Naomi Watts tapped for 1st Game of Thrones prequel

Watts, an Academy Award contender for her turns in 21 Grams and The Impossible, will play "a charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret," according to Entertainment Weekly and Variety.

The prequel the first of five potential new series to get the green light is set thousands of years before the events of HBO's current Game of Thrones, which is based on the Song of Ice and Fire novelseries by author George R.R. Martin.

Their new tale "will chronicle the world's descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour," according to an HBO statement issued in June.

Both HBO and Martin have said fans should not expect to see the same characters return in any of the forthcoming follow-up productions.

HBO will order a full series depending on how the pilot fares, but audiences will still be waiting for a few years for any new production.

Born in the U.K and raised in Australia, Watts is known for roles in films such as The Ring, Mulholland Drive, King Kong and I Heart Huckabees. She was also seen in the revival of Twin Peaks and is set to appear as Gretchen Carlson in an upcoming Showtime limited series about Roger Ailes.