The noble houses of the Seven Kingdoms have kept us enthralled for the last several years, but we'll see a world without them in HBO's upcoming "Game of Thrones" prequel series.

Co-creator and executive producer George R.R. Martin chatted with Entertainment Weekly about the project, which is currently being called "The Long Night." The author cautioned fans that although the two shows are related, a lot will be different. In large part, that's because the prequel is set roughly 5,000 years before the events of "Game of Thrones."

"We're dealing with a different and older world," Martin told EW.

He explained that the move backward in time means "Westeros is a very different place." King's Landing won't even exist yet, and as a result, there's no Iron Throne, either. Meanwhile, Valyria will have "hardly begun to rise," so Targaryens and dragons will also be absent.

Although fans probably would have enjoyed seeing familiar elements, Martin thinks the changes ultimately shouldn't be a problem. Speaking of the older world he's created, he said "hopefully that will be part of the fun of the series."

The show's official description also highlights the differences. It says in part that the show "chronicles the world's descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour" and "it's not the story we think we know." It will teach us more about Westerosi history, the white walkers origins, and "the mysteries of the East," among other interesting topics.

The pilot, which stars Oscar nominee Naomi Watts, is expected to be filmed in 2019.

[via: EW]