SJ Clarkson (Marvel’s The Defenders, Jessica Jones) has been tapped to direct and executive produce HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel pilot from feature writer Jane Goldman and author/GOT co-executive producer George R.R. Martin. Naomi Ackie (Lady MacBeth, Yardie), 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 (Humans, Doctor Who), Georgie Henley (Narnia franchise, The Spanish Princess), Alex Sharp (How To Talk To Girls At Parties, To The Bone) and Toby Regbo (Reign, The Last Kingdom) are set as series regulars, joining previously cast Naomi Watts and Josh Whitehouse.

I hear Clarkson was recruited by HBO for GOT after she recently became available. Earlier this year, Clarkson was the first female director to be tapped to direct a Star Trek movie when she was hired to helm the fourth feature in the current series. That project has since been shelved.

Top L-R Denise Gough, Jamie Campbell Bower; Bottom L-R Sheila Atim, Ivanno Jeremiah Ruth Crafer/Netflix

Created by Goldman & Martin and written by Goldman based on a story by her and Martin, the untitled prequel takes place thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones. It chronicles the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. And only one thing is for sure: 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… it’s not the story we think we know.

L-R: Georgie Henley, Alex Sharp, Toby Regbo Netflix

Goldman will serve as showrunner and executive produce alongside Martin as well as fellow GOT co-executive producer Vince Gerardis and Damages and Bloodline co-creator/exec producer Daniel Zelman, Clarkson, James Farrell and Jim Danger Gray. Chris Symes is co-executive producer.

Clarkson most recently directed and executive produced Collateral, a four-part BBC/Netflix four-part limited series starring Carey Mulligan and written by David Hare, and previously directed and executive produced the pilots for Marvel’s The Defenders and Jessica Jones for Netflix.

Ackie will be seen in a leading role in J.J. Abrams-directed Star Wars: Episode IX, set for release in December 2019, and recently wrapped filming a leading role in London-set crime thriller The Corrupted opposite Sam Claflin.

Gough will next be seen on screen in Wash Westmoreland’s Colette, alongside Keira Knightley and Dominic West, and in the lead role in Monday, alongside Sebastian Stan.

Jeremiah will next be seen on the big screen starring in drama The Flood.

Henley, known as young Lucy in all three Narnia franchise films, recently wrapped the first season of The Spanish Princess, a limited series for Starz.

Sharp will next be seen in MGM’S Nasty Women starring alongside Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson.

Regbo is currently shooting Medici: The Magnificent, season 2 of the Netflix series, led by Daniel Sharman.

Clarkson is repped by WME in the U.S., Curtis Brown in the UK. Ackie is repped by CAA, Hamilton Hodell in the UK and Cinetic Media and Peikoff Mahan in the U.S. Gough is repped by Independent Talent Group in the UK and United Talent Agency in the U.S. Bower is repped by Paradigm, Dalzell and Beresford in the UK, Sloane, Offer, Weber, and Dern and Vector. Atim is repped by Middleweek Newtown Talent Management, Fourward, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Jeremiah is repped by Scott Marshall Partners Ltd and Luber Roklin Entertainment. Henley is repped by ICM, Hamilton Hodell and art2perform and Peikoff Mahan in the U.S. Sharp is repped by CAA and Elin Flack Management. Regbo is repped by Authentic Talent and Literary Management, Independent Talent Group and attorney Karl Austen at JTWAMM.