You might wanna scratch “The Long Night” off all your “Game of Thrones” prequel pilot fan fiction — at least for now — because George R.R. Martin had to take back his premature announcement that that is in fact the name of the upcoming HBO project.
“Oh, I should also mention … HBO has informed me that the Jane Goldman pilot is not (yet) titled THE LONG NIGHT,” Martin wrote on his Not A Blog blog Monday. “That’s is certainly the title I prefer, but for the moment the pilot is still officially UNTITLED. So… mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa. Elsewise, the pilot is coming along well, with casting falling into place. I could tell you more, but I am not supposed to. We also have a couple of other successor shows still in development, but I cannot tell you about those either. Sorry.”
Yes, his bad, his bad. But, did you notice Martin’s “not (yet) titled” and “but for the moment” and “I could tell you more” remarks? OK, so make of that what you will. (He’s also continuing to tease those other possible “GoT” prequel projects that we’ve seen no movement on since this one was ordered.)
Last week, Martin was so excited to welcome Naomi Watts — who was cast as a lead in the project — into the “Game of Thrones” family that he prematurely gave the prequel pilot the “The Long Night” moniker.
“Casting is now underway for THE LONG NIGHT, the first of the GAME OF THRONES successor series to ordered to film,” Martin wrote on his aforementioned blog. “HBO has just announced the first cast member: NAOMI WATTS is coming on board as one of our stars. I could not be more excited. Welcome to Westeros, Naomi.”
An an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap at the time the pilot remains untitled — and it looks like HBO told Martin the same thing.
Ordered to pilot earlier this year, the project from Martin and “Kingsman” screenwriter Jane Goldman is set thousands of years before the events of the current “Game of Thrones” series in the era known as the “Age of Heroes.”
According to HBO, the drama “chronicles the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. And only one thing is for sure: from the horrifying secrets of Westeros’ history to the true origin of the white walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend … it’s not the story we think we know.”
Goldman wrote the pilot from a story she developed alongside Martin. She will serve as showrunner and will executive produce alongside Martin, James Farrel, Jim Danger Gray, Vince Gerardis and Daniel Zelman. Chris Symes is co-executive producer.