A 'Game Of Thrones' Prequel Is In The Works To Give Fans A Look At The Past

You might still need to re-watch the Game of Thrones series finale again before you can fully move on, but there are already some spin-offs in the works to keep the universe alive. While the details are fuzzy on most of the potential shows, there is a prequel with a little more meat to it that George R.R. Martin himself is involved with. So what is the Game of Thrones prequel called? It definitely can't come soon enough now that the stories on Game of Thrones have wrapped up, but there is so much more story to tell about the Westeros lore that there almost infinite places it could go.

Right now, there is no official title for the spin-off, but last year Martin himself tweeted that it would be called The Long Night. This was later used as the episode title for Season 8 Episode 3 for the Battle of Winterfell episode, so it could change. The Long Night was often referred to in the Game of Thrones show, however, so it's possible that HBO will stick with the working title, if only to entice fans with a name that's easy to remember. If nothing else, it will keep fans interested in the franchise as they wait for Martin’s next book.

Unfortunately, there aren't a ton of confirmed details out there right now about the Game of Thrones prequel. According to People, Naomi Watts will have a starring role, along with Naomi Ackie from Lady Macbeth. Because the series takes place before the events of Game of Thrones, it’s highly unlikely that any of your favorite stars from the originals series will make a cameo. There is always the chance, however, that some Stark ancestors pop up because they have always been kind of a big deal.

Last year, Entertainment Weekly reported that the prequel will take place thousands of years before Game of Thrones and that could mean a show that looks totally different than what current fans of the show and books know. Although there are a handful of books in the Game of Thrones world, Martin hasn’t written much about Westeros so far into the past.

While that makes it difficult to say what Westeros was like back then or what the characters will face, it leaves the door open to different takes on the past. It makes it possible for Martin and the prequel showrunner Jane Goldman to really work with Game of Thrones’ lore to give fans a totally new story without a lot of book material to compare it to.

If the Game of Thrones prequel is called The Long Night, that might give fans a clue about the general plot. In the books, the Long Night came thousands of years before the Targaryens ever came into power in Westeros. It was around the time when the White Walkers first showed themselves and lasted for an entire generation. It’s not clear if the world was really covered in darkness or if that’s more of a metaphor, but if the prequel still goes by that title, it could mean there will be more information about the Children of the Forest, the White Walkers, and even the construction of The Wall.

According to HBO, the Game of Thrones prequel "chronicles the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour." If you thought you’d seen horror in the Night King on Game of Thrones, something tells me the threat of the unknown when it comes to the White Walkers might be a little more terrifying. I’m definitely going to miss Tyrion, Arya, and the rest of the most important players on the show, but the Game of Thrones prequel seems like it’s going to feel like a whole new show built in the same universe. And if they aren't going to unexpectedly extend Game of Thrones a little longer, this is the next best thing.