The great war was here. #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/hWSeyHVIPe
— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) April 2, 2019
New batch of #GameofThrones S8 photos show Dany presiding over Winterfell and Jon Snow's return home
— Fandom (@getFANDOM) March 28, 2019
(via @skyatlantic) pic.twitter.com/3hUwlDkkxn
More #GameofThrones S8 stills show Tyrion, Bran and Brienne facing Winter ❄️ pic.twitter.com/IzeOkCgCFx
— Fandom (@getFANDOM) March 28, 2019
As a Bonus to Fans, "GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH," A Two-Hour Feature Documentary Chronicling the Making of the Final Season, Debuts May 26, Exclusively on HBO(R)
For a year, acclaimed British filmmaker Jeanie Finlay was embedded on the set of the hit HBO series "Game of Thrones," chronicling the creation of the show's most ambitious and complicated season.
Debuting SUNDAY, MAY 26 (9:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), one week after the series finale, GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH delves deep into the mud and blood to reveal the tears and triumphs involved in the challenge of bringing the fantasy world of Westeros to life in the very real studios, fields and car-parks of Northern Ireland.
The film will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and partners' streaming platforms.
Made with unprecedented access, GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH is an up-close and personal report from the trenches of production, following the crew and the cast as they contend with extreme weather, punishing deadlines and an ever-excited fandom hungry for spoilers.
Much more than a "making of" documentary, this is a funny, heartbreaking story, told with wit and intimacy, about the bittersweet pleasures of what it means to create a world - and then have to say goodbye to it.
Jeanie Finlay's previous credits include the documentaries "Seahorse," "Orion: The Man Who Would Be King," "Pantomime," "The Great Hip Hop Hoax," "Sound It Out" and "Goth Cruise." GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH is her eighth feature film.
GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH is a Glimmer Films production for HBO; director, Jeanie Finlay; executive producers, David Benioff. D.B. Weiss, Bernadette Caulfield; producers, Jeanie Finlay, Rachel Hooper, Martin Mahon; editor, Alice Powell; filmed by Jeanie Finlay, Mark Bushnell, Louise Liddy, Aaron Black, Richard Jephcote; composer, Hannah Peel.
HBO CONFIRMS DEBUT DATES AND ESTIMATED RUNNING TIMES FOR FINAL SIX EPISODES OF "GAME OF THRONES"
Season 8, episode 1
Debut date: SUNDAY, APRIL 14 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT)
Estimated running time: 0:54
Season 8, episode 2
Debut date: SUNDAY, APRIL 21 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT)
Estimated running time: 0:58
Season 8, episode 3
Debut date: SUNDAY, APRIL 28 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT)
Estimated running time: 1:22
Season 8, episode 4
Debut date: SUNDAY, MAY 5 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT)
Estimated running time: 1:18
Season 8, episode 5
Debut date: SUNDAY, MAY 12 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT)
Estimated running time: 1:20
Season 8, episode 6
Debut date: SUNDAY, MAY 19 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT)
Estimated running time: 1:20
“Exhausting” is quite the understatement. The episode required 11 weeks of grueling night shoots. Imagine up to 750 people working all night long for nearly three months in the middle of open rural countryside: The temperatures are freezing in the low 30s; they’re laboring in icy rain and piercing wind, thick, ankle-deep mud; reeking horse manure and choking smoke. The stars of Game of Thrones require some coaxing to get candid about their experience because nobody wants to sound like they’re whinging (as The Hound would say). But if you spend even a brief time on set you realize staging the battle was unprecedentedly brutal.
GAME OVER: We’re preparing to say goodbye to @GameOfThrones with the ultimate fan guide, featuring 16 epic covers of your favorite characters. Get exclusive intel on the final episodes in our top secret report from the set: https://t.co/2v2COJA7dg Story by @JamesHibberd pic.twitter.com/GuxDw9toyA
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 4, 2019
It’s our biggest #GameOfThrones issue ever! We’re preparing to say goodbye to #GoT with the ultimate fan guide, featuring 16 epic covers and exclusive intel on the final episodes in our top secret report from the set: https://t.co/2v2COJA7dg Story by @JamesHibberd pic.twitter.com/J45Bt8zTBL
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 4, 2019
The end is near. We’re preparing to say goodbye to #GameOfThrones with the ultimate fan guide, featuring 16 epic covers of your favorite characters and exclusive intel on the final episodes in our top secret report from the set: https://t.co/2v2COJA7dg Story by @JamesHibberd pic.twitter.com/3294smQH5l
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 4, 2019
Winter is coming. We’re preparing to say goodbye to #GameOfThrones with the ultimate fan guide, featuring 16 epic covers of your favorite characters and exclusive intel on the final episodes in our top secret report from the set: https://t.co/2v2COJA7dg Story by @JamesHibberd pic.twitter.com/xFjuoSqbvS
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 4, 2019
You can purchase all 16 of our epic #GameOfThrones covers here: https://t.co/Swi3fikmyy pic.twitter.com/MpS7jZ3Wtt
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 4, 2019
Gorgeous @GameOfThrones cast portraits tease season 8 storylines #GameOfThrones https://t.co/eQEwJPDxZk
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 4, 2019
.@GameOfThrones first look: Inside the brutal battle to make season 8 #GameOfThrones https://t.co/IzvUtFdNgQ
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 4, 2019
Game of Thrones returns for its final season on April 14.
David Nutter, a Game of Thrones director, did a Reddit AMA in which he confirmed the rumored episode lengths, "season 8 episodes will all I think be longer than 60 minutes. They'll be dancing around the bigger numbers, I know that for sure." and some other bits and pieces of which I thought were the most important here but feel free to read all of David's answers via the link below.
Also, obviously you can’t go into any real detail here, but do you believe anything in season 8 will generate the same level of shock and heartbreak as those last few minutes of Rains of Castamere?
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.
Could you describe season 8 in 3 words? Don’t say bittersweet please
Season 8 in three words — Spectacular, Inspiring, Satisfying
What was your funniest moment while Filming Game Of Thrones??
I've enjoyed working with the Hound and Arya. They have some great duo sequences together, that's been fun. I love working with Tormund and the Wildings. That's been fun as well. I think that probably Arya and the Hound and their journey to the north was interesting stuff that was done there and was a lot of fun.
Why did we have to wait 2 years?!?!?!?!
Visual effects! Things take time my friends — they take a lot of time to create and GoT is the last place you’re going to find half baked work so it’s all about making sure they fill the frame with as much capacity as possible and making it as real and right as possible. Small price to pay for the amazing quality that comes out of that show.
Who is your favourite character?
I can’t tell you — I love them all — with he and Cersei of course, Lena Headey who I worked with on the Sarah Connor Chronicles is a favorite of mine as well. Can’t leave out Emilia and Kit Harrington (Jon Snow) as well but the cast is fantastic there’s not one bad one in the bunch — to think of the Hound and Tormund and all those guys this last season was just magical.
Will we be getting more scenes involving the direwolves? A lot of people were upset with the lack of Ghost scenes in season 7.
Well, I have to say that you will see a direwolf in season 8. That's all I can say.
When directing fake scenes, do you yourself know that they're fake?
Well, you'll have to ask me that at the end of season 8. Because I can't answer that question now.
Did the series end the way you thought it would? Are you satisfied with the ending?
I'm completely satisfied with how season 8 ends. I think that David and Dan 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.
Are you going/willing to direct episodes of the GOT prequel currently in works?
I'm not involved in it. I’m not sure if I will be involved in it right now but I wish them a lot of luck.
Will season 8 have time travel? (Hello Bran)
Well, I’ll be the first to tell you that I have no time travel in my episodes. That’s the only clue I’m going to give you.
Every battle.
Every betrayal.
Every risk.
Every fight.
Every sacrifice.
Every death.
All #ForTheThrone.
The final season of Game of Thrones returns in April.
Entertainment Weekly did a fantastic report on the final season in which they revealed Season 8 opens at Winterfell and contains many callbacks to the pilot as well as details on the 55 nights spent filming on outdoor scenes for the final battle which didn't account for the inside studio scenes. It was also revealed that the final season was originally envisioned as a trilogy of movies (much like The Lord of the Rings trilogy) due to cost of having such an expansive and grand conclusion. As the fantasy saga's success and popularity exploded HBO granted the producers "$15 million an episode" to conclude the show with 6 final installments so that it would be "a summer tentpole-size spectacle."
The first official photo from #GameOfThrones’ final season is here! Get exclusive details on the most impossible finale in TV history in our report from the #GoT set: https://t.co/wjWGa4K2Yr pic.twitter.com/59aFZkCR0U
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) November 1, 2018
The end is near. ❄️Get behind-the-scenes scoop on the final season of #GameOfThrones in our exclusive report from the #GoT set https://t.co/ZHIebztoLu
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) November 1, 2018
Years later, the producers would strike a deal with the network to spend two years on a shortened season 8 that would cost more than $15 million an episode. You could say HBO made good on that promise from 2012, and the showrunners will happily give the network full credit. “They put their money where their mouths are — literally stuffed their mouth full of million-dollar bills, which don’t exist anymore,” Weiss quips.