Actress Naomi Watts isn't allowed to speak about the canceled Game of Thrones prequel series. Based on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series, Game of Thrones followed the family of various royal houses as they all vied for power over the series' central, fictional fantasy land. The series became a bonafide pop culture phenomenon over the course of its eight seasons, winning countless awards and captivating millions of viewers around the world.
HBO was quick to start developing Game of Thrones spin-offs as the hit series neared its end, but many of them didn't make it past the initial development phase. However, one prequel series, unofficially known as The Long Night, went so far as to shoot a pilot for the network last year, with Watts playing one of the supposed series leads. The Long Night was set to delve deeply into the history of both Westeros and Essos and would have explored, among other things, the origins of the White Walkers. But, although The Long Night did turn in a completed pilot to HBO, the network ultimately chose not to order more episodes.
Watts says in a new interview with canceled Game of Thrones prequel, Watts says that she can't talk about her time on set, despite wishing she could share some behind-the-scenes memories from filming the pilot:
To this day, I can’t say anything. It’s funny because I have an Instagram and I found something in my memories, you know those pictures that come up, and it was when I was there in costume and I was like ‘Oh! This would be fun to post!’ And I was like ‘No! I can’t do that I’ll get in so much trouble!’ Just the costume, you know? I wasn’t thinking about what I was wearing, it was what I was doing. Anyway, not allowed to say.
Watts went on to say that, although nobody is actively sending her emails telling her to remain quiet about the prequel, she thinks it's best not to divulge any details about The Long Night, in case any aspects of the storylines from it may be used in future Game of Thrones projects. When asked about her experience working with writer Jane Goldman, who penned the prequel, Watts did say that Goldman is "fantastic" and "a force," and that she loved getting to work with her. While Watts' decision is certainly a wise one, it'll no doubt be a bit disappointing for fans, who likely hoped that enough time had ed for details of the prequel to start being openly discussed.
Despite The Long Night's disappointing fate, fans will soon be able to re-enter the Game of Thrones world with center on House Targaryen and takes place 300 years prior to the events of Game of Thrones. As such, while viewers may not ever get to see The Long Night (or Watts' work in it), they can at least rest assured knowing they'll be able to dive back into Martin's world, and its intensely detailed history, sometime within the next few years.
Source: Collider