It's OK That The 'Game Of Thrones' Prequel Won't Have Targaryens
Despite the rumors, HBO's 'Game of Thrones' prequel won't include Targaryens, which means there's a chance to build up a new mythology.
By now, fans of HBO's Game of Thrones know Season 8 is right around the corner, and that a prequel will follow. Many viewers thought the new series would be set 10,000 years before the events of GoT, but there's a twist! Entertainment Weekly confirmed the Game of Thrones prequel won't have Targaryens in it. That probably means no dragons, either... but that's not bad news!
Author George R. R. Martin has set the record straight: What we thought we knew about the Game of Thrones prequel is wrong. Because, of course it is. During a recent interview with EW, Martin cleared up rumors about the new show, and the good news is that it still sounds pretty exciting.
Per EW, Martin — who is executive producing the spinoff — didn't deny the prequel would be called "The Long Night." He also clarified its timeline. Apparently, the prequel is "closer to 5,000 years" before GoT. That sets the show up to be something entirely new.
Martin elaborated, "Westeros is a very different place. "There’s no King’s Landing. There’s no Iron Throne. There are no Targaryens." This might cause a record scratch with fans. No Targaryens? Really? But, how? They're ancient, and there's so many of them. They shaped Westeros as we know it — but maybe that's why they won't be included.
This twist is important because the Targaryens are an old, established family. Viewers know so much about them already. The Targaryen history has been explored in the fantasy novels at length, and to a lesser extent in the HBO adaptation. Martin is even working on a Targaryen family history called Fire and Blood. Bottom line: We know their story. We know what to expect. Let's get psyched for a prequel that's truly new for all of us.
What's the point of something that leads us directly where the TV show started, right? Something fresh will give all fans a level playing field.
Martin emphasized how different the prequel's world is to that of GoT.
"Valyria has hardly begun to rise yet with its dragons and the great empire that it built," he reminded fans. "We’re dealing with a different and older world and hopefully that will be part of the fun of the series." Again, he didn't explicitly confirm the series title, or even if it's been picked up yet (it hasn't — they're just working on it), but there are some things fans do know! The pilot of the prequel will star Naomi Watts, and per CBS News, the synopsis is awesome:
"[The show] 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’ 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.”
Whatever they're doing, it sounds pretty good. There's clearly so much story left to tell, and that's what fans should focus on. Ideally, Martin would direct his energy into writing his next book, but the so-called "Long Night" seems legit, too. It starts filming in Belfast soon, so who knows, maybe it will be picked up to series before Game of Thrones Season 8 premieres in April 2019.
Valar Morghulis!
