Dracarysssss
, comedian Leslie Jones bellows in the opening seconds of the trailer for her first Netflix stand-up comedy special Leslie Jones: Time Machine — with that first word, of course, being the High Valyrian command Daenerys gives whenever she wants her dragons in Game of Thrones to burn something to the ground. It’s a reminder that Leslie, a former stalwart castmember of Saturday Night Live, is something of a Thrones super-fan who would at times refer to herself on the show as Leslie “Dracarys” Jones — and, fittingly, it also serves as a reminder that her first Netflix special was directed by none other than the creators and showrunners of the HBO themselves, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
The first trailer for the special dropped on Thursday, which also revealed its premiere date on Netflix — January 14. “Strap in,” the YouTube description for the trailer (which you can check out above) warns, “because you’re headed on a wild side-splitting ride.”
Pure joy!We did it!My @Netflix Special Warner Theater in D.C. Thanks to D.B. Weiss, David Benioff, Jesse Collins, &their staffs for a great production! Thanks to @tinafern23 @brianmcphatter @lolasbeautymark @dennisbailey writer &coach @lennymarcusny helping me this last year! pic.twitter.com/nnSKvl7UL9
— Leslie Jones 🦋 (@Lesdoggg) September 11, 2019
It should be noted that this directing job was separate from the big Netflix development pact Benioff and Weiss signed with the streamer in August. That deal came in the wake of Game of Thrones’ final season ending in mid-May, with the in-demand showrunners leaving everyone wondering what they would do for their next act.
The official Netflix landing page for the one hour and six-minute Leslie Jones: Time Machine includes the following description: “From trying to seduce Prince to battling sleep apnea, Leslie Jones traces her evolution as an adult in a joyfully raw and outrageous stand-up special.” The project was no doubt attractive to Weiss and Benioff for its lighthearted nature and the lack of pressure, something that has dogged them for years as Thrones’ popularity exploded and the show’s controversial final season became a milestone pop culture moment like no other in recent memory.
In addition to her stint on SNL, Jones is also known for her appearances in movies like 2016’s Ghostbusters remake and the Zach Galifianakis-led comedy Masterminds, to name a few.
