Naomi Watts breaks silence on her cancelled ‘Game of Thrones’ spin-off

Actor Naomi Watts, who was supposed to star in a now-cancelled Game of Thrones spin-off, has said that it is a shame that the series didn't see the light of day. The actor said that to this day, she isn't allowed to discuss it.

HBO decided not to move ahead with the series after a pilot episode was shot. Another spin-off, co-created by series author George RR Martin, is in the works.

In an interview to Collider, Watts spoke highly of her time working on the show with creator Jane Goldman. She said, "She's fantastic. She's a force…you know…her mind is just beyond brilliant. I loved having time with her…way too short and such a shame because she really kind of got me into that world that I never thought I would be a part of. I hadn't watched Game of Thrones before and I got to binge it and I got heavily into the whole world. I loved it. But to this day I can't. I can't say anything."

She continued, "It's funny because I have an Instagram account and I found something in my memories - pictures that come up - and it was when I was there in costume and I was like 'Oh! This would be fun to post!' And I was like 'No! I can't do that I'll get into so much trouble!' Just the costume, you know? I wasn't thinking about what I was wearing. It was what I was doing. But anyway. Not allowed to say."

"After careful consideration, we have decided not to move forward to series with the Untitled Game of Thrones prequel," HBO said in a 2019 statement announcing the cancellation. "We thank (showrunner and screenwriter) Jane Goldman, (director) SJ Clarkson, and the talented cast and crew for all of their hard work and dedication." While HBO provided no further information, according to Deadline, the decision was taken "after a lengthy post-production … and rumors about issues during filming in Northern Ireland."

HBO had even shared a synopsis for the potential series: "Taking place thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series chronicles 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, only one thing is for sure: It's not the story we think we know."

Game of Thrones ended with a mixed bag of a final season in 2019. While the final season was a success in terms of ratings, it received poor reviews from both fans and critics. A few days after cancelling the Goldman-Watts series, HBO announced a direct-to-series order for another spin-off, titled House of the Dragon. The series, co-created by George RR Martin and Ryan Condal, will tell the story of House Targaryen and take place 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones.