Why talk about “A Song of Ice and Fire” when you can hum along in a theater? A play based on George R.R. Martin’s fantasy book series is in the works for Broadway, and features characters popularized by the HBO show “Game of Thrones,” including Ned Stark. The show is expected to premiere in 2023.
The play will feature a story by Martin, in collaboration with playwright Duncan MacMillan and director Dominic Cooke. The untitled play will be produced by Simon Painter and Tim Lawson, in partnership with Kilburn Live. The creators want to premiere the play on Broadway, the West End, and Australia.
The play is being billed as a prequel, taking place 16 years before “Game of Thrones,” at the Great Tourney at Harrenhal, a 10-day tournament. It features a young Ned Stark, his sister Lyanna, Jaime Lannister, Lord Robert Baratheon, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, Prince Oberyn Martell, and Ser Barristan Selmy. These characters were pivotal players on the television show, with Ned Stark as the hero of the first season, and Jaime Lannister appearing in all eight seasons of the show (a rare feat for a property that had a reputation for killing off fan favorites).
Why ‘Game of Thrones’ Has One of the Best Acting Ensembles of 2019 In the lore of the show, it was at this pivotal tournament that Rhaegar displayed his romantic feelings for Lyanna Stark, who was engaged to Robert Baratheon. After, the two would elope, setting off Robert’s Rebellion, and the events would reverberate through the “Game of Thrones” plot points.
“The seeds of war are often planted in times of peace,” said Martin in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”
That’s not the only “Game of Thrones”–inspired piece in development. HBO is producing at least six Westeros-set shows, with one, “House of the Dragon,” expecting to premiere in 2022. Martin recently signed an eight-figure, five-year deal with HBO to develop properties for the network. Unfortunately for fans of the book series, Martin’s yet-unfinished sixth installment in his “Song of Ice and Fire” series, “The Winds of Winter,” still does not have a release date.
How to Get Cast on ‘House of the Dragon,’ the ‘Game of Thrones’ Prequel His play producers Painter and Lawson are no strangers to spectacle or popular entertainment: the two have produced five productions of “The Illusionists” magic show on Broadway. And playwright Macmillan wrote the adaptation of George Orwell’s “1984,” which played on Broadway in 2017.
That’s not the only pop culture-inspired work to appear on Broadway when it reopens.
Recently, the producers of “Diana: The Musical” based on the life of the Princess of Wales, has announced that the show is indeed coming back (it was in previews on Broadway in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic). First, a filmed version of the show will premiere on Netflix on Oct. 1.
Then the show will begin live performances at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway on Dec. 1, with opening night set for Dec. 16.
Said the producers Grove Entertainment (Beth Williams), Frank Marshall, and the Araca Group in a joint statement: “The chance to share our show, first with Netflix’s global audience, and then welcoming a live audience back on Broadway, is something we’ve all been dreaming about for more than a year. We could not be more thrilled to finally share both the film and the Broadway musical with the world.”
The musical features book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro, and music and lyrics by Tony Award winner David Bryan. It is directed by Tony winner Christopher Ashley, who also directed the Netflix filmed version, which was filmed last year. Jeanna de Waal plays Diana, Roe Hartrampf plays Prince Charles, Erin Davie plays Camilla Parker Bowles, and two-time Tony winner Judy Kaye plays Queen Elizabeth.
Like “Game of Thrones,” Princess Diana is inspiring multiple projects lately. She is a pivotal part of Season 4 of “The Crown” on Netflix (where she is played by Emma Corrin). Elizabeth Debicki will play Diana in Seasons 5 and 6 of “The Crown.” And a Diana film has begun shooting in the U.K., with Kristen Stewart as Diana. The film, “Spencer,” is directed by Pablo Larraín. All of these projects line up with the 25th anniversary of Diana’s death in 2022.
Granted, all of these announcements are contingent on Broadway coming back. Recently, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that there will be dedicated vaccination sites for theater workers, with the goal of bringing back the Great White Way in the fall. So far, “Diana” is the first Broadway show to announce definite dates for 2021.
