5 facts about the ‘GoT’ prequel, as revealed by George RR Martin

Here's all you need to know about the upcoming show

Missing Game of Thrones? Eager for some info about its mysterious prequel? Well, we’ve got the latest scoop from Westeros for you.

Game of Thrones’ author and executive producer George RR Martin recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the upcoming show, which takes place about 5,000 years before the events depicted in HBO’s now-concluded super hit fantasy drama.

Needless to say, Westeros was very different back then. Everything that happens in the prequel will lead up to the epic confrontation with the White Walkers, known as The Long Night, shown in episode three of season eight. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Here are five other facts about the new show, and even a possible new title.

A 100 kingdoms



Westeros is divided into over a 100 smaller kingdoms in the prequel. “We talk about the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros – at least, there were Seven Kingdoms at the time of Aegon’s Conquest,” Martin said. “But if you go back further, then there are nine kingdoms, and 12 kingdoms, and eventually, you get back to where there are a 100 kingdoms — petty kingdoms — and that’s the era we’re talking about here.” So basically, Westeros could be even more dangerous, chaotic and lawless here than it was in Game of Thrones. Yikes!

You won't believe how much the cast of 'Game of Thrones' is making this season!

The pack survives

 

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The new show will have Starks and dire wolves as well. The fan favourite guardians of the North descended from the First Men so this was fairly obvious, we suppose. “The Starks will definitely be there,” Martin said.

There is speculation that the prequel is pre-Targaryen and so, sans any dragons. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be other creatures. “Obviously, the White Walkers are here. There are things like dire wolves and mammoths as well,” added the writer.

No Lannisters



The prequel predates the rise of the Lannister family but there will be another family currently residing in King’s Landing. “The Lannisters aren’t there yet, but Castlery Rock is certainly there; it’s like the Rock of Gibraltar,” Martin revealed. “It’s actually occupied by the Casterlys — for whom it’s still named after in the time of Game of Thrones.” For those of you who don’t remember, the Casterlys were supposedly robbed off their homestead by Lann the Clever, who founded House Lannister thereafter.



Always a team effort

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The new show also has an ensemble cast. HBO appeared to suggest that it might be led by a trio of female leads (Naomi Watts, Naomi Ackie, and Denise Gough). But Martin clarified this is not true. “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,” he maintained. “I think that will be true for this show too. We don’t have leads so much as a large ensemble cast.

The name game



PHOTO:FILE

The prequel is still officially untitled. In the past, Martin has suggested the title ‘The Long Night’ but as we said earlier, the third episode of season eight was already called that. And so, there is another similar possibility being considered. “I heard a suggestion that it could be called The Longest Night, which is a variant I wouldn’t mind,” teased the mastermind. “That would be pretty good.”

It may have been only two months since Game of Thrones ended but after reading all this, we can’t wait till the prequel comes out! Can you?

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