Game of Thrones prequel series will start filming in Belfast later this year

Because there's more to Westeros than meets the eye.

Or has met the eye so far, at least. With shooting officially wrapped on the final ever episode of Game of Thrones, some fans are already in mourning for the biggest TV addiction of recent times not named the World Cup or Love Island. With cast members doing their very best to possibly spoil things and still a little under a year to go before we find out who lives and who dies, it's fair to say that emotions are running high. So how about some good news, eh? Who wants a bit of that? Well, to paraphrase Tyrion and twist his words, you've come to the right place. The Belfast Telegraph reports that filming of the official prequel series is set to get underway in Belfast this October, which is expected to provided another huge boost to the economy. The new show follows in the footsteps of Superman prequel drama Krypton and the next spin-off in the Star Wars saga, both of which will be shot in Belfast. As of now, the plan is for the next chapter in the Star Wars series to focus on Obi-Wan Kenobi, with Ewan McGregor having expressed interest in reprising the role. Given the big reveal in Solo: A Star Wars Story, he at least has surprisingly unfinished business to take care of. Speaking of, the currently untitled forthcoming Thrones project - 'The Long Night' is author George R. R. Martin's preferred choice - will have its roots housed in a familiar setting for fans. Staff at the Paint Hall studios in the Titanic Quarter have been briefed that the Game of Thrones prequel series will be set 1,000 years before the events of its parent story. Paint Hall served as Game of Thrones' main studio, though plenty of other Northern Irish locations were prominently featured in the show, including the Dark Hedges near Ballycastle and Shillanavogy Valley near Slemish in County Antrim. "This is fantastic news for everyone at the studio - from the cast and the crew, right down to the riggers and the catering staff," a Paint Hall source told the Telegraph's sister paper Sunday Life.