Game of Thrones prequel – Bloodmoon plot, cast and when was it cancelled?

GAME of Thrones came to a dramatic end in May 2019, leaving an empty Westeros-shaped hole in the hearts of its loyal fans.

And while HBO's prequel Bloodmoon was meant to fill the gap, the project has been cancelled and replaced with House Of The Dragon.  Here's everything we know...

What was the Game Of Thrones prequel about?

Unfortunately, the new series will not be coming to screens after all.

Set more than 5,000 years before the likes of Ned Stark or Robert Baratheon were even born, the show was not planning to feature any of the Game of Thrones characters we already know and love.

According to HBO's official synopsis, the new series was meant to tell the story of "the world's descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour."

It planned to centre around the Children of the Forest and how they created the monster we now know as the Night King.

A teaser for the series said it would reveal the “horrifying secrets of Westeros’s history to the true origin of the White Walkers”.

What is the Age of Heroes?

The Age of Heroes is the name given to the period in time which saw the First Men and the Children of the Forest come together to agree on a peace pact.

This happened around 10,000 years before the first Game of Thrones episode is set.

It ended around 7,000 years later with the Coming of the Andals.

The exact time the Age of Heroes ended isn't clear as different sources in Westeros given different accounts.

Annoyingly, this means fans don't know for sure just yet when the Game of Thrones prequel is set - the only details show bosses have confirmed for sure is that it's the Age of Heroes era.

Who was in the Bloodmoon cast?

Josh Whitehouse and Naomi Watts were the first two names attached to the forthcoming project.

Other cast members included Denise Gough, Jamie Campbell Bower, Naomi Ackie, Ivanno Jeremiah, Sheila Atim, Toby Regbo, Alex Sharp, and Toby Regbo, most known for his role in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

Creator George tweeted: "Casting is now underway for The Long Night, the first of the Game of Thrones successor series to ordered to film.

"HBO has just announced the first cast member: Naomi Watts is coming on board as one of our stars… I could not be more excited. Welcome to Westeros, Naomi."

When was Bloodmoon set to air?

HBO Executives had planned to air the show sometime in 2020.

A source to The Sun at the time: “Thrones fans will be delighted to hear things have started with the prequel. Those working on the set in Belfast are referring to the series as Bloodmoon.

"Producers have put together a stellar cast and it will be must-watch telly for anyone who loves Game Of Thrones.”

The big-budget spin-off is being run by writer and producer Jane Goldman, wife of Jonathan Ross.