'Game of Thrones' stage adaptation on its way

Winter will be coming to Broadway, in addition to the West End and Australia. The Hollywood Reporter states that an adaptation of Game of Thrones is currently being written by Duncan Macmillan and author George R.R. Martin himself.

The goal is to debut productions in New York City, London’s West End, and Australia. The first show is expected to launch in 2023.

The Hollywood Reporter states.

The production includes a particularly unique story element that should be a huge draw for fans: While many prequel projects have been put into development since Thrones concluded in 2019, this will mark the first to bring back several of the most beloved Game of Thrones characters. The as-yet-untitled play is set during a pivotal moment in Westeros history, The Great Tourney at Harrenhal, a contest that took place just 16 years before the events in Game of Thrones.

“The play will for the first time take audiences deeper behind the scenes of a landmark event that previously was shrouded in mystery,” reads the play’s official description. “Featuring many of the most iconic and well-known characters from the series, the production will boast a story centered around love, vengeance, madness and the dangers of dealing in prophecy, in the process revealing secrets and lies that have only been hinted at until now.”

“The seeds of war are often planted in times of peace,” Martin said in a statement. “Few in Westeros knew the carnage to come when highborn and smallfolk alike gathered at Harrenhal to watch the finest knights of the realm compete in a great tourney, during the Year of the False Spring. It is a tourney oft referred during HBO's Game of Thrones, and in my novels, A Song of Ice & Fire … and now, at last, we can tell the whole story... on the stage.”

The move is hardly surprising given the success of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. By 2019, Cursed Child was reportedly the highest-grossing non-musical in Broadway history, having made more than $146 million until it was shut down by the coronavirus pandemic.

The creative and producing team includes producers Simon Painter, Tim Lawson, and Jonathan Sanford with Dominic Cooke directing.

No characters have yet been officially confirmed for the play.

The news comes on the heels of Martin striking a new five-year overall deal with HBO to create content for the network. HBO has already greenlit one Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, which is expected to premiere in 2022 and has at least five others in various stages of development for HBO and HBO Max.