Game of Thrones prequel recruits eight cast members; Jessica Jones director SJ Clarkson to helm pilot

HBO’s highly-anticipated _Game Of Thrones_ (_GOT_) prequel has recruited a string of new cast members to the show, in addition to a female helmer – British native SJ Clarkson – to lead the charge in the director’s chair. Clarkson – who is also in line to direct the next blockbuster Star Trek film – most recently directed and produced the BBC/Netflix production Collateral, and has also worked on episodes of Orange Is the New Black, Dexter, and Bates Motel, as well as the pilot for Jessica Jones. [caption id=“attachment_5862531” align=“alignnone” width=“824”] SJ Clarkson. Image from Twitter @HindustanAbi[/caption] She will direct the pilot with a cast which includes previously announced actors Naomi Watts and Josh Whitehouse, as well as new additions: Naomi Ackie (Lady MacBeth, Yardie,  JJ Abrams' _Star Wars_ ), Denise Gough (People, Places and Things, Colette), Jamie Campbell Bower (The Twilight Saga, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones), Sheila Atim (Girl From the North Country, Harlots), Ivanno Jeremiah (Black Mirror, Humans), Georgie Henley (Narnia franchise, The Spanish Princess), Alex Sharp (How To Talk To Girls At Parties, To The Bone) and Toby Regbo (Reign, Fantastic Beats: Crimes of Grindelwald) – all of whom have now been confirmed to appear on the show as series regulars. Created by feature writer Jane Goldman and author/GOT co-executive producer George RR Martin, the as-yet-untitled prequel pilot is due to take place thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones, with the story (if green-lighted) to explore and unravel the secrets of how Westeros came to be, and the origins of key characters and families depicted in Game of Thrones. If given the nod to go ahead, the Game of Thrones prequel is expected to arrive on HBO in 2020 at the earliest.