Game Of Thrones’ Mad King Prequel Reveals Gritty First Look From George R.R. Martin


The gritty first look for the Game of Thrones: The Mad King prequel has been revealed.

The upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff is set before the events of George R.R. Martin’s original A Song of Ice and Fire novels and the HBO adaptation, exploring the tourney at Harrenhal that changes Westeros forever and as rebellion takes shape against King Aerys II Targaryen, better known as the Mad King. It is a stage production written by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke that is being performed at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre for a limited run from July 20-September 5.

On Martin’s Not a Blog, the first look at Game of Thrones: The Mad King has now been revealed, with an official poster showing a broken golden crown stuck in the dirt. The image is accompanied by the announcement that tickets are now on sale for the play as well. Check out the poster below:

A prequel revolving around the tourney at Harrenhal, Robert’s Rebellion, and the end of the Mad King has been a source of speculation for years, with the stage production being the first to officially bring the story to life. The lore surrounding Rhaegar Targaryen, Lyanna Stark, Robert Baratheon, the Mad King and other key characters is the foundation for the entire story of Game of Thrones. Outside a handful of visions from Bran Stark, these events were only mentioned and never shown in the HBO series, leaving fans hungry to see more of the full backstory.



















The Citadel · Maester’s Examination
How Well Do You Know Westeros?
“When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.”

🐺StarkWinter is Coming

🦁LannisterHear Me Roar

🐉TargaryenFire and Blood

🦌BaratheonOurs is the Fury

🐙GreyjoyWe Do Not Sow

01

The Lannisters are the wealthiest family in Westeros, ruling from their ancestral seat. What is the name of their castle?




✓ Correct! Casterly Rock sits atop gold mines in the Westerlands and has been the seat of House Lannister for centuries. The gold beneath it is the source of the family’s legendary wealth — though as Tywin once noted, the mines ran dry years ago.

✗ Dracarys! The answer is Casterly Rock. Highgarden belongs to the Tyrells, Storm’s End to the Baratheons, and The Eyrie to the Arryns. Casterly Rock has been the Lannister stronghold since Lann the Clever swindled it from House Casterly.

02

Jon Snow rises through the ranks of the Night’s Watch to eventually hold what title — the highest position in the order?




✓ Correct! Jon Snow was elected the 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch by his sworn brothers. He was one of the youngest men to ever hold the title, following in the footsteps of legends like Jeor Mormont.

✗ Dracarys! The answer is Lord Commander. While Jon started as a steward, he was elected Lord Commander after the death of Jeor Mormont. Warden of the North is a different title entirely — one held by the Stark family.

03

Daenerys Targaryen hatches three dragons from petrified eggs. Which of the following is NOT one of her dragons?




✓ Correct! Balerion “the Black Dread” was Aegon the Conqueror’s dragon, who died of old age over a century before the events of the show. Daenerys’ three dragons are Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion — named after Khal Drogo, Rhaegar, and Viserys.

✗ Dracarys! The answer is Balerion. Daenerys’ three dragons are Drogon (black and red), Rhaegal (green and bronze), and Viserion (cream and gold). Balerion the Black Dread was Aegon the Conqueror’s mount, dead long before Daenerys was born.

04

The Red Wedding is one of the most shocking moments in TV history. At whose castle does this massacre take place?




✓ Correct! The Red Wedding took place at The Twins, the castle of House Frey. Lord Walder Frey violated the sacred guest right by slaughtering Robb Stark, Catelyn Stark, and their bannermen during the wedding feast of Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey.

✗ Dracarys! The answer is The Twins. Walder Frey’s castle — two towers spanning the Green Fork — was where he broke sacred guest right to massacre the Starks. “The Lannisters send their regards” remains one of the show’s most chilling lines.

05

Jon Snow wields a Valyrian steel bastard sword given to him by Lord Commander Jeor Mormont. What is the sword’s name?




✓ Correct! Longclaw is a Valyrian steel bastard sword that was the ancestral weapon of House Mormont. Jeor gave it to Jon after he saved the Lord Commander from a wight, replacing the bear pommel with a white wolf for House Stark.

✗ Dracarys! The answer is Longclaw. Ice was the Stark greatsword (melted down by Tywin Lannister), Heartsbane belonged to House Tarly, and Oathkeeper was one of the two swords forged from Ice. Longclaw is the Mormont blade Jon carries throughout the series.

06

Tyrion Lannister serves as Hand of the King to which ruler, expertly managing the defense of King’s Landing during the Battle of the Blackwater?




✓ Correct! Tywin sent Tyrion to serve as Hand in his place during Joffrey’s reign. Tyrion brilliantly orchestrated the defense against Stannis Baratheon’s fleet using wildfire, though he received no credit and was nearly killed in the battle.

✗ Dracarys! The answer is Joffrey Baratheon. Tyrion served as Joffrey’s Hand of the King in Season 2, appointed by his father Tywin. He later served as Hand to Daenerys, but it was under Joffrey that the Battle of the Blackwater took place.

07

Jon Snow’s true parentage is one of the show’s biggest reveals. What is his real Targaryen name, given by his mother Lyanna Stark?




✓ Correct! Lyanna Stark named her son Aegon Targaryen. He is the legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna, who were secretly married. This made Jon the true heir to the Iron Throne — a fact that changed the course of the final season.

✗ Dracarys! The answer is Aegon Targaryen. Lyanna whispered the name to Ned Stark in the Tower of Joy. Jon is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen (not named after him), making him Aegon — a name carried by many Targaryen kings, including the Conqueror himself.

08

In the series finale, who is chosen by the lords and ladies of Westeros to rule the Six Kingdoms as king?




✓ Correct! Bran Stark — now Bran the Broken — was chosen as king of the Six Kingdoms at the Dragonpit council. Tyrion argued that Bran’s story was the most compelling reason to rule. Sansa became Queen in the North, and Jon was sent back to the Wall.

✗ Dracarys! The answer is Bran Stark. Tyrion nominated Bran at the great council, arguing “who has a better story than Bran the Broken?” Sansa was crowned Queen in the independent North, Jon returned to the Wall, and Tyrion served as Bran’s Hand of the King.

The Citadel · Results Sealed
Your Westeros Record

/ 8

Did you claim the Iron Throne — or lose your head?

Given the level of interest in the prequel’s story and the overall franchise, the question becomes whether it will end up being performed beyond the limited run at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The ongoing success of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Stranger Things: The First Shadow indicate that Game of Thrones: The Mad King could thrive as a more long-term production, especially given the franchise’s current popularity.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ reviews were overwhelmingly positive and season 1 of the spinoff averaged an impressive 36 million viewers per episode, which is even better than The Pitt season 2’s average of 20 million viewers per episode. While A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 is in production, House of the Dragon season 3 premieres on June 21, which marks the first time that two different seasons of Game of Thrones series have released in the same year.

The demand for more of the franchise could potentially lead to Game of Thrones: The Mad King eventually being adapted as a television series. Its story is the prequel that many fans were clamoring for even before House of the Dragon or A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and the play provides a possible template for it. Even if the stage production’s run is extended or brought to other countries, it still won’t be as accessible in this format as it would be in the form of an HBO series. For now, though, it is only meant to be for the stage.


Game of Thrones Poster


Release Date

2011 – 2019-00-00

Showrunner

David Benioff, D.B. Weiss

Directors

David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff




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