Fun fact: Each episode of Game of Thrones‘ sixth season costs approximately $10 million to make. That’s a Lannister-sized pile of gold that’s needed to transport the show’s viewers to the lands of Westeros and beyond to experience the stories of Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, and the many evil people surrounding them. You can really see that impressive budget in every set, costume, and prop that ends up on screen.
Even the opening credits are immaculately detailed. Each episode features tiny steampunk versions of the locations we’ll see, and they’re always changing! We’ve got no idea how much that biz costs. But thanks to YouTuber Szutter, we now know what a zero-dollar version of the opening credits would look like.
It’s a throwback to that old internet phenomenon of Sweding, which was a fad back in 2008, before planking was a thing, and before Gangnam Style was even a twinkle in Psy’s eye. Inspired by the Michel Gondry-directed Jack Black and Mos Def movie Be Kind Rewind, it involves recreating movies with no budget whatsoever, making it so cheap it becomes hilarious and magical. The name comes from the characters in the film claiming their remakes were special editions of the movie from Sweden.
Let’s hope Sweding makes a comeback via Game of Thrones. I’d love to see more swedes of the show, especially because right now the closest thing we’re getting is low-budget Game of Thrones pornography.
