‘Game of Thrones’ spin-offs will be prequels, confirms G.R.R. Martin

Thanks to the enormous success of “Game of Thrones,” HBO will be developing five spin-offs based on celebrated author George R. R. Martin’s magnum opus. However, the nature of those spin-offs have a remained mystery—until now, that is.

Martin has taken to his Livejournal to confirm that said “Game of Thrones” spin-offs will be prequels.

“What we’re talking about are new stories set in the ‘secondary universe’ (to borrow Tolkien's term) of Westeros and the world beyond, the world I created for A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE,” he wrote.

“None of these new shows will be ‘spinning off’ from GOT in the traditional sense… Every one of the concepts under discussion is a prequel, rather than a sequel. Some may not even be set on Westeros.”

Martin added that he preferred using the term “successor shows” to “prequels” or “spin-offs” when referring to the new projects.

Series writers named

The author confirmed his months-long involvement with the projects and also revealed the names of the writers who’ll be working on the four planned “Game of Thrones” series: Max Borenstein, Jane Goldman, Brian Helgeland, and Carly Wray.

Martin has been working extensively with these writers to develop the new series.

“Every one of the four has visited me here in Santa Fe, some of them more than once, and we’ve spent days together discussing their ideas, the history of Westeros and the world beyond, and sundry details.”

In addition, another writer has already been attached to the fifth series, but Martin refused to name him. He did describe him as a “really terrific addition” and a “great guy and a fine writer” who loves Westeros almost as much as he does.

Before we celebrate, however, Martin stated that it’s possible HBO won’t pick up all five series.

“I do think it’s very unlikely that we’ll be getting four (or five) series. At least not immediately. What we do have here is an order for four—now five—pilot scripts. How many pilots will be filmed, and how many series might come out of that, remains to be seen.”

Martin stressed that the ultimate goal is to make the new series as good as the current “Game of Thrones.”

Sorry, Dunk and Egg fans

While Martin didn’t reveal what the shows are about, he described what they won’t be about.

For one, the shows won’t revolve around Dunk ang Egg—the legendary hedge knight Sir Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg, who star in three of Martin’s novellas. Their story is set 89 years before the events of “Game of Thrones.”

The reason Dunk and Egg won’t be the subjects of any of the new series is because their story is not yet complete, and Martin wishes to write more novellas focusing on the characters.

“When the day comes that I’ve finished telling all my tales of Dunk & Egg, then we’ll do a TV show about them... but that day is still a long ways off,” he admitted.

The shows won’t be about Robert’s Rebellion, either. Martin gave a pretty good reason for why this decision was made.

“By the time I finish writing A SONG OF ICE & FIRE, you will know every important thing that happened in Robert’s Rebellion. There would be no surprises or revelations left in such a show, just the acting out of conflicts whose resolutions you already know. That’s not a story I want to tell just now; it would feel too much like a twice-told tale.”

Lastly, Martin assured fans of the novels that he’s still working on “Winds of Winter”—the highly anticipated sixth entry in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” epic fantasy series.

Martin is a notoriously slow writer (a fact that he himself admits). The last book, “A Dance with Dragons,” was released way back in 2011. Neither “Winds of Winter” nor the last book in the series “A Dream of Spring” have release dates yet.

“Game of Thrones” will be returning to HBO for its 7-episode seventh season this July 16. — BM, GMA News