The countdown is on to 2019 and the eventual Game of Thrones season 8 release date, but did you know the final season of GoT could have ended up as three feature-length movies?
That’s the latest Game of Thrones season 8 scoop, which comes courtesy of a just published Entertainment Weekly conversation with show creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Dating back to a season three set visit to the show in 2012, EW reveals that Benioff and Weiss plotted releasing the final season of Game of Thrones as three feature-length movies in cinemas so they could get the budget they needed to do the conclusion to their fantasy epic justice.
HBO, however, declined to take the duo up on their idea, the feeling being that as a pay TV channel it would risk alienating its subscribers. Instead, the network promised the Game of Thrones duo they would be able to make a “a summer tentpole-size spectacle” in the final season, without extrapolating on what that meant in fiscal terms.
In the end, Game of Thrones season 8 will be comprised of six episodes that cost over $15m each to make each – some ‘tentpole’, if you ask us.
Related: Reigns – Game of Thrones review
The EW exclusive also teases some tantalising details of Game of Thrones season 8’s opening episode.
“Season 8 opens at Winterfell with an episode that contains plenty of callbacks to the show’s pilot. Instead of King Robert’s procession arriving, it’s Daenerys and her army. What follows is a thrilling and tense intermingling of characters — some of whom have never previously met, many who have messy histories — as they all prepare to face the inevitable invasion of the Army of the Dead,” EW’s James Hibberd writes.
Game of Thrones season 8’s exact release date hasn’t been confirmed, but it’s thought to be coming sometime in spring 2018 – meaning the first official Game of Thrones season 8 trailer can’t be far off now.
Would you have preferred to see Game of Thrones season 8 released as three feature-length movies? Let us know on Twitter @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
