We may still be 4 months from the final season of ‘Game of Thrones,’ but that does not mean HBO cannot find other ways of getting us excited about the future of Westeros. In recent news, the network has announced the director of the proposed prequel series (unnamed at the moment, though George R.R. Martin is still fighting for the name ‘The Long Night‘), with British director SJ Clarkson tapped for the position, having impressed the producers with her directing work on shows like ‘Orange Is the New Black,’ ‘Dexter,’ ‘Bates Motel,’ and the pilot for ‘Jessica Jones,’ not to mention the fact that she is also about to direct the next chapter in the ‘Star Trek’ franchise (for anyone worried ‘Jessica Jones’ did not give her enough nerd cred).
Also announced were several cast members, with Naomi Watts being the lead of the series, with her character described as “a charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret.” Next up is an actress who shares a first name with Ms. Watts, Naomi Ackie, who has recently hit it big with a major role in ‘Star Wars: Episode IX,’ and has also recently starred in a version of ‘Lady MacBeth,’ ‘Yardie’ and the television series ‘The Bisexual.’ Following her is Denise Gough, mainly known for her roles in plays like ‘People Places and Things’ and ‘Angels in America,’ though she was also recently in the film ‘Colette.’ Moving on we have Jamie Campbell Bower (‘The Twilight Saga,’ ‘Sweeney Todd’), Sheila Atim (‘Harlot’s’ on Hulu), Ivanno Jeremiah (‘Humans,’ ‘Black Mirror’), Georgie Henley (Lucy in ‘Chronicles of Narnia’), Alex Sharp (‘How To Talk To Girls At Parties’), and lastly Toby Regbo (‘Reign,’ ‘The Last Kingdom,’ ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’).
According to what Martin has been telling Entertainment Weekly, the show will be very different than what people expect, especially since Westeros itself will be vastly different than what we see in ‘Game of Thrones’ as the show takes place thousands of years before the current series. In his words:
“Westeros is a very different place. There’s no King’s Landing. There’s no Iron Throne. There are no Targaryens — Valyria has hardly begun to rise yet with its dragons and the great empire that it built. We’re dealing with a different and older world and hopefully that will be part of the fun of the series.”
Not to mention, that the predominantly white cast of the current series is being replaced by a much more diverse cast in the prequel, clearly due to changes in how Hollywood works nowadays, and a demand from audiences to see more diversity in shows like ‘Game of Thrones.’
What are your thoughts on the director of the pilot, and the announced cast? Do you have any favorites among the group? Any theories as to who they might be playing? (or what family ancestor I should say) Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
Also, here is the official description of the new series:
“Taking place thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series
chronicles the world’s descent from the Golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour.
And only one thing is for sure: from the horrifying secrets of Westeros’s history to
the true origin of the white walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend…
it’s not the story we think we know.”
