Game of Thrones Prequel: George R.R. Martin Confirms ‘Starks Will Definitely be There’, Teases New Title

July 10, 2019 easitimes 685 Views 0 Comments

The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. House Stark will definitely feature in the still-untitled Game of Thrones prequel, according to A Song of Ice and Fire writer George R.R. Martin.

The spin-off of the hit HBO fantasy series is currently filming in Northern Ireland, but very little information about the show has been revealed. Martin previously revealed that it would be set roughly 5,000 years before the events of Game of Thrones.

Cast and crew of Outstanding Drama Series winner 'Game of Thrones' pose in the press room during the 70th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2018 © Getty Cast and crew of Outstanding Drama Series winner ‘Game of Thrones’ pose in the press room during the 70th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2018 The 70-year-old has confirmed that the fan favorite family from the North will appear. “The Starks will definitely be there,” said Martin in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

One of the Great Houses of Westeros, the Starks claim a lineage stretching back over 8,000 years, long before the Targaryen conquest. That famous house will not be featuring in the show, and neither will the Starks’ major adversaries, the Lannisters.

Gallery: Everything to Know About the ‘Game of Thrones’ Prequel (US Weekly)

a person wearing a costume: Trying to fill that Game of Thrones-shaped hole in your heart? Not to worry – a prequel series is officially underway at HBO. The series finale of the groundbreaking show aired in May 2019, but it didn’t leave all fans happy; in fact, the final season overall caused quite the outpour of backlash from fans who thought it could have been done better.
“I think the guys did a great job,” HBO programming president Casey Bloys told Variety about showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss and the final season. “I think to a certain extent it was expected that for a show this big, there’s no way you’re going to please everybody. It’s roughly split with some people loving it and some people disliking it. That’s about what you’d expect. I think the guys landed a massive plane and did a great job doing it. But you’re never going to make everybody happy, nor should that be the goal.”
Additionally, Bloys stood by the decision to have an abbreviated season; the final run was only six (very long) episodes, something many felt was rushed. “The guys have had a very, very specific plan in their head for a long time,” he said. “This was not something that was kind of slapdash, where at the end of last season we said, ‘Eh, we only feel like doing six.’ They were very, very deliberate. This was well thought out.”
Benioff and Weiss will move on to work on a new Star Wars film, to debut in 2022 after The Rise of Skywalker. Jane Goldman will be the showrunner for the prequel series and Jessica Jones’ S.J. Clarkson will direct.
Scroll through our gallery below to stay up to date on the Game of Thrones prequel.

“The Lannisters aren’t there yet, but Castlery Rock is certainly there; it’s like the Rock of Gibraltar… It’s actually occupied by the Casterlys — for whom it’s still named after in the time of Game of Thrones,” states Martin. According to the book’s lore, House Casterley were tricked out of their castle by Lann the Clever, from who the Lannisters trace their lineage.

As well as revealing which families will or will not feature in the show, Martin also hinted at what the possible title for the prequel could be. Previous reporters indicated the working title of the show was Bloodmoon, with The Long Night being Martin’s preferred title, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Game of Thrones Prequel: George R.R. Martin Confirms 'Starks Will Definitely be There', Teases New Title © HBO Game of Thrones Prequel: George R.R. Martin Confirms ‘Starks Will Definitely be There’, Teases New Title

And the final title might end up being quite close to that. “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,” Martin told EW.

Gallery: As a Reminder, Here’s Everyone in the Game of Thrones Prequel’s Cast (POPSUGAR)

Naomi Watts smiling for the camera: Plans for the highly anticipated Game of Thrones prequel are moving right along, to the point where we've already gotten a few exciting casting announcements and news of when to expect it to premiere (2021, FYI). In addition to Naomi Watts joining the cast, alums from Poldark, Humans, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and more have also signed on, though not much is known about any of their characters. What we do know, however, is that you shouldn't expect anyone from the original series to appear on the show.
The pilot for the prequel is set thousands of years before the events featured in author George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. According to HBO's description of the project, the series "chronicles the world's descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour, and only one thing is for sure: 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 . . . it's not the story we think we know."
HBO ordered the pilot last Summer and filming is set to begin this year in Belfast. As we patiently wait for more information - like the prequel's title and additional plot details - check out the cast ahead.

The prequel series, with Jane Goldman (Stardust, Kick-Ass) serving as showrunner, has already unveiled a cast including Naomi Watts, Miranda Richardson and John Simm.

A statement from HBO about the show states: “Taking place thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones, 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.”

With filming currently taking place, the show is likely to debut sometime in 2020.

Gallery: 21 details you might have missed on the final episode of Game of Thrones (INSIDER)