Game of Thrones prequel: Bloodmoon release date, news, rumors, and cast

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After Game of Thrones came to a dramatic end in May, many of us have been left with a Jon Snow-shaped hole in our hearts. 

You may not be left craving the return of winter for too long however, with the announcement that a Game of Thrones prequel will air in 2020, with an all-new cast and completely new plot. 

Set around 5000 years before the events of GoT, the new series is expected to take place in the Age of Heroes, a period of time that saw the formation of the powerful Houses, and the first time the dreaded White Walkers descended on Westeros. 

With a working title of Bloodmoon, the Game of Thrones prequel is a collaboration between George R. R. Martin and screenwriter Jane Goldman. 

Right now, the prequel is only confirmed for a pilot, so only time will tell whether we get a full series; until then, here’s everything we know about the Game of Thrones prequel Bloodmoon so far. 

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Cut to the chase

• What is it? A Game of Thrones prequel, set 5000 years before GoT
• What’s it called? Still TBC, but the working title is Bloodmoon
• When will it be released? It’s scheduled for release sometime in 2020

The Game of Throne prequel, which has a working title of Bloodmoon, is set around 5000 years before the events that take place in the original Game of Thrones series. 

According to HBO, the new series will “chronicle the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour”.

The synopsis continues: “From the horrifying secrets of Westeros’s history to the true origin of he White Walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend, only one things is for sure: it’s not the story we think we know.”

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Game Of Thrones" Creator George R. R. Martin at the Season Eight New York Premiere

When and where can I watch Bloodmoon?

Currently, we don’t have a firm release date for the Game of Thrones prequel, but we do know that the pilot episode is set to air sometime in 2020. 

If you’re in the US, HBO Go will likely be the go-to place to stream Bloodmoon, which will require a HBO subscription.

If you’re outside the US you won’t be able to do this as HBO Go is only supported in the US and “certain US territories”. In the UK, Game of Thrones was available to watch on Sky Atlantic and NowTV – we imagine that the prequel will also appear on these platforms. 

In Australia, GoT was available to stream on Foxtel Now; again, the likelihood is that Bloodmoon will be available to stream here, too. 

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Who is confirmed to be working on Bloodmoon?

The creators of the new series are George R. R. Martin and British screenwriter, Jane Goldman, whose past work includes Kick-Ass, Kingsman: The Secret Service, and Stardust. 

HBO says: “Both will executive produce, alongside SJ Clarkson (The Defenders, Jessica Jones, HBO’s Succession and the upcoming Star Trek installment), who will also be directing the pilot episode; James Farrell; Jim Danger Gray; Vince Gerardis; Daniel Zelman and co-executive producer Chris Symes."

We know for sure that the creators of the original series, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, won't be returning; the duo just signed a nine-figure deal with Netflix to exclusively write, direct, and develop new TV series and films for the streaming platform. 

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Naomi Watts on the The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in June 2019

Who will star in Bloodmoon?

We know quite a few of the Game of Thrones prequel cast members already, but the most character information we’ve gleaned so far is that Oscar-nominee Naomi Watts “headlines as a charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret”. 

Photographs of the actress, allegedly in costume for her role in Bloodmoon while filming in Italy, have surfaced on Twitter, having been shared initially by Instagram user kiaruzz91_. 

According to HBO, she is joined by Miranda Richardson (Rita Skeeter from the Harry Potter films), Marquis Rodriguez (Manifest), John Simm (Strangers), Richard MCabe (Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams), John Heffernan (Dracula), and Dixie Egerickx (Summerland). 

Other confirmed cast members include Josh Whitehouse (Poldark), Naomi Ackie (Lady Macbeth), Denise Gough (Monday), Jamie Campbell Bower (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald), Sheila Atim (Harlots), Ivanno Jeremiah (Humans), Georgie Henley (The Chronicles of Narnia films), Alex Sharp (How to Talk to Girls at Parties) and Toby Regbo (The Last Kingdom, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald).

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George R. R. Martin has confirmed that Direwolves will make an appearance in the GoT prequel. 

Bloodmoon: everything we know so far

From the synopsis released by HBO, we can glean a few details about the Game of Thrones prequel. While we don’t have a firm release date aside from 2020, as well as no guarantee that the pilot will be made into a full series, HBO and George R. R. Martin have given us a few teasers to work with so far:

Westeros is very different place

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, George R. R. Martin confirmed that the Westeros in Bloodmoon will be very different from the one we came to know and love in Game of Thrones. He said:

“Westeros is a very different place. There’s no King’s Landing. There’s no Iron Throne. There are no Targaryens – Valyria has hardly begun to rise yet with its dragons and the great empire that it built. We’re dealing with a different and older world and hopefully that will be part of the fun of the series.”

More recently, Martin revealed that Westeros is divided into “roughly 100 kingdoms in the prequel”, far more than the Seven Kingdoms we’re used to. 

Don’t expect Jon Snow to make an appearance

Being set thousands of years before A Song of Ice and Fire, we’re not expecting to see many (if any) characters from the original series. So, if you were hoping for fan favorites like Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, and  Ned Stark to reunite, you’ll likely be disappointed. 

That’s not to say that we won’t see any old characters though…

Winter is coming

We know that Bloodmoon will take place during the Age of Heroes, a four thousand-year period in the history of Westeros, which was canonized through myths and songs years later. 

While we don’t know exactly when during the Age of Heroes that the new series will take place, we do know of a few key historical events that took place in this time frame. 

The most famous of these is the Long Night, in which the White Walkers, led by the Night King, sought to “bring an end to all life and cover the world in an endless winter”, according to Fandom. 

Of course, the Night King features heavily in the last few seasons of Game of Thrones – could we see a comprehensive White Walker origin story?

Starks, Direwolves, and mammoths… but no dragons

Just because Ned Stark is about 5000 years from being born, doesn’t mean that we won’t see any Starks at all. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Martin confirmed that “the Starks will definitely be there”, being descended from the First Men. 

We’ll also see a return of the beloved Direwolves, as well as a new type of creature to contend with: mammoths. 

Die-hard dragon fans will be disappointed though; the prequel reportedly predates dragons entirely. 

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Don't expect to see any dragons in the Game of Thrones prequel.

What to watch in the meantime

If you can't wait for the Game of Thrones prequel, there's a veritable cornucopia of fantastic TV shows you can watch in the meantime. 

Craving the bloodthirsty battle scenes that GoT became notorious for? Try Vikings, a historical drama with enough charm and scope to take on Game of Thrones in the sword and sandals stakes.

Based on the sagas of infamous Norse hero Ragnar Lothbrok, all five seasons are available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

If you're looking for a hint of magic and mystery (as well as a generous helping of 80s nostalgia), you can't go wrong with Stranger Things on Netflix – there are three seasons to stream right now, although we're banking on a Stranger Things season four release date being announced soon.

Also on Netflix is the Emmy award-winning historical drama The Crown; if you're missing the scandalous affairs and backstabbing of the Lannisters, tune into The Crown season three, which premieres on November 17.

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