What are ‘Game of Thrones’ actors doing next?
Game of Thrones actors are stepping into major studio franchises and prestige projects that have nothing to do with Westeros. Their calendars for 2026 and 2027 reveal a mix of horror, action reboots, animated voice work, and limited series that stretch far beyond the original show’s shadow. Studios are betting that the cast’s built-in audience will follow them into new worlds.
Kit Harington books a wizard
Harington wrapped Season 4 of the HBO finance thriller Industry this summer, and Emmy chatter started before the finale aired. He now steps into Gilderoy Lockhart for the second season of HBO’s Harry Potter series after Nicholas Hoult’s schedule shifted. The actor already voiced the role in earlier audio editions, so the transition feels natural to fans who track every casting note.
His gothic horror The Dreadful pairs him again with Sophie Turner, while Eternal Return, the romance he made with Naomi Scott, lands in U.S. theaters on December 4. A BBC/MGM+ adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities and Hulu’s Count My Lies round out the slate, showing how quickly the former King in the North moved from fantasy to contemporary leads.
Harington told the Happy Sad Confused podcast that working on other material finally made him comfortable revisiting the Game of Thrones universe. That comfort may matter when reunion panels roll out at Comic-Con Liverpool next month, timed with the show’s fifteenth anniversary.
Emilia Clarke turns producer
Clarke headlined and executive-produced the Peacock spy series Ponies, which debuted early this year and lasted one season. She now stars in Prime Video’s crime drama Criminal and the romantic sci-fi Next Life, which premieres at Tribeca before its U.K. and Ireland release this fall through Vertigo.
Bleecker Street picked up the horror title When Darkness Loves Us for a 2027 theatrical run, with Victoria Pedretti co-starring. Clarke will also make her National Theatre debut next spring in David Hare’s Plenty, expanding her stage résumé while the industry watches how her producing credits evolve.
These moves keep Clarke in front of U.S. streaming viewers even as the Game of Thrones brand shifts focus to House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Her schedule proves that lead casting directors still see her as bankable outside fantasy.
Sophie Turner claims Lara Croft
Turner leads Amazon’s Tomb Raider series under Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and filming resumed after a minor injury delay. The show carries a 2027-plus window, but early set images already circulate on fan accounts and gaming forums.
She also stars in the six-episode heist thriller Steal, set for Prime Video in January. That project sits between Tomb Raider and the gothic horror The Dreadful, which she produces alongside Harington, giving her a producing credit while the larger franchise machine turns.
Turner’s X-Men past and the Tomb Raider gaming pedigree create crossover interest that studios rarely ignore. The combination keeps her name trending whenever new set photos surface or Waller-Bridge posts cryptic updates.
Maisie Williams joins a sequel
Williams plays Antonia, Sally’s daughter, in Warner Bros.’ Practical Magic 2. The film opens in U.S. theaters in September and reunites her with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, a lighter counterpoint to her usual indie choices.
She leads the high-concept thriller Ignition, now in post-production, with North American rights already acquired by Saban. The project co-stars Rory Kinnear and Lovi Poe, and early buzz centers on its time-bending premise rather than franchise ties.
Williams has addressed Arya Stark spin-off rumors without confirming anything, noting that her openness changes day to day. That measured stance keeps speculation alive while her actual slate stays packed with theatrical and streaming prospects.
Peter Dinklage mixes rom-com and horror
Dinklage stars in the fantasy rom-com Wicker, which premiered at Sundance and expands to theaters on October 30. Co-stars Alexander Skarsgård and Olivia Colman give the film awards-season positioning that could extend his post-Tyrion range.
He voices Roderick in Netflix’s animated Cinderella reimagining Steps, due November 20. That same month he returns as Leon Prater in Dexter: Resurrection Season 2, then joins FX’s Alien: Earth for its second season late next year.
The spread across indie fantasy, animation, and prestige horror shows how far the actor has traveled from the Lannister court. Each role tests a different register while keeping him visible on both big and small screens.
Lena Headey stays in genre lanes
Headey joins the Red, White & Royal Wedding sequel and headlines Netflix’s western The Abandons from Kurt Sutter. She also appears in Charlie Brooker’s upcoming miniseries Blackmere, keeping her résumé heavy on dark comedy and period edge.
These projects sit outside the Game of Thrones orbit, yet they lean on the same intensity audiences first met in Cersei. Streaming services still court her for limited series that need instant recognition.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau leads prestige drama
Coster-Waldau headlines King and Conqueror as William the Conqueror and appears opposite Jennifer Lopez in The Last Mrs. Parrish. He also reprises his role in Nightwatch, balancing historical heft with contemporary thrillers.
The mix demonstrates how the former Kingslayer continues to trade on both period gravitas and modern suspense. Networks and streamers keep offering him leads that play against the memory of Jaime Lannister.
Reunion circuit fuels nostalgia
Comic-Con Liverpool hosts roughly eighteen original cast members October 10–11, capitalizing on the show’s fifteenth anniversary. Panels focus on career updates rather than new spin-offs, since HBO confirmed that only House of the Dragon Season 4 and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 2 remain active.
Photos from the event travel quickly across social platforms, reminding casual viewers which Game of Thrones actors still command attention. The timing also dovetails with several of the projects listed above, creating a feedback loop between reunion coverage and release calendars.
Franchise crossovers reshape perception
Harry Potter, Tomb Raider, and Practical Magic 2 each pull Game of Thrones actors into existing intellectual properties with built-in audiences. Studios treat the cast’s name recognition as a marketing asset that travels across demographics.
These bookings also blunt earlier concerns that the actors would remain typecast. The volume of non-fantasy work arriving in 2026 and 2027 suggests the industry has moved past that worry and is ready to finance bigger swings.
Next chapter looks crowded
Game of Thrones actors now balance franchise obligations with auteur-driven indies and limited series that test new muscles. Their 2026–2027 slates include theatrical openings, streaming premieres, and stage debuts that keep them circulating through awards conversations and fan events alike. The pattern shows careers that treat the original series as a launchpad rather than a ceiling.

