Game of Thrones season 8 is already casting new roles, including that of a character known as simply "Northern Girl'. Following the conclusion of the abbreviated but very eventful seventh season of Game of Thrones, we’re getting into the “offseason,” so to speak, of Game of Thrones news. Season 7 is in the bad, production on season 8 has yet to begin, and there’s no indication that A Song of Ice and Fire creator George R.R. Martin is close to completing The Winds of Winter.

As such, Game of Thrones casting rumors (reasonable and not-so-plausible alike) are now making the rounds. Most of these reports concern casting notices that come with vague descriptions of new characters who may be added to the series, leading to speculation about which characters match up to known figures from Martin's original books. Then we get the reports of name actors being cast in the show. Some come to fruition - the big addition last season was Jim Broadbent - while others do not (remember when Angela Lansbury was supposedly joining the show)?

Related: Which Characters Will Game of Thrones Season 8 Introduce?

Now we have our first reports about casting for season 8. The Game of Thrones site Watchers on the Wall, which is known for its extensive coverage of casting on the show, has reported the first casting notices for the upcoming season. Both, according to the site, are for children’s roles, although it’s not known exactly who the characters are. According to the descriptions:

The first role we’ve learned about is for a Northern Girl. The character will be around age 8, but they are open to seeing actresses older than this, up to age 10. The role is described as being a straight-talking Northern-accented girl, someone remarkable for her dauntlessness and integrity. According to the write-up, she’s been brought up in a family of soldiers and shares their fearlessness. The part is said to be a “very nice stand-out part for a strong-minded young girl with a fighting spirit.”

As for the other role:

Game of Thrones is also searching for a Boy aged 8 – 12, with a physically fit and agile look, someone with a good, distinctive face. He’s described as being from a poor background, a boy who has to fight to make his way in the world. The description we saw mentions that they need an actor who can “completely own the scenes that he appears in,” hinting at multiple scenes. No coloring or height was noted, for what it’s worth.

So who are the characters? The Northern Girl sounds an awful lot like another character we already know, Lyanna Mormont, a young, tough Northern girl, with a touch of Arya Stark to her as well. We know that, with the major battle against the White Walkers on the way, that the North will be a key site for the action in season 8, so it makes sense that we’ll be meeting new characters before long.

As for the boy? It could be anyone. One of the younger Starks or Targaryeans in a flashback? Or maybe the child of some House we’ve never seen before? The latter character is an indication that we’ll be introduced to more of the “smallfolk” than we’ve seen in previous seasons. And with conflict coming to the entire continent, Game of Thrones should probably be telling those peoples’ stories, too.

NEXT: Game of Thrones to Film Multiple Ending to Battle Spoilers

Game of Thrones season 8 begins production soon, with a late 2018 or early 2019 premiere target.

Source: Watchers on the Wall