Ten months of filming. That's how long the Game of Thrones cast has spent shooting the six episodes that will make up the final season of the series. Before its premiere in April, there are still many interesting facts and details to discover. And today you'll find a good dose of them. Sit back and keep reading.
New details of the last season of Game of Thrones
The folks at Entertainment Weekly have had the opportunity to delve deep into the world of Game of Thrones and uncover many exclusive details about the upcoming eighth season. As you know, the first episode of the final season of Game of Thrones will premiere on April 14th on HBO , kicking off the series' grand finale.
Now we can at least learn some details about what we'll see, without giving away any spoilers , by giving us a glimpse of some scenes or moments we'll experience during the final six episodes. To help you get acquainted—the EW article is very long, you can find it in our Source—we'll summarize them below, listing the most important points and commenting on them—as much as we can, of course:
- There will be a scene where a large number of main characters will meet
David Nutter, director of three episodes of this season of Game of Thrones , has confessed that fans of the series will not be disappointed with this final phase . Among other things, he cited moments like the unexpected reunion of many of the main characters: "There's a scene where so many [characters] are together that it feels like you're watching a superhero movie ." Isn't that a brilliant comparison?
- The final episode is the most ambitious in TV history
David Benioff and Dan Weiss, the showrunners of the series, directed the final episode alongside director Miguel Sapochnik, who also directed "Hardhome" (the episode featuring the Battle of Hardhome) and "Battle of the Bastards" (the epic battle of the bastards, which even won an Emmy). The final episode is already being hailed as the most difficult to produce in television history , which is saying something. It will feature the great final battle of Winterfell, where many characters will unite to defeat the Night's Watch and his vast army.
- The final battle will be the longest consecutive battle sequence ever made.
Following on from the above, we've been told that the grand finale battle in episode 6 will be the longest consecutive battle sequence ever filmed, and will also feature the largest number of main Game of Thrones characters since the show's debut episode in 2011. Just read the statements from co-executive producer Bryan Cogman to get an idea of ​​how insane this is going to be:
What we've asked the production team and crew to do this year has never really been done on TV or in a movie. […] There are sequences built within sequences built within sequences. David and Dan [wrote] an amazing puzzle and Miguel [Sapochnik] came in and took it apart and put it back together. It's been exhausting, but I think it's going to surprise everyone.
To prepare for this battle, Sapochnik was researching in the film library and found that the battle of
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers It lasts almost 40 minutes. The idea has always been to achieve the longest sequence in the history of cinema without falling into viewer fatigue.
- It took 11 weeks of shooting at night
Up to 750 people were immobilized for the filming of sequences overnight in open fields and in freezing temperatures, rain, and wind. Organizing something like this is unprecedented and has left the team completely exhausted—but very satisfied with the result.
- Arya will participate in her first battle
It was pretty obvious something like this would happen, but now we have confirmation: in the Season Finale, we'll finally see Arya Stark participate in her first battle . The actress herself, Maisie Williams, jokes about her situation: " I skip the battle every year, which is weird since Arya has trained the most. This is my first test. And they've really put me through the wringer ."
- One of the actresses fainted during the recording of a scene
No names were given, but it's known that one of the series' "regular" actresses fainted during a scene (not the big battle) from standing still for too long . After an initial scare and being treated by medics, she recovered, was advised to rest, and returned the next day.
- Samwell Tarly will face the White Walkers again
It seems the good-natured Samwell Tarly will once again face the White Walkers. If you recall, Jon Snow's loyal friend already confronted and killed one in episode 8, "The Second Sons," of the third season. Now we know he's wielding a sword again for the same purpose, though it's unknown whether this will happen during the final battle or at another point in the season.
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- There were special security measures for filming, with special care in the final chapter
Obviously, everyone wants to know what happens at the end of Game of Thrones, and many are surely eager to find out so they can leak it before the premiere. For this reason, special security measures were implemented, including air traffic control in the open areas where filming took place. The final episode was taken to another level, with only crew members wearing a special "Episode 6" badge allowed on set during filming. Some scenes were even filmed on a private set.
If you read English, we highly recommend you check out the full report, packed with statements and comments, especially from the series directors, who ultimately have the final say in all of this. On May 19th , we'll see the final episode of Game of Thrones and find out if all that effort has been worth it. We're betting it has.