryen: Malin Akerman (Silk Spectre in Watchmen, Lara Axelrod in Billions) takes on Emilia Clarke’s role in the imagined Canadian version. We need to see how she carries that silver-white wig, however. “Headstrong, grounded and fierce, Malin Åkerman’s feisty personality makes her the perfect Canadian portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen.”
Sansa Stark: Sophie Turner is replaced by Rachel McAdams, a well-known Hollywood star with films like The Notebook, Midnight in Paris and the HBO series True Detective under her belt. McAdams has proven her dramatic acting chops, although she’s considerably older than Sansa.
Jaime Lannister: Game of Canada volunteers songster Justin Beiber for Jaime, which…no. It is so wrong it doesn’t even deserve a picture, so here’s one of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau to remind us of how difficult it is to replace him. C’mon, Canada.
INDIO, CA – APRIL 15: Drake performs on the Coachella stage during day 2 of the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival (Weekend 1) at the Empire Polo Club on April 15, 2017 in Indio, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Coachella)
Grey Worm: Drawing again from the ranks of pop stars, Drake is proposed as a suitable Canadian replacement for Grey Worm (the current actor, Jacob Anderson, is also a pop singer). That’s better than Beiber, and Drake could probably pull it off. Do we remember when was on Degrassi?
LOCATIONS
Canada is a huge country full of magnificent landscapes and fantastic historic sites, so Game of Canada can suggest some great alternatives to Game of Thrones‘ shooting locations in Northern Ireland, Greece, Spain, etc. The selections are based on “scenery and abstract attributes.”
Winterfell: Game of Canada thinks the Fortress of Old Quebec City would be a suitable alternative for Winterfell, and we agree. (I lived in Canada for a while, so I’m basically an expert.) It’s perched on a mount overlooking the Old City and the St. Lawrence seaway, and it would serve well, especially covered in snow. The Old City still has its original walls, and the Gate would match any European shooting location.
The Vale of Arryn: The Canadian version would be Fortress Mountain, already a popular filming location. Located in the province of Alberta, it’s big, misty and unique.
King’s Landing: While Dubrovnic, Girona and other locations have served King’s Landing well, Game of Canada returns to Old Town Quebec for it’s take on the iconic city. It’s a good choice. The Old City has kept it’s colonial European look, with narrow, cobblestone streets and a French old-world flavor. There’s also a stunning cliffside view of the Saint Lawrence seaway.
In the spirit of keeping the discussion going, I’d like to offer up a few of my own suggestions regarding the fictional Canadian version of Game of Thrones.
Jaime Lannister: Forget Beiber. The Ontario-born Ryan Gosling has the requisite good looks and enigmatic softness that Nikolaj Coster-Waldau brings to the role, and he can handle the action sequences.
Cersei: Catherine Winnick’s turn as the sexy, smart shieldmaiden Lagertha on the TV series Vikings makes her a primo candidate for the role. She’d make a good (if shorter) Brienne of Tarth, as well.
And for the locations:
Pyke: Cape Split, Nova Scotia offers the necessary craggy, ocean-bound isolation and vertigo-inducing cliffs required by the danger-loving Ironborn (and Canadian Maritimers).
The North: The Great White North has lots of snow and ice for when winter is here, and the world’s tallest and steepest cliff on Mount Thor (Baffin Island, Nunavut) is beyond impressive, scenery-wise.
As we can see, Canada has a lot to offer its own fictional version of Game of Thrones. Jim Carrey as Littlefinger, anyone?
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