The Game of Thrones prequel has finally been confirmed by HBO – here’s everything we know so far about its title, release date, cast, plot and rumors… 

Updates

• There could be up to five prequels eventually, all taking place thousands of years before the events in Game of Thrones
• One of these, believed to be called The Long Night, is now casting and will be the first prequel
• Naomi Watts and Josh Whitehouse have been cast in the first prequel

What is it all about?

The prequel will be set thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones. According to a HBO press release, the series “chronicles the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. From the horrifying secrets of Westeros’s history to the true origin of the White Walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend, only one thing is for sure: it’s not the story we think we know.”

White Walker – Credit: HBO, Still

Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin has said it won’t feature any of the characters from the current series but will instead focus on their ancestors. He’s also confirmed that the project won’t be a spin-off, but a prequel.

Does it have a title?

Kind of, yes. Martin gave an update about it on his blog on October 30 revealing that “casting was underway for The Long Night, the first of the Game of Thrones successor series…ordered to film.”

However, a few days later on November 4, Martin then said that the prequel was as yet untitled. He wrote: “HBO has informed me that the Jane Goldman pilot is not (yet) titled The Long Night. That’s certainly the title I prefer, but for the moment the pilot is officially untitled.” It’s a title that has already been referenced in Game of Thrones elsewhere…

Who has written this and who else is involved in production?

Jane Goldman and Martin are the creators of the new series and it’s based on a story the pair wrote together. Goldman has scripted the pilot and according to Martin (writing on his blog) “will be running the show.” Martin also said: “she and her team are busy in London right now, neck deep in casting, and I expect some more names will be announced soon.”

Goldman has adapted books for television previously, having worked on Stardust, The Limehouse Golem, Kick-Ass and The Woman in Black. She has also worked as an executive producer on several films including both of the Kingsman films and Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

Both Goldman and Martin will executive produce the prequel alongside James Farrell, Jim Danger Gray, Vince Gerardis and Daniel Zelman.

American novelist and short-story writer, screenwriter, and television producer George R. R. Martin – Credit: Press

What can we expect from the pilot?

Details are scarce as yet but Martin has revealed on his blog that “the pilot is coming along well, with casting falling into place…”

When is it on our screens?

No official date has been released as yet, but it is likely to be 2020 at the earliest, with HBO wanting Season 8 of Game of Thrones to conclude first. Casey Bloys, HBO’s programming president told Hollywood Deadline he wants “the final season of Game of Thrones to be the final season of Game of Thrones.” He added: “I don’t want to use it to launch something else, I want it to stand out as the finale of the greatest TV show of all time, I don’t want to do anything that infringes on that.”

• Read More:‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8: Release date, casting, trailers and theories

According to Nerdist, there are rumors that filming for the series will begin in February 2019 which would tie in with a 2020 release date.

What about the cast members?

As revealed by Variety, the first big cast announcement came on October 30, with HBO confirming that Naomi Watts had been cast in the prequel. Details about her role are scarce, but we do know that she will be playing “a charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret.” Speaking about the casting, Martin said “I could not be more excited. Welcome to Westeros, Naomi.”

Fans are speculating that Watts could be playing Nissa Nissa, the wife of an ancient hero called Azor Ahai, the Lord of Light and central figure to the R’hllor faith. According to legend, he forged a magical sword called ‘Lightbringer’ which he later used to defeat the White Walkers. Other speculation is that as her description draws similarities to Ceresi Lannister, her character may well be a Lannister ancestor.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Watts admitted that she hadn’t watched any episodes of Game of Thrones before her casting but that she is now already “beyond a fan.” She told them: “I am late coming to it, I have to say…but that’s how I am with lots of things in life. I am binging it right now and studying. It’s very exciting.”

Another cast member confirmed for the prequel, as reported in Deadline, is Poldark actor Josh Whitehouse. No details are available yet about his part although it is rumored to be a major role. Looking into Game of Thrones history may give us some clues about his character based on the time the prequel is set.

He could play the heroic Bran the Builder – a Stark ancestor, or Lann the Clever – the founder of the Lannister House. The Grey King who founded the Iron islands may be another possibility. At the time the story is set, the Tyrells, Baratheons and the Greyjoys weren’t around and the Targaryeans were still in Essos. There are rumors the action could be set in Essos, based on the information from a diverse casting call that HBO released recently.

Meanwhile, That Hashtag Show is reporting that Sheila Atim and Denise Gough are in talks to join the prequel. You can watch what they have to say here:

As Watchers on the Wall reported, a recent HBO casting call could be for the prequel. Reported to be for “a confidential untitled project” it says filming is set for February 2019, which ties in with rumors about when the prequel project will begin filming.  Another casting call was released on Twitter earlier this year.

 What about the plot?

We know very little as yet, beyond HBO’s general description of the show. They said that the programme will tell of “the world’s descent from the Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. And only one thing is for sure: from the horrifying secrets of Westeros’ history to the true origin of the white walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend…it’s not the story we think we know.”

The Age of Heroes takes places 10,000 years before the events we see in Game of Thrones. We can get some hints about what the time might be like from the companion book to The World of Ice and Fire: “The Age of Heroes lasted for thousands of years, in which kingdoms rose and fell, noble houses were founded and withered away, and great deeds were accomplished. Yet what we truly know of those ancient days is hardly more than what we know of the Dawn Age. The tales we have now are the work of septons and maesters writing thousands of years after the fact.”

Fans have picked up on the fact that in the episode ‘Lord Snow’, Old Nan tells Bran a story when he is recovering from his fall. That story is known as ‘The Long Night’ which ties in with the likely title of the first prequel; this also takes place mid-way through the Age of Heroes.

In that episode, Old Nan tells Bran: “Thousands of years ago, there came a night that lasted a generation. Kings froze to death in their castles, same as the shepherds in their huts; and women smothered their babies rather than let them starve, and wept, and felt the tears freeze on their cheeks. In that darkness the White Walkers came for the first time. They swept through cities and kingdoms, riding their dead horses, hunting with their packs of pale spiders big as hands.”

On his blog, Martin has ruled out fan theories that the prequels focus on the characters of Ser Duncan the Tall, Aegon the Unlikely (also know as Dunk and Egg). He’s also ruled out Robert’s Rebellion as the subject of any prequels.

Where will it be set?

Recently, fans speculated HBO may have revealed the setting for the series in a new casting call. The descriptions call for a diverse mix of characters leading many to speculate that the prequel will be set in the fictional location of Essos, a land mass found to the east of Westeros.

How many prequels will there be?

As reported first by Entertainment Weekly, five prequels were originally in development with writers being hired for each separate project.

Martin has hinted that there are at least two more prequels in “active development” alongside the provisionally titled The Long Night. In a blog post on October 30, he wrote: “There are still a couple of other possible prequels in active development. I can’t tell you the subject matter of these projects.” However, he hinted that his next book, Fire & Blood may give us some clues as to what we can expect in the future.

However, Casey Bloys – HBO President of Programming – has said that for now, they will be working on just one for the foreseeable. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he said of Goldman’s The Long Night: “That was the one we’re excited about…the other four aren’t happening at the moment.”

As reported in Harpers Bazaar, the other four screenwriters believed to be working on prequel projects for HBO include Max Borenstein (Kong: Skull Island), Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Legend), Carly Wray (The Leftovers, Mad Men), Bryan Cogman (Game of Thrones). Martin is rumored to be co-writing with Wray and Cogman already.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Martin also confirmed details about the number of prequels as well as the fact he was working on “a couple more” shows for HBO.

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