Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Entertainment
  2. TV
  3. Fantasy Shows
  4. Game of Thrones TV show

George R. R Martin announces Game of Thrones stage play The Mad King based on the "final years before the events of the novels"

News
By Lauren Milici published 18 February 2026

Yay, but where is Winds of Winter?

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Game of Thrones prequel
(Image credit: HBO)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
0
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

Winter is coming... again. Another Game of Thrones prequel is on the way, and this time it's set to debut on the stage.

Game of Thrones: The Mad King is slated to premiere at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre this year. Per the official press release, this "powerful drama" will span the final years before the events of the novels and reveal a "legendary chapter in Westeros history."

George R. R. Martin serves as executive producer, with Dominic Cooke directing from a script penned by award-winning playwright Duncan Macmillan. The show is set to open this summer in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Latest Videos From
Watch full video here:

Per the synopsis, all is well in Harrenhal as spring approaches. At a lavish banquet just before a jousting tournament, "lovers meet and revellers speculate about who will contend. But in the shadows, amid growing unease at the bloodthirsty actions of the realm’s merciless Mad King, dissenters from his inner circle anxiously advance a treasonous plot. Far away, the drums of battle sound."

The announcement comes just days before the season finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on Martin's novella series The Tales of Dunk and Egg. The second-to-last Game of Thrones novel, Winds of Winter, is, uh, still coming. We'll wait.

You may like
  • Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. The Winds of Winter release date speculation, plot, and everything else we know about George R.R. Martin's new book
  • Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones Game of Thrones play cast announcement confirms fan favorite characters will return in the new story
  • Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones fans "don't really want to wait a couple years for every installment," Warner Bros. exec says

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms airs on HBO and HBO Max in the US and Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK. House of the Dragon season 3 is set to premiere in June. For more, check out our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release schedule, or check out our list of the best HBO Max shows to stream right now.

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
HBO Streaming Services
Lauren Milici
Lauren Milici
Social Links Navigation
Senior Entertainment Writer

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ based in New York City. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones.
Fantasy Shows The Winds of Winter release date speculation, plot, and everything else we know about George R.R. Martin's new book
 
 
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones
Fantasy Shows Game of Thrones play cast announcement confirms fan favorite characters will return in the new story
 
 
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones.
Fantasy Shows Game of Thrones fans "don't really want to wait a couple years for every installment," Warner Bros. exec says
 
 
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones season 7
Fantasy Movies The Game of Thrones movie is officially happening
 
 
Game of Thrones
Fantasy Shows Cryptic Game of Thrones book post has fans thinking Winds of Winter news is on the way
 
 
Game of Thrones prequel
Fantasy Shows The wait for The Winds of Winter is about to overtake the time it took to release the first five Game of Thrones books
 
 
Latest in Fantasy Shows
Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon season 3
Fantasy Shows House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule: what time is episode 1 on HBO Max and NOW TV?
 
 
House of the Dragon
Fantasy Shows House of the Dragon season 3 matches Rotten Tomatoes score of some of the best Game of Thrones seasons
 
 
Liam Hemsworth as Geralt in The Witcher season 4.
Fantasy Shows The Witcher game actor thinks Liam Hemsworth's Geralt is "more energized" than Henry Cavill's version
 
 
James Norton as Ormund Hightower
Fantasy Shows House of the Dragon showrunner says season 3 newcomer Ormund Hightower is "basically the Tywin Lannister of this world"
 
 
Abubakar Salim in House of the Dragon
Fantasy Shows House of the Dragon star says he was channeling God of War's Kratos for season 3's Battle of the Gullet
 
 
Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon season 3
Fantasy Shows House of the Dragon season 3 review: "The most explosive start to a Westeros-set season to date"
 
 
Latest in News
Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame
Marvel Movies Robert Downey Jr. says they've "labored long and hard" to make sure Avengers: Doomsday will not be a letdown after Endgame
 
 
Xbox logos
Games Former PlayStation boss says Xbox shows a "basic misunderstanding" of the games industry
 
 
The Boys season 5 finale
Superhero Shows Homelander and Butcher stars respond to fan-made alternate The Boys ending, but we're sure they're being sarcastic
 
 
Chris Hemsworth as Thor in the Avengers: Doomsday trailer
Marvel Movies Joe Russo declares Avengers: Doomsday is "the most emotionally complex" Marvel movie yet
 
 
Final Fantasy Tactics art featuring a character riding a Chocobo
Final Fantasy 8 months after launch, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles gets New Game+ out of nowhere
 
 
Senua looks scared in the trailer for Senua.
Action Games Microsoft was reportedly planning Ninja Theory split when it announced Senua at Xbox Games Showcase
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Xbox logos
    1
    Former PlayStation boss says Xbox shows a "basic misunderstanding" of the games industry amid leadership changes, mixed messaging, and reports of studio closures
  2. 2
    Robert Downey Jr. says they've "labored long and hard" to make sure Avengers: Doomsday will not be a letdown after Endgame
  3. 3
    Homelander and Butcher stars respond to fan-made alternate The Boys ending, but we're almost certain they are being sarcastic
  4. 4
    Microsoft was reportedly already planning Ninja Theory split when it announced Senua at the Xbox Games Showcase, with the reveal intended to draw in investors
  5. 5
    Joe Russo raises hype levels by declaring Avengers: Doomsday is "the most emotionally complex" and "most mature" Marvel movie yet

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...