Fans who were unsatisfied with last month's "Game of Thrones" series finale have a fresh opportunity to explore the world of Westeros, thanks to a new prequel series that's been ordered to pilot at HBO. And now comes word that that episode has finally started filming, in a location that should look plenty familiar to "Thrones" devotees.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the pilot for prequel "The Long Night" (the show's current working title, which was also the name of an episode of the final season of "Thrones") just began production in Northern Ireland. That's the same country that served as home base for "Thrones" throughout the show's entire eight-season run, and we can't help but think that the creative team is planning on re-using some of the same locations for this new show.

Of course, if that happens, the setting won't look completely the same: "The Long Night" takes place thousands of years before the events of "Game of Thrones," in a version of Westeros that is "a different and older world," according to "A Song of Ice and Fire" author George R.R. Martin. And there's still the possibility that the series could shoot in other countries, too, though that has not yet been confirmed yet, EW reports.

"The Long Night," created by Jane Goldman ("X-Men: First Class") from a story by Martin, features headliner and Oscar nominee Naomi Watts, and a sprawling cast that includes Miranda Richardson in a key role, Josh Whitehouse, Naomi Ackie, Denise Gough, Jamie Campbell Bower, Sheila Atim, Ivanno Jeremiah, Georgie Henley, Alex Sharp, and Toby Regbo.

If ordered to series, the prequel is expected to debut on HBO sometime in late 2020 or early 2021. Stay tuned.

[via: Entertainment Weekly]