“When you play the game of thrones you win or you die.”
We finally know when our beloved Game of Thrones will be leaving us: April 2019. That’s only five months away.
In a short, sizzle-reel style clip released by HBO, we can see a culmination of everything in the show that has led us to this sure-to-be-epic conclusion. No new footage was shown, so this isn’t officially a season 8 trailer. But, it’s exciting nonetheless and the official airing month makes it that much sweeter.
The director of the final season’s first episode, David Nutter, kindly answered some looming questions in a Reddit AMA today as well (don’t worry, no spoilers here).
When asked about what it was like to film the first episode of a season for the first time (Nutter previously directed the infamous “Red Wedding” episode), the director responded,
“I think it’s really important to make a splash… you have to reset the table, put everyone back in their place, you have to take them to their next position. But you have to entertain that’s what’s most important.”
When asked if the upcoming final season of Game of Thrones would ultimately satisfy the fans, Nutter had this to say:
“I’m completely satisfied with how Season 8 ends. I think that [creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss] did a tremendous job, and they took into consideration what the fans want, as well as what is right as far as storytelling is concerned… I guarantee there’s going to be lots of surprises and shocking moments, but it’s really very compelling stuff.”
In response to a fan asking if there would be a Red Wedding-esque moment in season 8, Nutter said, “As far as season 8 compared to the Red Wedding I just have to tell you: hang onto your seat cause it’s going to be special.”
Nutter also confirmed that each episode exceeds 60 minutes, but don’t quite reach movie-length (as was rumored a while back).
“The biggest challenge directing the final season of Game of Thrones is just the importance of getting it right… There was not a second chance to get all of these sequences right, and a lot of sequences had many actors in them and some wonderfully intimate scenes as well. So really it was about taking these characters from point A to B to C to D to E in the various episodes that I did, and making sure that it all balances out properly. We had a lot of rehearsal time and that was really the thing that saved me more than anything else. I’m very happy with the chance to get in there and rehearse with the actors, and I think they were too, and I think it turned out quite well.”
How excited are you for the Game of Thrones finale? Let us know in the comments below!
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