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House Stark And The Direwolves Will Appear In Game of Thrones Prequel, But Not House Lannister

We’re currently in an age that is without Game of Thrones on TV, since the eighth season wrapped up nearly two months ago. However, that post-GoT withdrawal may only be short-lived, as a prequel to HBO’s critically-acclaimed fantasy drama series is currently in the works.

The Game of Thrones prequel, tentatively titled The Long Night (interesting, considering one of the episodes in Season 8 of the original show was also called The Long Night), is set approximately 5,000 years before the events of the main series. Like the main show, this one will be an adaptation of George R. R. Martin‘s fictional setting.

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And since it will be set in a time long before the main story, the geopolitical and social structure of Westeros and its surroundings will naturally be different as well. So instead of the Seven Kingdoms, there will be about a hundred “petty kingdoms” scattered across the land, suggesting a more unruly time in the Age of Heroes.

“We talk about the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros; there were Seven Kingdoms at the time of Aegon’s Conquest,” shared Martin in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “But 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.”

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For diehard fans of House Stark, worry not, as the revered family will return in the series, as will their sigil animals, the dire wolves. After all, they’ve been mainstays in mainland Westeros since time immemorial, especially since the Wall way up north was built by Bran “The Builder” Stark another 5,000 years prior.

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And speaking of the Wall, Martin has also confirmed that the White Walkers will “obviously” be present in the show. Just to what capacity, however, remains to be seen.

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And perhaps a certain king of the Dead.

The Lannisters, according to Martin, have yet to make their mark at that point in time, but their ancestral home of Casterly Rock will be there. And for those really familiar with the Lannisters’ true roots, Casterly Rock wasn’t even theirs to begin with. Perhaps the show could depict how they came to power via their progenitor, Lann the Clever.

Oh well, at least we won’t see much of sibling love like this. Oh wait…

The Game of Thrones prequel looks to feature quite the star-studded ensemble cast, with two-time Oscar nominee Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive, Birdman) having been casted, alongside other notable names in Naomi Ackie (Star Wars Episode IX), Denise Gough (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt), and Georgie Henley (Chronicles of Narnia).

Principal photography for the pilot episode has officially begun in Northern Ireland. An official premiere for the show has yet to be announced by HBO.