Published Jun 20, 2026, 12:05 PM EDT
El is a Junior TV Features Editor for ScreenRant, with previous experience as The Mary Sue’s UK and Weekend Editor. She holds a Bachelor’s in International Media and Entertainment Management, as well as an MA and Ph.D. in Creative Writing. There is little she loves more than discussing her favorite TV shows with fellow fans. One day, she hopes to publish an original fantasy novel.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account
Game of Thrones’ upcoming prequel, Game of Thrones: The Mad King, will depict the Usurper, Robert Baratheon, in his prime. As House of the Dragon returns for season 3, another Game of Thrones spinoff is set to examine the events that led to the end of the Targaryen dynasty. Set roughly 10-15 years before the start of Game of Thrones’ primary timeline, The Mad King will focus on the pivotal Tourney at Harrenhal, which kick-started Robert’s Rebellion, resulting in King Aerys Targaryen II’s death at the hands of Ser Jaime Lannister and Robert’s ascension to the Iron Throne.
Though this is a crucial period in Westeros’ history and A Song of Ice and Fire’s overarching lore, this story won’t air on HBO. In a surprising twist, George R.R. Martin has created a prequel stage play, adapted by Duncan Macmillan, directed by Dominic Cooke, and produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company. The show will have its premiere run in the English town of Stratford-Upon-Avon at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Monday, July 20, to September 5, 2026.
With the recent trend of major Hollywood IPs producing stage shows, including Stranger Things and The Hunger Games, Game of Thrones’ shift to the theater makes the most sense. Few fantasy narratives are as Shakespearean as* A Song of Ice and Fire*, and Martin himself has often cited The Bard’s works as an inspiration. In his announcement *Not A Blog post, Martin wrote: “It goes without saying that I am a huge Shakespeare fan, and it will likely surprise no one to learn that the history plays are my favorites, and none more so than those set during the Wars of the Roses.” *
Despite Martin’s understandable decision to produce a Game of Thrones play, legions of fans will undoubtedly be disappointed if they never get to see this story brought to life on screen. With House of the Dragon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and the franchise’s leap to the big screen with Game of Thrones: Aegon’s Conquest in the works — the movie will depict Aegon I’s campaign to conquer all seven Kingdoms in Westeros — there’s no reason the Tourney at Harrenhal and Robert’s Rebellion couldn’t be adapted more than once, either.
The Tourney at Harrenhal features some of *Game of Thrones’ *most important characters in their prime and sets up future conflicts that affect Westeros for years to come. It’s during this tournament that Aerys II’s son and heir, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, crowns Ned Stark’s sister and Robert Baratheon’s betrothed, Lyanna Stark, as the “queen of love and beauty” rather than his own wife, a precursor to Lyanna’s alleged abduction and Robert’s and the Stark family’s outraged calls for justice.
The violent, cruel executions of Lyanna’s father, Rickard, and her oldest brother, Brandon, directly influenced Robert’s year-long Rebellion, with the dwindling Starks and the Baratheons joining forces against the Targaryens. During the Battle of the Trident, the war’s most decisive conflict, Robert killed Rhaegar and soon enough announced his intention to claim the Iron Throne. The Rebellion’s warrior-like Robert is a long way away from the one seen in *Game of Thrones *season 1, by which time he’s turned into a drunkard, ruled by lust and gluttony. His obvious weaknesses even allowed his wife, Cersei Lannister, to arrange his “accidental” death during a wild boar hunt.
Given that Robert is such a pivotal character in Westeros’ history, Game of Thrones’ on-screen universe would certainly benefit from having his full story told in multiple formats. Like Stranger Things: The First Shadow, The Mad King could have its premiere in Stratford before heading across the pond, giving North American fans a (slightly) better chance to catch the action. There’s always a chance that The Mad King play will be officially filmed for home release, too; it’s co-produced by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures on HBO’s behalf.
Of course, before the play and the announcement of Aegon’s Conquest, it would have made the most sense for HBO to adapt the Tourney and the rest of Robert’s Rebellion (and perhaps even the early years of his reign) as a limited spinoff series. Now that theatrical releases are in the mix, however, The Mad King’s story would be a perfect complement to Aegon’s Conquest, examining the beginning and end of the Targaryens’ 300-year reign in Westeros, with House of the Dragon bridging the gap between the two.
Clearly, though, whatever happens next with Game of Thrones: The Mad King’s story, the Game of Thrones franchise and George R.R. Martin have no plans to slow down any time soon. With multiple spinoffs, a play, and a movie in the works (and hopefully, two more books), Westeros’ brutality will continue to entertain millions of fans for years to come.
**Tickets for *Game of Thrones: The Mad King *are available to book now via the Royal Shakespeare Company. **
Game Of Thrones ](/db/tv-show/game-of-thrones/)
](/tag/action-movies/)
](/tag/adventure/)
](/tag/fantasy/)
2011 - 2019-00-00
David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff
D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, David Benioff