Actresses Denise Gough and Sheila Atim are reportedly in talks to join the cast of HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series The Long Night. Casting for the new series began in October with Naomi Watts and Josh Whitehouse cast in major roles.
The Long Night was conceived by George R. R. Martin and Jane Goldman as one of five prequels considered by HBO to serve as the next installment in the Game of Thrones franchise, which is ending after its eight season in 2019. The series will be set 8,000 years before the events of Game of Thrones, during the Age of Heroes, an era that serves as the basis for much of Game of Thrones’ mythology. The title, as revealed by George R.R. Martin (though as yet unconfirmed by HBO), indicates that the story will revolve around the first war with the White Walkers that resulted in the construction of the Wall, as well as much of the inventory populating Old Nan’s collection of scary stories. Now, Sheila Atim and Denise Gough are being considered for two unknown roles in the series.
According to That Hashtag Show, theater vets Denise Gough (the voice of Yennefer in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt) and Sheila Atim (Twelfth Night) are in talks to join the cast of The Long Night, though there is no information regarding what characters they might play. Gough is an Irish actor that most recently starred alongside Keira Knightley in Colette and appeared in the Broadway production of Angels in America with The Amazing Spider-Man’s Andrew Garfield. Atim most recently starred in Hulu Original Series Harlots. Both women have won Olivier Awards for their work in West End theater.
Assuming their participation in the upcoming prequel series is eventually confirmed, they’ll be joining only two other actors who have already been cast. This short lineup includes lead star Naomi Watts (Birdman, King Kong), who will play “a charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret” and Josh Whitehouse (Poldark), whose character details have yet to be revealed. While speculation surrounding Whitehouse can extend to anyone from one of the First Men to one of the first White Walkers, Watts’ character may well be the first in the line of Lannisters or even one of Daenerys Targaryen’s oldest ancestors. However, whether they have any direct connections to the characters Gough or Atim may end up playing remains to be seen.
Seeing as The Long Night isn’t expected to premiere until some time after 2020, there is still plenty of time for the new series to round out its casting. Whether or not said casting results in public character descriptions, courtesy of HBO, is a mystery. At the very least, audiences should prepare themselves for the same kind of secrecy that surrounds Game of Thrones, and if any character details are revealed, they’ll likely be as thin as the one revealed for Watts.
More: Game of Thrones Final Season Premiere Details Reveal Pilot Connections
Source: That Hashtag Show
