Game of Thrones prequel: Everything we know so far
21 May 2019
Game of Thrones took its final bow last night after eight thrilling seasons. But with a prequel already announced, fans don't have to wait too long until their Westeros-shaped hole is filled once again. Here's everything we know about it - from the title to the casting line-up and everything in between. There's no official title yet but a couple have been brandished about over the last few months. According to some reports it's being referred to as Bloodmoon by those working on the set in Belfast. George RR Martin, the author and creator of Game of Thrones, previously referred to the pilot as The Long Night - but had to backtrack and state that the show is still untitled. The Long Night was the name of episode three in season eight of Game of Thrones, when the Night King rocked up at Westeros. Whatever it's called, the show will be set around 5,000 years before events in Game of Thrones. That means none of the characters we've come to love and hate over the last eight years will even be alive yet. But there is one exception. The Night King, played by Slovak actor Vladimir Furdik, will feature in the prequel. Which brings us on to the next point... The series "chronicles the world's descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour", according to HBO. "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." The Age of Heroes refers to the period of time when the Children of the Forest made a pact with the First Men, which brought about peace. And the "darkest hour" is a reference to The Long Night, which is when the White Walkers first descended on the world, disturbing that peace and bringing the savage winter that lasted for years. So it looks like we'll finally get an origin story for the Night King, and potentially something about the Stark/Lannister back story. The prequel takes place when Bran the Builder, the Stark ancestor who built both Winterfell and the Wall, was alive. And with Lann the Clever who founded House Lannister also around during this time there's a chance we'll get some background to the famous rivalry. Sorry - no. "You're looking at a whole different era of Westeros," George RR Martin told the Hollywood Reporter last month. "No dragons, no Iron Throne, no King's Landing." Oscar nominee Naomi Watts, who's starred in things like King Kong, is the biggest name signed up to the prequel so far and was the first to be confirmed. She's been cast in a leading role as "a charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret". Fans are speculating that she could be playing Nissa Nissa - the wife of legendary hero Azor Ahai who's known for wielding a burning sword called Lightbringer - although that is still unconfirmed. Naomi isn't the only Oscar nominee to bag a role - Miranda Richardson, who played journalist Rita Skeeter in Harry Potter, has also been confirmed. Jamie Campbell Bower, aka the young Gellert Grindelwald in the first Deathly Hallows and Fantastic Beasts, is also taking a part, as is John Simm - The Master on Doctor Who - and Georgie Henley, or Lucy from The Chronicles of Narnia. The full list is available on IMDB, but we'll have to wait to learn which specific characters they'll all be playing. Not until at least next year, although filming has already started in Belfast. HBO's Casey Bloys told The Hollywood Reporter "there's no timetable", adding: "If we do a pilot and series, nothing is going to air on HBO until at least a year after the final season." So that means May 2020 at the earliest. But we may need that long to recover from season eight anyway... Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
There's no official title yet but a couple have been brandished about over the last few months. According to some reports it's being referred to as Bloodmoon by those working on the set in Belfast. George RR Martin, the author and creator of Game of Thrones, previously referred to the pilot as The Long Night - but had to backtrack and state that the show is still untitled. The Long Night was the name of episode three in season eight of Game of Thrones, when the Night King rocked up at Westeros.
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What's it going to be called?
Whatever it's called, the show will be set around 5,000 years before events in Game of Thrones. That means none of the characters we've come to love and hate over the last eight years will even be alive yet. But there is one exception. The Night King, played by Slovak actor Vladimir Furdik, will feature in the prequel. Which brings us on to the next point...
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When is it set?
The series "chronicles the world's descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour", according to HBO. "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." The Age of Heroes refers to the period of time when the Children of the Forest made a pact with the First Men, which brought about peace. And the "darkest hour" is a reference to The Long Night, which is when the White Walkers first descended on the world, disturbing that peace and bringing the savage winter that lasted for years. So it looks like we'll finally get an origin story for the Night King, and potentially something about the Stark/Lannister back story. The prequel takes place when Bran the Builder, the Stark ancestor who built both Winterfell and the Wall, was alive. And with Lann the Clever who founded House Lannister also around during this time there's a chance we'll get some background to the famous rivalry.
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What's it going to be about?
Sorry - no. "You're looking at a whole different era of Westeros," George RR Martin told the Hollywood Reporter last month. "No dragons, no Iron Throne, no King's Landing."
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Will there be any dragons?
Oscar nominee Naomi Watts, who's starred in things like King Kong, is the biggest name signed up to the prequel so far and was the first to be confirmed. She's been cast in a leading role as "a charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret". Fans are speculating that she could be playing Nissa Nissa - the wife of legendary hero Azor Ahai who's known for wielding a burning sword called Lightbringer - although that is still unconfirmed. Naomi isn't the only Oscar nominee to bag a role - Miranda Richardson, who played journalist Rita Skeeter in Harry Potter, has also been confirmed. Jamie Campbell Bower, aka the young Gellert Grindelwald in the first Deathly Hallows and Fantastic Beasts, is also taking a part, as is John Simm - The Master on Doctor Who - and Georgie Henley, or Lucy from The Chronicles of Narnia. The full list is available on IMDB, but we'll have to wait to learn which specific characters they'll all be playing.
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Who's going to be in it?
Not until at least next year, although filming has already started in Belfast. HBO's Casey Bloys told The Hollywood Reporter "there's no timetable", adding: "If we do a pilot and series, nothing is going to air on HBO until at least a year after the final season." So that means May 2020 at the earliest. But we may need that long to recover from season eight anyway...
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When will we get to see it?