Although the main series is taking the lion’s share of headlines these days, HBO is moving ahead with the pilot for its untitled Game of Thrones prequel series, which is on track to shoot this spring. We already know that the show will star Naomi Watts (above) and Josh Whitehouse (below). Now, HBO has announced the rest of the principle cast. Let’s check them out one by one below this picture of Whitehouse in a jaunty cap:
The Game of Thrones prequel show is set long before the main 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,” reads the official synopsis. “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.”
This vague description gives HBO and showrunner Jane Goldman a lot of latitude when it comes to casting, and they look like they’re using it. As Entertainment Weekly points out, the cast is more diverse than the leading actors on Thrones, starting with NAOMI ACKIE:
Ackie is best known for her role in 2017’s Lady Macbeth. She also has a role in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode IX. HBO hasn’t revealed who any of these actors are playing, but we can see Ackie as someone from Essos, or possibly from the desert that will one day become Dorne.
It’s never too late to start doing Dorne right, yes?
DENISE GOUGH: Gough was initially rumored to be part of this cast in November. The Irish actress is best known for stage roles in plays like People Places and Things and Angels In America. If you ask us, she has that Lannister look.
JAMIE CAMPBELL BOWER: Bower, a British actor and musician, is a veteran of the Twilight Saga, Starz’ Camelot and Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd. Bower was initially cast in the Game of Thrones pilot as Waymar Royce before leaving for Camelot. Welcome back to Westeros.
Not that it works with the timeline, but I get a young Daario Naharis vibe off the guy. As it is, he’ll probably play a Lannister, what with that fair skin and blonde hair.
SHIELA ATIM: Atim was also rumored to be cast back in November. She’s best known for her role on Hulu’s Harlots. This is another character who could hail from hail from Essos or Dorne. The Summer Isles and even Sothoryos are also in play. Who knows how far afield the new series will take us from the places we know? The possibilities are exciting!
IVANNO JEREMIAH: Jeremiah has had minor roles on AMC’s Humans and Netflix’s Black Mirror, and has a starring role in the upcoming film The Flood. Unless there was a lot of migration between Westeros and Essos back then (and there might have been; it’s hard to know what Westeros was like in this period — hell, maybe the two continents are still connected), it looks like the show will really dig into the Essos storylines.
GEORGIE HENLEY: Henley may be the most well-known actor on this list outside of Watts, as she played Lucy in Disney’s Narnia films. Henly has a red tint to her hair, so perhaps we’re looking at a wildling? Although with the Wall yet to be built, I guess that would just make her a person living in the far north.
ALEX SHARP: A stage actor, Sharp was the lead in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and looks like a man of the Reach to us. We’d say he’s a Tyrell, except the Tyrells weren’t really around until later in the Age of Heroes.
TOBY REGBO: As a veteran of Netflix’s medieval drama The Last Kingdom (which is awesome, by the way), Regbo should feel right at home in Westeros. Stark ancestor?
Finally, to direct the pilot, HBO has tapped S.J. Clarkson, who’s helmed episodes of Orange Is The New Black, Dexter, Bates Motel and Jessica Jones. She’s also on deck to head up the next Star Trek film (if it happens) and recently directed and produced the BBC/Netflix series Collateral. So she brings a lot of experience to the table, which could prove important for first time showrunner Goldman.
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What does everyone think? Anyone stand out? Either way, it’s good to see the prequel taking shape. If HBO likes the pilot, expect the series to debut sometime in 2020 at the earliest.
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