10 Things We Know About The Cast Of George RR Martin's GoT Prequel

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We're still months away from seeing how the final season of HBO's mega-hit Game of Thrones will end. While we wait, we've all been curious about the mysterious Game of Thrones prequel that's currently in development. This is because none of us can get enough of George R.R. Martin's barbarous, beautiful, and bewildering world of Westeros, as well as the cast of characters that occupy it.

"Mystery" seems to be the suitable word when it comes to the cast of upcoming prequel. After all, HBO likes to play their cards close to their chest. But that doesn't mean we don't have some information about the cast of the new Westerosi tale.

Here are 10 things we know about the cast of George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones prequel, The Long Night.

10. IT WILL STAR NAOMI WATTS

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On October 30th, it was officially announced that King Kong and Gypsy star Naomi Watts would lead the cast of The Long Night. Little is known about the show, therefore even less is known about the character that Watts will play. However, HBO did release a little tidbit.

They claim that Watts will be playing "a charismatic socialite with a dark secret". This simple description perfectly encapsulates the type of characters we've come to expect from this world.

Watts will be a strong choice for whatever role she plays. She'll also be bringing a level of star power to the series. This may attract more than just Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice And Fire fans.

9. IT WILL ALSO STAR JOSH WHITEHOUSE

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Meet your new Jon Snow. Okay, so he may not be Kitt Harrington, but chances are Josh Whitehouse will become the new heartthrob amongst A Song of Ice And Fire fans.

Shortly after it was announced that Naomi Watts would be leading the cast of The Long Night, it was also revealed that Poldark and Alleycats star Josh Whitehouse will be joining as well.

Unlike Watts, there's absolutely no information on who Whitehouse might play in the Game of Thrones prequel. Given the time that the prequel takes place in, Whitehouse could very well be Bran The Builder or even Azor Ahai.

8. IT WILL BE AN ENSEMBLE PIECE

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Although both Naomi Watts and Josh Whitehouse have been slated to lead the cast of The Long Night, it will be an ensemble show. HBO's Game of Thrones has continued to "wow" us with its ability to balance a copious amount of characters at once. In fact, it's sort of the signature of the show. Therefore, it makes sense that HBO would want to continue this trend with its sequels. Otherwise, it may risk feeling a bit too unlike its predecessor.

Given the time that the show is set, the ensemble cast could include various members of the First Men. This includes the founders of House Stark, House Lannister, and House Gardener of the Reach. Additionally, Children of the Forest and White Walkers will be in high demand.

7. IT WILL FEATURE STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS

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The phrase "strong female character" is quite archaic in today's world. It should just be "strong character", no matter which gender, orientation, age, or culture someone is. Every character should be written with the same heart and depth as any other. But the point that HBO is trying to make by telling us that The Long Night will include "strong female characters" is that they plan to continue the tradition of creating roles for women that any superior actor would crave. This is a great thing.

We already know that incredibly talented Naomi Watts will lead the ensemble cast. But in all likelihood she will be accompanied by a variety of engaging characters, some of whom are women, some of whom are men.

6. IT'LL FEATURE THE FIRST STARKS

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One of the other details that the description of HBO's The Long Night contains is the inclusion of the first members of House Stark.

The Starks trace their lineage to Bran The Builder who existed within the Age of Heroes, the time that The Long Night takes place. Bran is known for creating many important Westorsi landmarks, including Storm's End. But Bran was also responsible for the creation of The Wall.

Given the timeline and the possible inclusion of the Wall, it's highly likely that Bran the Builder will be part of The Long Night. Who the show will cast in this role remains a mystery.

5. IT'S UNLIKELY THAT GOT CAST MEMBERS WILL RETURN

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Since The Long Night takes place thousands of years before the events in Game of Thrones, it's highly unlikely that any of the cast members from the groundbreaking series will return for the prequel. Sorry, folks, but you won't see Arya, Jon, or Cersei back on screen after the series finale of Game of Thrones airs next year.

However, depending on what the creators of Game of Thrones have in store for the finale, some time-travel elements may be included. This means that we could see one or two familiar faces. After all, Bran, AKA The Three-Eyed Raven, has the ability to project himself back in time.

Additionally, we could see Vladimir Furdik back as The Night King, as his origins may be tied to the creation of the White Walkers themselves.

4. IT WILL FEATURE THE CHILDREN OF THE FOREST

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The period in which The Long Night takes place is a time of war. It's also a time where the Children of the Forest and the First Men were in conflict with one another as well as with the White Walkers. Eventually, the First Men and the Children of the Forest join forces to tackle the monsters from the North.

Not only were the Children mysterious woodland creatures, but they also possessed a variety of magical gifts. Their rightful land was pillaged by the First Men when they arrived from overseas.

It's safe to say that we'll learn a great deal more about them once The Long Night airs. But, at this time, we have no idea who will play them.

3. IT COULD FOCUS ON AZOR AHAI

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This entry is an educated guess about what we could see in The Long Night pilot. It's highly possible that it could be about the origins of Azor Ahai, the legendary warrior that ended the war with the White Walkers. This being, who wielded a fiery sword called "Lightbringer", has been described as the Messiah by Melisandre in Game of Thrones.

In the show, the Red Priestess believed that Stannis Baratheon, and later Jon Snow, were the reincarnated version of the character. Given all the references to the character in the original show, as well as his connection to the White Walkers, it shouldn't surprise any of us if he's a major part of The Long Night. Could Josh Whitehouse already be cast in this role? Or perhaps we'll be getting another big star?

2. IT'LL FEATURE A MORE DIVERSE CAST

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Thanks to the release of the casting breakdown for the new show, we now know that The Long Night will feature a more diverse cast than Game of Thrones. The dedicated Song of Ice and Fire fans at Watchers on the Wall revealed that there will be a variety of looks, genders, and ages featured on the show.

While they are looking for Caucasian actresses between the ages of 28 and 34, the casting team are also searching for a Black actor between the age of 50 and 63 for a series regular role. Additionally, there are multiple roles for those of Scandinavian, Germanic, and Eastern European descent.

This is all a good thing as many were concerned about the lack of diversity in the main cast of Game of Thrones.

1. IT'LL FEATURE A CAST OF WHITE WALKERS

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The main detail that's revealed in the description of The Long Night is that it'll feature the origins of the White Walkers.

Although some fans may feel that they received their fair share of White Walkers by the end of the Game of Thrones finale, HBO is certain that people will be interested in their true origins. Therefore, you should expect to see a lot of people cast in White Walker roles. In fact, we're bound to see some of the White Walkers in their human forms before The Children of the Forest turn them into the creatures. Perhaps these are some of the Scandinavian actors that the casting directors are searching for?

One thing is for sure, we have a little more time to wait before more casting details are revealed for The Long Night.