House of the Dragon’s funeral scene was inspired by one of the best movies ever

Jaehaerys’ death in House of the Dragon leads to a haunting funeral scene, which actually drew inspiration from one of the greatest movies ever made.

The fallout of the horrific (if not controversial) Blood and Cheese assassination in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 1 is tragic. King Aegon is smashing up the Red Keep, Helaena is in shock, and Otto Hightower is trying to use the situation to their advantage.

As a result, Alicent and Helaena become the reluctant stars of Jaehaerys‘ funeral march. It’s a horrible sight, and the atmosphere of the moment is all the more harrowing after knowing that inspiration came from one of the most beloved movies of all time: The Godfather.

On a behind-the-scenes featurette following the episode, Clare Kilner – co-executive producer and director of Episode 2 – revealed all. “I looked into The Godfather and all those great movies that have these incredible funeral scenes,” she said.

The Godfather scene in question is that of Vito Corleone’s funeral. Indeed, both on-screen funerals have some undeniable similarities. Both are for powerful figures within their respective worlds (the heir to the Iron Throne in House of the Dragon and the patriarch of the mafia family in The Godfather).

They also take place outside, with the close family of the dead observing the habits of the attending mourners.

There’s also a sense of tactical planning in both instances. In House of the Dragon, the procession is for show; a plot to turn the smallfolk against Rhaenyra. In The Godfather, it’s when Michael catches wind of Tessio’s betrayal.

But it wasn’t just other fictional scenes that drove the moment. Kilner also took inspiration from reality, namely Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997.

“It also made me think very much about Princess Di’s funeral and how slow the cortège was,” she added. “It made me think about Alicent and Helaena being forced to be public fodder in their grief.”

Famously, Princes William and Harry were made to walk alongside Diana’s coffin in front of distraught crowds during her funeral. As Kilner pointed out, this is essentially what Alicent and Helaena go through, serving as bait amid a campaign of hate and revenge.

For more, check out our House of the Dragon Season 2 review. We’ve also got a list of all the best new TV shows to stream this month. Or, check out our guides to all the Targaryen kings and the House of the Dragon dragons.