Umberto Eco’s bestselling middle ages murder mystery involving devious monks and a merciless inquisitor is set to enthrall an even bigger worldwide audience as a miniseries adaptation debuts in the US and Germany.
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Anyone suffering from Game of Throneswithdrawal symptoms after the long-running series made its final bow this week, can move right on to a new miniseries set in a dark and hostile past, in this case in a secluded monastery in the early 14th century.
International stars such as legendary character actor John Turturro (Bartin Fink,The Big Lebowski) have helped transform Umberto Eco's bestselling novel, "The Name of the Rose," into an opulent, eight-episode miniseries. Additional female characters, who are non-existent in the novel or the 1986 feature film adaptation, have been included in the miniseries.
The €26 million ($29 million) production, which debuted this week on SundanceTV in the US and today on Sky in Germany, might just pay off. The German-Italian co-production is certainly one of the more spectacular series of the past months, with the Los Angeles Times beaming that "'The Name of the Rose' does Umberto Eco with a dash of 'Game of Thrones'." The Times also praised its "attempt to give some respect, history, agency and psychology to its female characters."
Intrigue, sex and dragons in 'Game of Thrones'
Lannisters against the Starks, Baratheons versus Targaryens. Never heard these names before? If you want to catch up on "Game of Thrones" before the final season begins, here's a high-speed, spoiler-filled review.
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The northern warrior
Jon Snow (Kit Harington), the lord commander of the Night's Watch, was stabbed and left to die by his own team at the end of the fifth season — but he survived. In the fictional "Game of Thrones" world of Westeros, the Night's Watch defends the seven kingdoms against supernatural dangers that lurk beyond The Wall to the north. The season 7 finale confirmed that Jon was born Aegon Targaryen.
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The strong princess
Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), long believed to be Jon Snow's half-sister, has already suffered quite a bit in her short life. She was forced to watch as her fiancé executed her own father. Then, their marriage was dissolved and Sansa was married to another member of the ruling Lannister family. It's not easy being a princess in Westeros…
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The angry girl
Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) is Sansa's little sister. After the death of their father, she fled the royal court and disguised herself as a boy. Since then, she's been wandering through Westeros with one thing in mind: revenge for her father's death. Meanwhile, she's fallen in with a sect and gone blind. Sometimes, "Games of Thrones" can seem like a soap opera with medieval costumes.
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The evil queen mother
What would a soap opera be without a mean stepmother? In this case it's not a stepmother, but a queen mother named Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). She's a master of intrigue, and goes to all ends to have influence over the Lannister clan. For her immoral behavior, she's was sent to the dungeon and got a punishing makeover. She then had to sport a modern short hairdo against her will.
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The charming twin
One of Cersei's ugly secrets is her incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jamie (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). He's the father of her three children, a fact that has always been officially denied by the palace. Jamie is the commander of the Kingsguard and keeps out of the political intrigue in Westeros. He's nevertheless a villain — but a charming one.
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The witty outsider
Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) is Cersei's and Jamie's unpopular younger brother. The wine-loving dwarf is the secret star of the series. Tyrion compensates for his physical shortcomings with his wit, and "Game of Thrones" fans like to quote his wisecracks.
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The powerful mother of dragons
Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) comes from the old dynasty of the Targaryens. She helped three dragons hatch — the first for centuries in Westeros — and aims to use them to recapture the throne for her bloodline. In season seven, she ends up having sex with Jon Snow: neither of them are aware that Jon is actually her nephew.
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Church history as murder mystery
In 1980, the Italian semiotics professor's debut novel hit the bookstores and became an instant worldwide hit. The story had something for everyone: A crime and detective story in a historical setting; a veritable genre picture; a literary puzzle; and a cornucopia of cultural signs and references. First and foremost, however, "The Name of the Rose" was, for most readers, a gripping novel about church history, religious wars and the Enlightenment.
The story in a nutshell, and which the minseries broadly sticks to: In the early 14th century, Franciscan monk William von Baskerville is called to a Benedictine monastery to mediate in a quarrel between various Christian currents at a time when the Popes resided in the French city of Avignon. William and his young novice Adso von Melk also investigate a series of mysterious deaths.
In 1986, in the film version of Eco's complex literary detective story, James Bond actor Sean Connery played the role of the book's main character, William of Baskerville.
Mysteriois murders unfold in a monestery in the Alps Image: 11 Marzo Film/Palomar/TMG
While the 650-page original was a nail-biting history-science-religious thriller, the two-hour film of the same name, produced by Bernd Eichinger and directed by Jean Jacques Annaud, was entertaining enough but could never emulate the book.
But in its new eight-part format, the deeper political and theological currents of the 1980 novel have a chance to more fully play out. Meanwhile, the Italian location settings are magnificent, and the strong cast of English speaking actors have ensured an international audience.
Films based on books
This miniseries is the latest of several serial literary adaptations that have hit the small screen, for better of for worse
Highlights coming up on streaming services include an adaptation of Gabriel García Marquez' novel "100 Years of Solitude;" and the Jules Verne classic, "Around the World in 80 days."
Sean Connery played a wily Franciscan monk in the 1986 film adaptation of "In the Name of the Rose" Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Entertaining as adaptations from literature may be, the audience should not conclude that series are the continuation of literature by other means. Some fans seem to wrongly think that TV series continue what writers once started, that they are Balzac and Tolstoy for the 21st century.
Selling a brand
Nonetheless, In the Name of the Rose promises to attract fans of both the book and the film, for which Sean Connery won the BAFTA for best actor.
"With 'The Name of the Rose' we are probably offering our customers one of the best-known content brands in a fascinating new edition," says Elke Walthelm, Executive Vice President Content at Sky Deutschland, the German platform on which the series premieres on Friday.
'Game of Thrones' filming locations around the world
The world's first 'Game of Thrones' studio tour opens in Northern Ireland and fans are delighted. While the story is pure fiction, many of the incredible locations are very real.
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Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is an essential location for "Game of Thrones." It's the setting for both North of Westeros and the Iron Island. One favorite location remains the Dark Hedges (pictured), which is the road from King's Landing in the series. Now, Northern Ireland is also home to the first Game of Thrones studio tour, allowing fans a immerse themselves in the world of the popular TV series.
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Croatia
With its charming old town, the Croatian city of Dubrovnik is known as one of the most beautiful cities in the Balkans. It was an essential film location for "Game of Thrones" as King's Landing, the seat of kings in Westeros and the hotspot for intrigue and secrets in the series. GOT fans who travel to Dubrovnik here can also book tours of other filming locations nearby.
Image: picture-alliance/ZB/K. Schindler
Iceland
Iceland's harsh climate has created the setting for the northern locations in "Game of Thrones," particularly the icy realm North of the Wall, where Wildlings and White Walkers roam. The island is made up of wide spaces, snow covered mountains and volcanic landscapes. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Thingvellir National Park (pictured) served as the location for Arya's journey through mid-Westeros.
Image: DW/E. Yorck von Wartenburg
Morocco
From Iceland to the blistering heat of Morocco, the "Game of Thrones" film crew was used to extreme weather. Aït-Ben-Haddou, Morocco, became two cities: Pentos, where the character Daenerys lives before marrying, and Yunkai, where she frees the city's slaves. Aït-Ben-Haddou has long attracted filmmakers and was featured in movies like "Gladiator," "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Mummy."
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Malta
Daenerys and Drogo's wedding wasn't filmed in Morocco, but rather on Malta. The setting was the Azure Window, a 50-metre high limestone rock arch located on the island of Gozo, which unfortunately collapsed during a storm in 2017. Apart from "Game of Thrones," this former natural attraction was in films such as "Clash of the Titans" and "The Count of Monte Cristo."
Image: picture alliance/Robert B. Fishman
Spain
Spain became an important location in the fifth season of the series. In Sevilla, the Alcázar de Sevilla (pictured) is transformed into the Water Gardens of Dorne, and Osuna's bullring shines as the Arena of Meereen. Both locations are popular tourist attractions in the Andalusian city. Other "Game of Thrones" locations in Spain include Almería, Peñiscola and Girona.
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Scotland
Doune Castle (aka Winterfell) where the pilot episode was shot, is the only "Game of Thrones" filming location in Scotland. The medieval castle was originally built in the thirteenth century and can be seen in several other films such as "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."
