‘Game of Thrones’ creator George R.R. Martin reveals new details surrounding the upcoming prequel for HBO that just recently went into production…
The highly anticipated ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel reportedly went into production just recently with a story set thousands of years before the HBO series that just came to an end in May. Details about the ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel have largely remained shrouded in secrecy, although there have been plenty of guesses about the basis for the series after creator George R.R. Martin first teased the potential name as ‘The Long Night’.
That title references a dark period in Westeros history where winter lasted for more than a generation with children born and died, who never actually saw the sun. This was also the time period when the White Walkers first appeared in an attempt to wipe out all life in the known world.
Martin recently revealed a few more details about the ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel, which he co-wrote alongside showrunner Jane Goldman.
First off, the Westeros in the prequel is a far cry from the Seven Kingdoms so often talked about during ‘Game of Thrones’. In fact, the country was split into dozens upon dozens of smaller territories thousands of years before Aegon Targaryen rode on the back of his dragon and eventually conquered all off Westeros under his control.
“We talk about the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros; there were Seven Kingdoms at the time of Aegon’s Conquest,” Martin said when speaking to EW. “But if you go back further then there are nine kingdoms, and 12 kingdoms, and eventually you get back to where there are a hundred kingdoms — petty kingdoms — and that’s the era we’re talking about here.”
Some of the names expected to appear in the ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel will be recognizable to fans of the original series but the show won’t contain all of the families who were prominently featured during the eight season run. Expect the Stark family to play a major role in the prequel considering much of what happens in the North involved them throughout Westerosi history, including legendary names like Bran the Builder, who was responsible for constructing The Wall after the White Walkers were initially defeated.
“The Starks will definitely be there,” Martin said. “Obviously the White Walkers are here — or as they’re called in my books, The Others — and that will be an aspect of it.”
Martin says that there will be no dragons in this series considering those creatures were birthed in Valyria, many years after this particular story would take place. Direwolves will still be present in the prequel and there’s a chance other mythical creatures could make an appearance as well.
While Martin doesn’t mention them by name, it would seem impossible to make a prequel surrounding this particular story without involving the Children of the Forest, who helped battle against the White Walkers when they first appeared in the original story during ‘The Long Night’.
As far as other families appearing in the prequel, Martin cautions that there won’t be any Lannisters settling debts in this show but the origins of that house could be rooted in this story.
“The Lannisters aren’t there yet, but Castlery Rock is certainly there; it’s like the Rock of Gibraltar,” Martin said. “It’s actually occupied by the Casterlys — for whom it’s still named after in the time of Game of Thrones.”
The Casterlys were the richest and most prosperous house during this time period but it’s around this time that a man named Lann the Clever swindled them out of their fortune and their home on Casterly Rock. Lann the Clever would then go onto create House Lannister in his name, which means the origins of that house could potentially be told during the prequel.
Martin also cautions that much like ‘Game of Thrones’, there will be no one lead actor or actress leading this show even with Oscar nominee Naomi Watts among the stars of this stellar cast.
“As you know for Game of Thrones, we never even nominated anybody for lead actress or lead actor [during awards season] until recently; it was always for supporting [categories] because the show is such an ensemble,” Martin said. “I think that will be true for this show too. We don’t have leads so much as a large ensemble cast.”
Finally, Martin said there’s still no final decision on a name for the ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel, although he still likes the idea of calling it ‘The Long Night’. He revealed another suggestion was ‘The Longest Night’, which was a variance on the original title that could be used but as of now nothing has been decided.
Expect plenty more to be revealed about the ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel in the coming months as production continues on the new series.
