On HBO's Game of Thrones prequel, the night will be dark and, apparently, full of Naomi Watts.
Watts has just been cast in the network's Game of Thrones prequel series, per The Hollywood Reporter. She's the first actor to join the project, and while few details have been revealed about her character, she will reportedly play a "charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret." Deadline reports that this is a lead role, although if the prequel is anything like its predecessor, that hardly means her character will be immune from death.
The Game of Thrones prequel from HBO is set thousands of years in the past during a period known as the Age of Heroes. In the novels by George R.R. Martin, this era is fairly mysterious, although some stories about the White Walkers emerged during this time. HBO ordered a pilot for the show in June and teased it would cover "the secrets of Westeros' history." Jane Goldman (X-Men: First Class) is serving as showrunner and will write the pilot's script based on story she coauthored with Martin. Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss won't be involved.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
HBO hasn't given the Game of Thrones prequel a premiere date or even an official title, but the network's programming president previously suggested it would air in 2020 or later. HBO was at one time developing five different potential spin-offs, but the network says no others are in development right now. Still, it sounds like HBO hasn't totally ruled out moving forward with another one of those projects at a later date, making it all the more likely that the network will be completely overtaken by dragons before you know it.
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judgesSpeed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges
-
Crossword: August 27, 2025The Week's daily crossword
-
August 27 editorial cartoonsCartoons Wednesday’s political cartoons include a KKK rebrand, Donald Trump vs. Gavin Newsom, and Ghislaine Maxwell as the new Celebrity Apprentice
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
