Of all the weird and unexpected casting news to drop, this one takes the cake. Naomi Watts will star in HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series developed by George R.R. Martin and Jane Goldman, making her the first confirmed castmember.
There are a few Game of Thrones spinoffs being developed right now, but this is the one furthest along. There haven’t been a ton of plot details but we do know it will be set during the Age of Heroes, thousands of years before the Westeros we’ve come to know and love. It’s a time of fantastical myth and magic, but will eventually descend into darkness with the arrival of the White Walkers. Watts will play a “charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret,” which describes almost everybody in Game of Thrones, doesn’t it?
Watts has earned a pair of Oscar nominations for her performances in 21 Grams and The Impossible, but has been mixing in a lot more TV work of late. She recently had a role in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks revival, and starred in the short-lived series, Gypsy. Watts will also play Gretchen Carlson in Showtime’s upcoming Roger Ailes miniseries. Long considered one of our finest actresses, her addition to the cast is pretty huge.
As for when we might see this show? Who the heck knows? Maybe in 2020? Not until after the final season of Game of Thrones, and we don’t even know exactly when that will be yet. [THR]
