HBO gives chance to budding actors in 'Game of Thrones' prequel

HBO has cast eight up and coming stars in the prequel to its hit series "Game of Thrones". The network has announced that actors Naomi Ackie, Denise Gough, Jamie Campbell Bower, Sheila Atim, Ivanno Jeremiah, Georgie Henley, Alex Sharp and Toby Regbo have boarded the cast of the pilot, which will be helmed by SJ Clarkson. The eight young stars join Naomi Watts and Josh Whitehouse in the pilot. Clarkson is best known for directing the pilot of Netflix’s acclaimed Marvel-based series "Jessica Jones". She is set to direct the fourth instalment of the "Star Trek" franchise.

According to the network, the new show will be set thousands of years before the events of "Game of Thrones". It will chronicle the world's descent from the Golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. From the horrifying secrets of Westeros's history to the true origin of the White Walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend, the official logline of the show read. The yet-untitled project hails from creator Jane Goldman and author George RR Martin.

The show's pilot is based on a story from Goldman and Martin, with teleplay credited to Goldman. The duo will also executive produce the show alongside Clarkson, James Farrell, Jim Danger Gray, Vince Gerardis and Daniel Zelman. Martin and Goldman's "GOT" prequel is the first of several potential series set in the world of Westeros to move forward at HBO beyond the script phase. In May 2017, a multitude of writers was announced by HBO to be working on what Martin described as the "successor shows." The other writers working on the potential spin-offs are Max Borenstein, Brian Helgeland, Carly Wray, and Bryan Cogman.

(With inputs from agencies.)