Brace yourselves: winter is coming… again. The popular author of the A Song of Ice and Fire saga George R.R. Martin has recently spoken with Entertainment Weekly, and has revealed some new juicy facts about the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel. Forget the Seven Kingdoms: the new HBO series will feature about a hundred kingdoms!
“We talk about the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros; there were Seven Kingdoms at the time of Aegon’s Conquest,” Martin said. “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.”
RELATED – Game of Thrones Star on Melisandre’s Hypothetical Return in Prequels
Then Martin confirmed that the house of the Starks will be part of the story once again. And yes, the Starks’ favorite animals, the direwolves, will be involved in some way. On the other hand, fans of the Lannisters may be disappointed to hear the prequel predates the rise of that particular family.
Despite HBO casting Naomi Watts, Naomi Ackie, and Denise Gough, who seem like a trio of female leads, Martin described the upcoming show as an ensemble story.
“I hesitate to use the word ‘lead,’” Martin added. “As you know for Game of Thrones, we never even nominated anybody for lead actress or lead actor [during awards season] until recently; it was always for supporting [categories] because the show is such an ensemble. I think that will be true for this show too. We don’t have leads so much as a large ensemble cast.”
What do you think about George R.R. Martin’s revelations about the upcoming HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.