A Game of Thrones prequel is on its way and it's star-studded

We cannot wait!!

Game of Thrones will return next year for its final season, with both fans and actors counting down the days until we see what's in store for our favourite characters.

What’s going to happen when Jon Snow and Daenerys find out they’re related? Who's going to fulfil the prophecy? And will the Night King take hold of the North, and all of Westeros eventually?

While we've got some time to wait, some Game of Thrones news emerged this week that might be able to satisfy us in the meantime.

A Game of Thrones prequel series is officially in the works for HBO - this is not a drill, we repeat, this is not a drill.

But what's the plot, when's the release date and who is going to be starring in the show? Here's what we know so far...

What is the Game of Thrones prequel about?

The Game of Thrones prequel is no ordinary prequel, set thousands of years before the 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, with the new project set to follow the Age of Heroes and how the world fell into darkness after it.

Who is starring in the Game of Thrones prequel?

The project is expected to be star-studded, with A-list faces Naomi Watts and Josh Whitehouse confirmed as the two leads.

What is the Game of Thrones prequel called?

The Game of Thrones prequel is called The Long Night, with GoT creator George RR Martin revealing the news as he welcomed actress Naomi Watts onboard the project. 'Casting is now underway for THE LONG NIGHT, the first of the GAME OF THRONES successor series to ordered to film,' the author posted to Twitter and his blog. 'I could not be more excited. Welcome to Westeros, Naomi.'

When will the Game of Thrones prequel air?

A release date hasn't been announced yet, but seeing as they haven't actually started filming, we'd imagine that we have some time to wait!

Game of Thrones’ eighth season airs in 2019, so in the meantime, we'll be reading fan theories and binge-watching the previous seven seasons.