Advertisement

Game of Thrones season 8 release date, trailer, cast, plot, spoilers – everything we know so far

Winter has finally come on Game of Thrones.

The White Walkers have broken through The Wall with a dragon under their command, and Westeros’s fate rests in the hands of a Stark bastard, a heavy drinking dwarf, a faceless girl, a red-headed schemer, a boy-turned-Raven, and the Mother of Dragons.

Game of Thrones's eighth and final season looks set to be an epic sprint to the end of George RR Martin’s gigantic tale of kings, queens and paupers.

So, what do we know about the upcoming season? Look no further, as The Independent has put together a comprehensive list of everything we currently know about season eight, from new cast members and story speculation to air dates and how to watch.

Release date and how to watch

Game of Thrones returns on 14 April.

HBO teased the official release on multiple occasions before announcing the actual date, first confirming that Game of Thrones would return in the ‘first half’ of 2019 last year, then narrowing that down to April 2019 a few months later. The network narrowed that down further to April soon after, only officially announcing the 14 April date with an extended teaser.

Maisie Williams – who plays Arya – previously let slip that the “our first episode [will air] in April”. Viewers in the US can watch on HBO. Sky Atlantic and NOW TV will simulcast every episode in the UK. You will also be able to catch up via NOW TV.

What have we seen so far?

HBO has so far kept information regarding the upcoming season very close to their chest, doing all they can to prevent leaks. Rather than release actual footage from upcoming episodes, the network has released teaser trailers featuring mild hints at the future of these beloved characters.

The most notable so far was released alongside the official season eight release date announcement. The teaser features Jon Snow (Kit Harrington), Sansa Star (Sophie Turner) and Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) walking through the crypts of Winterfell as the voices of deceased Starks echo out (the video can be seen at the top of this article).

Meanwhile, fans got a glimpse of footage from season eight in an HBO 2019 sneak-peak video, which saw Jon and Sansa embrace. The network's extended look at their 2019 schedule also featured a brief look at Daenerys (Emelia Clarke) meeting Sansa for the first time. Watch below.

Entertainment Weekly has previously released the first (and only) official photo from the set of Game of Thrones, featuring Jon and Daenerys hugging.

There’s also an “Ice and Fire” teaser trailer, which features no new footage but teases the destruction to come.

How many episodes?

Whereas the first six seasons all consisted of 10 episodes, season seven was made up of only seven. Showrunners David Benioff and D B Weiss have decided to likewise limit the length of season eight, deciding on just six episodes. (The duo originally wanted to release three feature-length movies, rather than six episodes, but HBO went against the decision.)

Reports have previously claimed that each episode will also run for around 80 to 90 minutes – longer than the normal 60 minutes for the show. This has been backed up by a leak from one of HBO's French broadcasters, which claims the season will begin with two hour-long episodes, with the remaining four lasting at least 80-minutes each.

Also of note: each episode cost a rumoured $15 million to produce. Reports vary on how much the cast have been paid, but Variety previously claimed Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jamie Lannister), Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), Kit Harrington (Jon Snow) and Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister) all got $500,000 (£384,000) per episode.

Episode writers and directors

David Nutter – best known for directing the infamous Red Wedding – returns to helm three episodes of the final six, including the premiere, which is written by Dave Hill (who was behind last season’s episode “Eastwatch”). Producer Bryan Cogman has written the second episode, while Benioff and Weiss have written the last four.

“Battle of the Bastards” director Miguel Sapochnik returns for episodes three and five, while Benioff and Weiss will follow in the footsteps of other showrunners (including those behind Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, and Mad Men) in directing the very last episode of their show.

Danny and Jon on ‘Game of Thrones’ (HBO)
Danny and Jon on ‘Game of Thrones’ (HBO)

New cast members

Seeing as there are only six episodes in which to wrap up this epic story, it should be of little surprise that few new characters will be introduced. Casting calls have been ambiguous, detailing such parts as ”Northern Girl” and “Boy”. There’s little to go on, but reports previously detailed that Harry Strickland – the leader of the Golden Company in the books – has been cast, with The Last Kingdom’s Marc Rissmann taking on the role.

Who’s coming back? *Potential spoilers*

Along with all the main cast, Carice van Houten recently let slip that the Red Woman will return in a now-deleted Instagram post. Welsh actor Wilf Scolding, who played Jon Snow’s real father Rhaegar Targaryen during the season seven finale, also hinted at his return on Instagram – the post has, as expected, been deleted.

One person who does not look set to return is Mark Gattis’s Tycho Nestoris, who said earlier this year: “I’m not in it, so I guess I survive.” Ellie Kendrick’s Meera Reed also looks set not to return, having previously said: “[I’m not appearing] as far as I know.”

Also of note: Joe Dempsie has teased a huge role for Gendry in the upcoming season, saying he’s “done well out of it this year, for sure,” adding that he has filmed “a fair bit” for the final season.

A battle to end all battles

With so much secrecy, we know little for sure about season eight’s plot. However, we understand that the crew spent a massive 55 days filming one major battle in at the Moneyglass Base in Northern Ireland. That’s far longer than has been spent on any other Game of Thrones battle. Dinklage said the scene “makes ‘Battle of the Bastards’ look like a theme park.”

The opening scene

A report has also confirmed that the season will begin with Daenerys and Jon Snow arriving in Winterfell, with Entertainment Weekely describing the scene in a recent set report.

“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.”

The finale

HBO may have stayed quiet about the finale, but the cast and crew have spoken multiple times about how the show will end. Emilia Clarke said Daenerys’s finale moments “f**ked me up”, adding: ”Knowing that is going to be a lasting flavour in someone’s mouth of what Daenerys is…”

Sophie Turner has called the show’s ending “satisfying”, adding that season eight sees the show “bloodier than ever. It’s full of betrayal, full of war, full of danger.” Peter Dinklage said the showrunners “end it brilliantly. Better than I could have imagined, and you people are in for it. It ends beautifully for my character – whether it be tragic or not.”

Even Francesca Orsi, the Senior Vice President of HBO’s drama series, has spoken about the final episode, saying the script left the cast and crew crying. Read more about what each actor had to say here.

Fake scenes

There have been multiple reports of directors shooting fake scenes, with director David Nutter recently confirming they took place. Asked if he knew which scenes were fake and which were not, he said: “Oh yeah. Oh yeah, of course.”

Speaking about the security measures taken by the producers, he said: “Well, sometimes there were paparazzi in amazing places – on construction cranes and all kinds of crazy places, to try to get a point of view of things.

“They were all over, everywhere, trying to get in on what was happening. But it was definitely a situation where there was no paper on the set, [that] type of thing. “[The production team] wanted to make sure nobody knew what was happening, and they went to the nth degree, like they do on the show in general. They basically take it to the point where it’s like the Gestapo. It’s tough to get answers.”

Ian Glenn has further added that the “paranoid producers” did not allow a “written word on a page,” adding: ”Everything was accessed through iPads with different security you had to get through to access it. Which caused a problem for the actors, I have to say.”

An awkward reveal

While we, the viewer, know that Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen are related (Jon’s father is actually Prince Rhaegar Targaryen), the star-crossed lovers do not. However, they soon will, as hinted at by Emilia Clarke and Kit Harrington.

“Jon is someone who plays by the book. He cannot lie,” Harrington recently said. ”Finding out about Dany would be very hard for him.” Clarke, too, spoke about her character’s feelings for Jon, saying: “She truly loves Jon. Were she to find out about his title, it would cut deep.”

Co-showrunner Weiss was also on hand for comment, adding: “From a dramatic standpoint, it makes things interesting, because the story is no longer about who Jon’s parents are. It’s about what happens when Jon finds out.”

Reunion special

Sean Bean previously revealed that a special, featuring past and present cast members, was filmed in Belfast, with Conan O’Brien hosting the one-off episode.

HBO has since confirmed as much, revealing the special will be made exclusively available on the upcoming Game of Thrones complete series set box set, packaged alongside seasons one to eight.

HBO boss's reaction

HBO boss Richard Plepler offered a tantalising update on the eighth season while at a Golden Globes after-party.

Remaining coy about specifics, Plepler offered his own verdict on the final six episodes. “It’s a spectacle. The guys have done six movies. The reaction I had while watching them was, ‘I’m watching a movie,’” Plepler said.

"[Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss] knew the bar was high. They’ve exceeded the bar. I’ve watched them twice without any CGI and I’m in awe. Everybody’s in for an extraordinary treat of storytelling and of magical, magical production.”

**MAJOR SPOILER WARNING**

For those wanting to go in completely unsullied, turn back now, for the following paragraphs are dark and full of spoilers.

Another huge castle

During production, the set of a newly built castle was spotted in Belfast. Originally, the construction was believed to be extra battle defences for an already established location, but images soon revealed a highly complex structure, having tripled in size – only the set of Winterfell matches up. Speculators believe it could to be the streets of King’s Landing which have been built to burn down, which likely means dragons are coming to the capitol.

Speaking of fire...

One fan of the series just happened to be passing by the set of Winterfell when they spotted the entire place on fire. You can see the video here. Looks like the Night King’s making the most of that dragon.

Ice spiders?

Speaking to Bran in season one, Old Nan mentions that the White Walkers raised an army of ”ice spiders” to fight by their sides, telling the Stark child that they “swept through cities and kingdoms, riding their dead horses, hunting with their packs of pale spiders big as hounds”.

Fans have long wondered when the creepy crawlers would make an appearance. Thanks to an official sneak peak of John Howe’s cover art for the 2020 Song of Ice and Fire calendar, shared by George RR Martin, we have a first look at the creatures.

Whether they will appear on the show remains a mystery, but arachnophobes beware.

Over in King’s Landing...

Kit Harrington and John Bradley were spotted in character as Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly filming a scene together. Not too surprising, seeing as Sam’s currently in Winterfell, where Jon is heading. However, the pair were not filming in the Northern stronghold, but in King’s Landing, where their enemy, Cersei, awaits. Could they have finally put their differences aside?

Two fan favourites, back together

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Gwendoline Christie have been spotted filming scenes together. Reports claim that, during episode four, Brienne and Jaime — who will be reunited a few episodes back — will be forced to fight side-by-side against the undead. Where exactly the fight will happen remains unclear.

Until the bitter end

Speaking of Jaime – thanks to a lawsuit against the actor Coster-Waldau, we know that the character will survive until the end of the season. Documents filled in court show that he appears in all six episodes of the final season.

Anything else?

That’s the majority of what’s currently out there. As more trailers and photos are released, The Independent will be updating this article. When the show comes around we will have all the latest theories and reviews right here.