George RR Martin
George RR Martin, author of the "Song of Ice and Fire" fantasy series that is the basis of the television series "Game of Thrones," gestures during his masterclass at the Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) in Neuchatel, July 10, 2014. Reuters/Denis Balibouse

When the fans first found out about a “Game of Thrones” spin-off, it was welcome news because those who are addicted to the show will have something new to watch. Then came the news that there were four shows being developed, and this number later increased to five. Now, Author George RR Martin has confirmed that while one of these projects is going for production, another has been shelved.

In a blog post, Martin confirmed that one of the five projects has been given the green light to go into production. Readers should note that this is only the pilot that has been order and not the full season, but Martin is hopeful that HBO will order the full season after the pilot.

The script of the first spin-off that has been order by HBO has been written by Jane Goldman. The plot is set around five to ten thousand years before the current events on the show.

The main work for the show will only begin now. Goldman will be the showrunner. They will now have to finalise a director, filming locations, and the cast.

The team will also need to come up with a title for the spin-off show. Martin suggests that the title should be “The Long Night,” which apparently gives the gist of the plot of the TV series. The author, however, points out that HBO may want to find a way to add the popular name “Game of Thrones” in the title, which may be for branding and marketing reasons. The actual name will be announced by the producers.

The plot is set during the Age of Heroes, at a time when the world descends into chaos. The TV series is expected to give the fans an insight about the origins of the White Walkers and shed more light about the Starks.

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