It has been confirmed that Naomi Watts has joined HBO’s Game Of Thrones prequel series.
Watts, who was Oscar nominated for her roles in The Impossible and 21 Grams, is the first cast member to be confirmed for the new project, which will begin filming next year.
The new series is being written by Jane Goldman, who wrote X-Men: First Class, and is overseen by GoT author George R.R. Martin.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Watts will play "a charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret".
Fans have been speculating that HBO may have inadvertently revealed the setting for the series in a new casting call, which calls for a diverse mix of characters, leading to speculation that one of the prequels will be set in the fictional location of Essos, a landmass found to the east of Westeros.
It has been confirmed that the prequel will take place "thousands of years" before the events in Game Of Thrones and has been described as documenting "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’ 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."
The prequel has currently only been given a pilot order by the network but is expected to be given a full season.
The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones is due to air in 2019, with it reportedly due back on April 21. There will be six episodes in the series, rather than the usual 10.
