There’s a new Game of Thrones project on the way, and it’s our best chance to get some Winds of Winter answers ahead of the book’s release. It was recently announced that a stage production titled Game of Thrones: The Mad King is set to begin performances this summer at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre inStratford-upon-Avon. Not only is this the first adaptation of its kind in the massively popular fantasy franchise, but the central story being explored is deeply relevant to HBO’s Game of Thrones and George R.R. Martin’s ongoing A Song of Ice and Fire series.
Game of Thrones: The Mad King will be set about 15 years before the events of Game of Thrones, when King Aerys II Targaryen still sits on the throne. The stage play revolves around Tourney at Harrenhal, when Prince Rhaegar Targaryen crowns Lyanna Stark as the Queen of Love and Beauty. It was a great scandal, since Lyanna was betrothed to Robert Baratheon and Rhaegar was already married to Elia Martell.
This event essentially catalyzes the rest of the Game of Thrones series, tossing fuel on the fire of the Targaryens ‘ dwindling favor among even the high lords of Westeros. Though we heard about the Mad King’s rule and Rhaegar’s apparent romance with Lyanna in the HBO TV show, we didn’t see much of this on screen. Moreover, George R.R. Martin’s books have barely begun to delve into the facts of this time. We’ve been waiting for the next book, Winds of Winter, to provide answers. Now, we might get an early taste.
Rhaegar’s Story Is Deeply Relevant To George R.R. Martin’s Ongoing Series (Including Winds Of Winter)
Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen in Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones caught up with Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series by the end of season 5, so essentially all the major plot details of the show’s final three seasons could be contradicted by the source material. Martin has been famously slow to release the final two books planned for his series, the next up being Winds of Winter. This tome is expected to answer many of our biggest questions, including whether Jon Snow is really Rhaegar’s legitimate son and what the Prince That Was Promised prophecy will mean for the overarching story.
It’s clear in the A Song of Ice and Fire books that both Jon and Daenerys’ stories are profoundly linked to that of Rhaegar’s. Dani frequently dreams of her older brother, and in these dreams, she sees just how obsessed Rhaegar was with discovering how to fulfill the prophecy. He was adamant that the dragon would have “three heads,” indicating that the Prince That Was Promised might be three Targaryens, rather than one.
It’s implied in Martin’s books that Rhaegar’s relationship with Lyanna was motivated by his desire to have another son, thus creating that third dragon head. The outcome of this prophecy is guaranteed to be a factor in Winds of Winder and A Dream of Spring, and it all starts with Rhaegar. This makes a Game of Thrones project revolving around this character extremely valuable.
The New Game Of Thrones Project Can Begin To Distinguish Between The Show & Book Ending
One of the most exciting reveals about Game of Thrones: The Mad King is that it is being created with Martin’s guidance. This means the upcoming stage play should remain fairly faithful to the author’s story. Martin has stated that HBO’s show shares some similarities with his own planned ending, but that there will also be significant differences. Rhaegar’s involvement is another prime example.
Tickets for Game of Thrones: The Mad King will go on sale beginning April 2026.
In the TV show, Daenerys doesn’t have “dragon dreams” about her brother’s past, and she doesn’t hear about the Prince That Was Promised prophecy until much later down the line, and she doesn’t seem to care much about it. In the books, however, Dani recognizes the importance of this prophecy and Rhaegar’s research and is eager to discover her own part in it. This guarantees a different outcome for the book story—we just don’t know yet what it will be.
With Martin’s guidance, Game of Thrones: The Mad King can begin to draw in those parameters. Of course, it won’t spoil Winds of Winter by giving us all the answers, but it can begin to officially cancel out those show details that won’t come into play in Martin’s version of the adventure. We may discover whether Rhaegar and Lyanna were ever married, or whether Elia’s infant, Aegon, was actually killed (as the books suggest he wasn’t). One way or another, digging for hints in this new Game of Thrones project will be as fun as ever.
Release Date
2011 – 2019-00-00
Showrunner
David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
Directors
David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff