The upcoming Game of Thrones prequel has just unveiled its first casting: Naomi Watts.
The two-time Oscar nominee will have a lead role in the project (working title The Long Night) from writer Jane Goldman and A Song of Ice and Fire author George RR Martin.
Confirming Watts’ casting on his blog, Martin said: “I could not be more excited. Welcome to Westeros, Naomi.”
Intriguingly, he added that more stars could soon be unveiled: “[Goldman] and her team are busy in London right now, neck deep in casting, and I expect some more names will be announced soon.”
But until more actors are unveiled, fans are left with one big question: who is Watts playing? According to Deadline, the actor will take on the role of “a charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret”, and some have already speculated that Watts's blonde hair means that she could play an ancestor of Daenerys Targaryen.
However, it’s unlikely the Targaryens will appear in the prequel series, which takes place thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones, telling the story of Westeros’s descent from an Age of Heroes to its darkest hour, speculated to be the first rise of the Night King. In other words, the series pre-dates the Targaryen migration to Westeros. But of course, just like Jon Snow, Watts could still be a secret Targaryen.
Others have suggested that Watts could play Nissa Nissa, the wife of ancient hero Azor Aha, who battled the Night King after he originally rose to power.
It would be an interesting casting, but one with a potentially bloody end in store for Watts: Thrones legend says that in order to defeat the Night King, Azor had to forge a magical sword called Lightbringer by plunging it through the heart of his wife.
A horrible death sure, but let’s face it, it's exactly the sort of Game of Thrones unpleasantness we can’t wait to see.
