Before Game of Thrones came to a divisive end this May, work on prequels to the franchise were already underway. The first to make it the pilot stage has been the project starring Naomi Watts. Note that it has not been ordered to series yet, so don't start planning your watch parties just yet.
After a lot of speculation about when it would happen, filming on the prequel reportedly began this week. As you can imagine, doing a project with as intense of a pre-existing spotlight as a Game of Thrones prequel can be “scary.” Naomi Watts opened up about her emotions surrounding the project, telling the AP (via The Wrap):
It makes me very excited, yeah, goosebumps all over. It is intimidating. It’s very exciting. And yes, having just come off the last series, where the world was blowing up over it. Everything was Game of Thrones related. All the advertising on TV, every article — everyone’s jumping on that bandwagon. So, it is scary.
Her excitement is entirely understandable to me. She has joined the cast of one of the most popular franchises on the planet. Her nerves also make sense. Naomi Watts is reportedly beginning to film the pilot for the prequel, right on the heels of the original series’ explosive end. One that was microscopically covered and analyzed.
That has to be daunting. Thankfully, Naomi Watts has some creative breathing room between the series. The still-untitled prequel is set thousands of years before the events chronicled in Game of Thrones. Watts remains hopeful about how fans could respond to the prequel, saying:
But hopefully those fans come along and get to find something new and interesting in this world as well. I think they won’t be let down. It’s a great team of people they’ve put together.
The team behind the series consists of A Song of Fire and Ice author George R.R. Martin, and Kingsman franchise screenwriter Jane Goldman. Earlier in the prequel process, there was a series in the works from Game of Thrones contributor Bryan Cogman and George R.R. Martin.
When Season 8 was airing, Bryan Cogman revealed that the project would not be going forward. Other prequels are still in the works, according to George R.R. Martin. He recently shared that three spinoffs are making progress at HBO.
In the vein of Game of Thrones’ sprawling ensemble, a considerable cast of co-stars will join Naomi Watts. So far, the project remains shrouded in considerable mystery. There have been some clues and George R.R. Martin has clarified the timeline and other vital details.
HBO has decided to forgo Game of Thrones follow-up spinoffs, including an incredibly fan-desired Arya spinoff that would follow the younger Stark sister on her adventures west of Westeros. HBO’s president of programming explained why it would not happen. In essence, the network is currently planning to chart its course to the past of Game of Thrones’ era of Westeros.
It will be exciting to see how the pilot comes together and if it gets picked up. Naomi Watts will be playing a socialite that has “a dark secret.” If that is not a Game of Thrones style character, what is? I’m highly intrigued to find out what her secret is.
Want to relive Game of Thrones’ final season? You can already do so on digital. While waiting for word on whether HBO picks of the prequel pilot, there are loads of summer premieres to relish.
