Facts about the upcoming GoT Prequel, from George R R Martin

Fans have since then been wondering what to do with their lives, and finally they have an answer. Game of Thrones is officially coming back! In June, HBO had officially announced that a prequel to the series is in the works, and has started filming in Northern Ireland.

It has barely been 2 months since Game of Thrones ended, leaving all of us with a serious case of separation anxiety from our beloved Westeros.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, executive producer George R. R. Martin has revealed some interesting and vital facts about the prequel’s storyline. HBO and Martin had previously revealed that the prequel would be set roughly 5,000 years prior to the events in Game of Thrones.

In this interview, Martin dropped some heavy hints about the prequel and we have them here for you.

1. 5,000-years ago, Westeros was a whole different ball-game, divided into nearly a 100 kingdoms.

The Seven Kingdoms that are talked about when Westeros is mentioned were the Seven Kingdoms that were there at the time of Aegon’s Conquest. According to Martin,

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.

If Westeros could get so chaotic with only seven kingdoms around, imagine the events that would happen with a 100 of them. Yikes.

2. Our favourite family is here: The Starks, along with direwolves will be part of the prequel.

Martin confirmed that the Starks will make an appearance in the prequel, which makes sense since the family are direct descendants of the First Men, and the time-period is 5,000 years ago. There are also going to be glimpses of direwolves, and even mammoths.

3. The White Walkers will be there too.

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”.

4. Casterly Rock will exist, but minus the Lannisters.

Since the prequel predates the rise of the Lannister family, the series will focus on a different family residing in the future home of the Lannisters, in Casterly Rock. This family, called the Casterlys were supposedly cheated out from their home by Lann the Clever — who founded House Lannister. According to Martin,

The Lannisters aren’t there yet, but Casterly Rock is certainly there; It’s actually occupied by the Casterlys — for whom it’s still named after in the time of Game of Thrones.

5. The cast will be a huge ensemble.

According to an updated cast list released by HBO, the show will not have any true lead. The cast is a huge ensemble. When asked about this, Martin revealed,

I hesitate to use the word ‘lead’. As you know for Game of Thrones, we never even nominated anybody for lead actress or lead actor…because the show is such an ensemble. I think that will be true for this show too. We don’t have leads so much as a large ensemble cast.

6. The possible title of the show

The prequel is officially still untitled, insists Martin. In the past, one title suggested by Martin for the show was ‘The Long Night’. There is also another title that could possibly be considered, ‘The Longest Night’.

I heard a suggestion that it could be called The Longest Night, which is a variant I wouldn’t mind, that would be pretty good.

Hopefully, this prequel will see the light of day by next year, because honestly – I don’t think we can wait that long.