George R.R. Martin Expands 'Game of Thrones' With New Prequel About Westeros' Most Notorious Villain

George R.R. Martin may be involved with hit shows like Dark Winds and big feature films like In the Lost Lands, but he’ll always be famous for writing the series of novels that inspired the hit HBO series, Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones first premiered in 2011, and through eight seasons across eight years, it became one of the biggest properties in the world. The show has since expanded with two prequel spin-offs, the first being House of the Dragon and the second, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The former focuses on the downfall of the Targaryen family hundreds of years before the birth of Daenerys Stormborn, and the latter follows Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg, aka Aegon Targaryen.

However, Martin is always looking for new ways to expand the Game of Thrones universe, and that’s what he’s doing once again. This afternoon, a new Game of Thrones project titled The Mad King was officially announced. The play will be brought to the stage courtesy of The Royal Shakespeare Company with Duncan Macmillan adapting it to the stage and Dominic Cooke directing. Tickets for the show will go on sale this April, and it will begin playing over the summer at a currently unspecified date. A full synopsis for Game of Thrones: The Mad King has also been released:

“Game of Thrones: The Mad King is a sweeping new stage epic from the world of George R. R. Martin, written by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke. Spanning the final years before the events of the novels, this powerful drama reveals a legendary chapter of Westerosi history. Come face to face with familiar characters from the houses Targaryen, Stark, Lannister, Baratheon and Martell and witness the events that set the stage for the world’s most critically acclaimed series.”

George R.R. Martin Never Saw 'Game of Thrones' on This Scale

Speaking about Game of Thrones: The Mad King, author and executive producer on the project, George R.R. Martin had this to say:

“When I first wrote Game of Thrones, I never imagined that it would be anything other than a book. It was a place for my imagination to exist without limits. To my great surprise, it was adapted for a series and viewers have been able to enter the world of my imagination through the medium of television. For my work to now be adapted for the stage is something I did not expect but welcome with great enthusiasm and excitement. Theatre offers something unique. A place for mine and the audience’s imagination to meet and hopefully create something magical. For me, the RSC was the obvious choice when thinking about putting a Game of Thrones story on the stage. Shakespeare is the greatest name in English literature, and his plays have been a constant source of inspiration to me and my writing. Not only that, he faced similar challenges in how to put a battle on stage, so we are in good company. It will be thrilling to watch the events of this new play unfold in a live environment. Duncan’s masterful script honours the world completely, and I am so excited for both fans of the series, and perhaps people who have never picked up one of my books, to experience this new story in a theatre.”

Additional information about the project, such as casting and exact release dates, will likely be announced over the coming months. Warner Bros. and HBO are also involved in the production.

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of the new Game of Thrones stage play, The Mad King.

Release Date 2011 - 2019-00-00

Writers D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, David Benioff