5 Attachment(s)
Game of Thrones Season 8: Every Update You Need To Know
Show: Game of Thrones Season 8
Release Date: TBA 2019
Cast: Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clark, Kit Harington, Liam Cunningham, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Nathalie Emmanuel, Gwendoline Christie, John Bradley, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Rory McCann, Iain Glen, Conleth Hill, Carice van Houten, Jerome Flynn, and Joe Dempsie
Directors: David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, David Nutter, and Miguel Sapochnik
Writers: David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Dave Hill, and Bryan Cogman
RETURNING CAST MEMBERS FOR GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8
For Game of Thrones Season 8, just about all of the main players who survived Season 7 are expected to return. Serving alongside Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) are Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), Jorah Mormont (Ian Glen), Missendei (Nathalie Emmanuel), Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson), and Varys (Conleth Hill). Last season, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) joined forces with Daenerys, bringing along Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham). Back at Winterfell, Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) rule in their brother’s absence, protected by Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) and her squire, Podrick Payne (Daniel Portman), while Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) does his duty as the Three-Eyed Raven and observes the realm. Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) and Gilly (Hannah Murray) have also recently arrived at Winterfell.
Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) remains in King’s Landing, guarded by her monstrous knight, Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson). Her brother and former lover, Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) left to travel north in the Game of Thrones Season 7 finale, while Sandor “The Hound” Clegane (Rory McCann) had already gone north with the Brotherhood Without Banners. Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen) leads the other Ironborn in a rescue of his sister, Yara (Gemma Whelan), while their uncle, Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbæk) has gone to collect The Golden Company.
Other various cast members expected to appear are Bronn (Jerome Flynt), last seen in King’s Landing after saving Jaime’s life; Gendry (Joe Dempsie), last seen among the Brotherhood north of The Wall; Tormund (Kristofer Hivju) and Beric Dondarrian (Richard Dormer), last seen at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea as Viserion brings down The Wall; and Melisandre (Carice van Houten), last seen speaking with Varys on Dragonstone.
NEW CAST MEMBERS FOR GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8
With such a massive cast it’s a little ridiculous that Game of Thrones even requires more characters, but there have been a few new roles cast for Game of Thrones Season 8. The most notable is Marc Rissmann as Harry Strickland, the leader of The Golden Company – a mercenary army that’s thought to have a significant role in Season 8. There have also been a few casting breakdowns to leak which reveal several, smaller roles being added this season: a Northern girl, aged 8-10 years; a young boy, aged 8-12; a mercenary, aged 35-50; a Northern farmer, aged 25-35; a sassy and attractive woman, aged 18-25; a sailor, aged 35-50; and two sentry guards, one in their 20s the other in their 30s. These roles are obviously quite minor, but suggest that the smallfolk of Westeros will still have some presence (even if it’s just as fodder for dragons and undead armies).
WHAT IS THE STORY FOR GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8
What will happen in Game of Thrones Season 8 is 0ne of the biggest mysteries in television. The narrative of the HBO series outpaced George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels years ago, so there’s little reason in looking there for clues. The cast have all read the scripts but they’re not allowed to say more than general statements like it’s “brilliant” or it has them “crying and laughing“. There were rumors that to avoid spoilers they’d film multiple endings, but that has been disproven.
However, given where Season 7 left off (as well as a few set spoilers), it’s possible to guess at some things that will happen. First and foremost, there will be at at least two – and possibly more – battles between the living and the dead army of The Night King. Set leaks suggest large battles have been filmed for Castle Black, Winterfell, and King’s Landing. The King’s Landing battle might also be more centered on ousting Cersei from the Iron Throne; she didn’t hire The Golden Company for nothing.
Speaking of the Iron Throne, Season 8 will also need to sort out who will sit that throne in the end. Will it be Daenerys, as she as dreamed of all series long? Will it be Jon, the recently confirmed true Targaryen heir? Their child!? Or will it be no one at all?
GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8 PREMIERES SOMETIME IN 2019
The news that Game of Thrones wouldn’t return until 2019 was met with a loud outcry of grief and anger. Audiences hate the idea of waiting a year for the next installment of the series as it is, and being asked to wait even longer was just unacceptable. But there are good reasons for the delay, with the weather, filming schedules, and not too mention the pressure of ending a hugely popular series all playing a part. It’s already the most expensive season of the series yet.
The best guess for now is that Game of Thrones Season 8 will premiere in the mid-April 2019 slot, the same release window the series held before it was pushed to Summer 2017 (and the same Westworld season 2 is in this year).
GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8 HAS ONLY SIX EPISODES
Along with being delayed until 2019, Game of Thrones Season 8 will also be the shortest run yet. Where previous seasons of Game of Thrones had 10 episodes, Season 7 had only seven episodes and Season 8 will have only six. The book series on which Game of Thrones is based will be seven novels when finished, so the series is technically getting an extra season (but again, it’s really hard to judge the series as an adaptation at this point). Season 8’s episodes will be longer than the typical 50-minute runtime, although they won’t necessarily all be feature-length episodes as had been rumored.
GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8 IS THE FINAL SEASON
In addition to being the shortest season, Game of Thrones Season 8 is also the final season. This will be where everything ends, where wars are fought, and the winner(s) of the game of thrones is crowned. We should also expect a lot of characters to die. Yet while Season 8 will be the end for Game of Thrones (and HBO has already ruled out a revival) there are several Game of Thrones spinoffs in the works. So Season 8 is goodbye to Game of Thrones, but not necessarily Westeros.
THERE ISN’T A TRAILER FOR GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8 YET
No trailer has yet been released for Game of Thrones Season 8. This isn’t too surprising since the show is still filming, although HBO is sure to pull together some kind of teaser. Possibly even in time to premiere alongside their other high profile series, like Westworld. In the meantime, why not check out this fan-made music video tribute to Game of Thrones.
THERE’S ONLY ONE PROMO POSTER FOR GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8
Since filming is still underway on the final season of Game of Thrones there has been little in the way of promotion. No photos, no trailers, and no poster besides this vague image shared at last year’s Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. It does confirm the 2019 release, that this is the final season, and the major remaining players: Stark, Targaryen, and Lannister. Interestingly, there’s no reference to The Night King, but again, it’s a promotional poster with little to no details.
