The Long Night… but longer.
Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin has revealed what may end up being the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series’ official title.
In an interview with EW, Martin noted this prequel series, heavily rumored to be called The Long Night, could potentially get an ever-so-slightly different name. Martin suggested that while The Long Night remains his preferred title, there’s another very similar candidate being considered.
“I heard a suggestion that it could be called The Longest Night, which is a variant I wouldn’t mind,” said Martin. “That would be pretty good.”
A Song of Several Spinoffs
A reported behind-the-scenes factor that could complicate this spinoff’s title is Season 8, Episode 3 of Game of Thrones, also called The Long Night. The term originates from a time long before A Song of Ice and Fire, when a winter called The Long Night overcame the world for an entire generation while the White Walkers invaded Westeros.
In May 2017, HBO closed deals for writers to begin work on four potential Game of Thrones prequel series – a fifth script was also reportedly in the works. Earlier this year, Martin said three of these spinoff TV shows were “moving forward nicely.”
We later found out that the reported The Long Night project will likely be set 5,000 years before the events of Game of Thrones. In October 2018, HBO announced that Naomi Watts had been cast in a lead role in the project and later revealed eight more cast members.
The Long(est) Night’s Production Begins
In February 2019, HBO programming president Casey Bloys said the prequel series will begin production sometime in early summer. Lo and behold: EW reported in mid-June that filming quietly began in Northern Ireland.
For more on Game of Thrones, check out our Game of Thrones Season 8 review, which we called “Okay” saying, “Though Season 8 was underwhelming, Game of Thrones remains more ambitious and engaging than the majority of other TV shows.”
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Colin Stevens is a news writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.