Support NeoGAF

[The Artisan]

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, HBO programming chief Casey Bloys hinted that the eighth season (only six episodes long) might not air until 2019.

-

The interviewer then asked, more explicitly, “So as of now, the final season could air in 2018 and / or in 2019 depending on their needs?” To which Bloys responded, “Yeah. They have to write the episodes and figure out the production schedule. We’ll have a better sense of that once they get further into the writing.” It’s pretty vague, but it certainly implies that HBO has given Benioff and Weiss permission to take their time.

Though a Westeros-free 2018 would obviously disappoint Game of Thrones fans who can no longer fathom a summer without the show (me, too!), it’s possible that it’s... a good thing.

ugh, this sucks. GRRM has the ending's vision in his head already, and the season will be the shortest, so why would it take longer than anticipated to pen the final script?

please lock if old

https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/2/15731682/hbo-game-of-thrones-season-8-2019-speculation

 

[badcrumble]

At least we've got Westworld in 2018, I guess.

If they're gonna take that long, though, I want more than just six episodes.

 

[Santiako]

And it will still be out before Words of Winter.

 

[Aiii]

So. A faithful adaptation of the final books, then?

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

I imagine they'll be six movie-quality episodes, so no problems here. If they're going to end it now, might as well do it right!

 

[Stat!]

Oh my god. The pain will be incredibly real. I can barely wait one year.

 

[Duane Cunningham]

Wow, they ARE staying true to the source material.

 

[Ziltoidia 9]

Doing a 2 year break for 6 episodes is the dumbest shit.

 

[Volimar]

No......noooooo.......NOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[wisdom0wl]

I mean, at least it'll release before Winds

 

[NYR]

Very disappointing considering it is only 6 episodes long, no matter how long each episode is.

 

[Master Of Illusion]

Goddammit.

But yes, at least Westworld's a thing now to tide me over.

 

[I H8 Memes]

This is why I dont bother with any show until it is completely finished airing. Feel bad for the week to week watchers though.

 

[Username1198]

THis is painful.

So westworld is worth watching? I've heard it's not so great from co workers.

 

[Sayad]

And it would still come out before Winds of Winter.

 

[reckless]

After shortening the final seasons so much come on. This is bullshit

 

[Massa]

It might be delayed to 2030 based on that answer, this is a non story.

 

[AuthenticM]

If the delay means they can ensure the quality of each episode is top-notch, then I don't mind. I can wait. I've got Westworld and American Gods in the meantime.

 

[Lothar]

I imagine they'll be six movie-quality episodes, so no problems here. If they're going to end it now, might as well do it right!

Does that mean it'll just be like 6 battle episodes? I hope it doesn't turn into the LOTR movies.

 

[serenewarfare]

If it's all-out war scale and scope episodes for 6 or 7 straight, I could see them needing more time to pull that off correctly.

 

[MontyBrown]

Why do networks always do this

 

[Trojita]

GOOD NEWS GEORGE

 

[gspec]

And it would still come out before Winds of Winter.

If winds of winter isn't out by then it will never be finished.

 

[jfkgoblue]

THis is painful.

So westworld is worth watching? I've heard it's not so great from co workers.

It was ruined for me by reading the internet while the season was running and everyone figuring out EVERY plot twist before it happened. It should be much more enjoyable for someone just binging it.

 

[Dazzler]

when is westworld back, friends?

 

[serenewarfare]

when is westworld back, friends?

Next year

 

[Lothar]

THis is painful.

So westworld is worth watching? I've heard it's not so great from co workers.

Westworld Season 1 is the most I've enjoyed a show since Breaking Bad ended. I would put it up there with GoT Season 1.

 

[Latvian Hitman]

Doing a 2 year break for 7 episodes is the dumbest shit.

Six episodes, not seven.

 

[Frozenprince]

And it ends with Sam being named king.

 

[Username1198]

Westworld Season 1 is the most I've enjoyed a show since Breaking Bad ended. I would put it up there with GoT Season 1.

It was ruined for me by reading the internet while the season was running and everyone figuring out EVERY plot twist before it happened. It should be much more enjoyable for someone just binging it.

Really? Well I'm off to binge thanks for the recommendation !

 

[Ocarina_117]

THis is painful.

So westworld is worth watching? I've heard it's not so great from co workers.

Yours coworkers have bad taste.

Some of the best television I've watched for years. Watching it weekly and discussing theories with friends and family was a treat. I'd rank it alongside the best from game of thrones and vastly better than the last two seasons of thrones.

 

[SpaceWolf]

George has been rubbing off on them.

 

[All Possible Ways]

THis is painful.

So westworld is worth watching? I've heard it's not so great from co workers.

Leave your job and get new coworkers. It's great.

 

[Nameless]

Feels like an AMC-esque move, a way to keep Thrones in their active catalog a bit longer. Or it could be a scheduling thing if they're dead set on certain directors. I'm definitely hoping to see Sapochnik and Neil Marshall back for the last batch of episodes.

 

[number11]

I'd rather them take their time and get it right.

 

[CrichtonKicks]

ugh, this sucks. GRRM has the ending's vision in his head already, and the season will be the shortest, so why would it take longer than anticipated to pen the final script?

please lock if old

https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/2/15731682/hbo-game-of-thrones-season-8-2019-speculation

The logistics on the show's filming are incredibly complicated and that only increases as the scale gets bigger.

The Battle of the Bastards took 25 days to film. That's insane given that most TV shows are shot in a week.

 

[Gigglepoo]

ugh, this sucks. GRRM has the ending's vision in his head already, and the season will be the shortest, so why would it take longer than anticipated to pen the final script?

Because they're basically making a six-hour movie and that's really difficult to do?

Also, I may be entirely wrong, but I thing the ending of A Game of Thrones will be pretty different from A Song of Ice and Fire. The show is moving toward a good vs. evil showdown. I don't think things will be so black and white in the books.

 

[Ponn]

My bullshit meter is going crazy on this. They already split the "final season" into two smaller seasons, this seems completely unrealistic. Unless the writers are that inept, which i'm sure alot of the show haters would love to agree with that point anyways. This seems much more like they don't want to let go of a super hot franchise for them and drag it as much as possible. If they do this I wouldn't be one bit surprised to see that rumored GoT spinoff suddenly premiere in 2018 in its place.

The logistics on the show's filming are incredibly complicated and that only increases as the scale gets bigger.

The Battle of the Bastards took 25 days to film. That's insane given that most TV shows are shot in a week.

Because they're basically making a six-hour movie and that's really difficult to do?.

These are really, REALLY poor excuses since they have been pulling off longer seasons for years now with no hitch. Maybe (and we aren't sure yet) they will have a few more battle scenes but the shorter seasons were supposedly one of the reasons for that.

 

[Einchy]

This will be fucking bullshit if it happens.

 

[Nokagi]

We're never going to see or read the ending to this.

 

[Slayven]

Feels like an AMC-esque move, a way to keep Thrones in their active catalog a bit longer. Or it could be a scheduling thing if they're dead set on certain directors. I'm definitely hoping to see Sapochnik and Neil Marshall back for the last batch of episodes.

Thats my first thought, maybe "Oh shit what we got after it ends?"

 

[Rumblebones]

Fuck. That.

 

[cloudburst]

HBO fucking sucks

 

[peteykirch]

Would be hilarious if George still couldn't get Winds of Winter out by 2019.

 

[jfkgoblue]

Thats my first thought, maybe "Oh shit what we got after it ends?"

Westworld may be able to fill in, but GOT is gonna be impossible for them to replace.

Would be hilarious if George still couldn't get Winds of Winter out by 2019.

I've resigned myself to him never releasing another book. He just doesn't give a shit about finishing the series any more.

 

[Blader]

My bullshit meter is going crazy on this. They already split the "final season" into two smaller seasons, this seems completely unrealistic. Unless the writers are that inept, which i'm sure alot of the show haters would love to agree with that point anyways. This seems much more like they don't want to let go of a super hot franchise for them and drag it as much as possible. If they do this I wouldn't be one bit surprised to see that rumored GoT spinoff suddenly premiere in 2018 in its place.

The writing isn't the problem. Doing bigger episodes, with lots of characters and massive battle sequences, requires a shit ton of filming time. Even a short S8 will take much longer to shoot than a normal season of TV does.

And that prequel isn't even close to ready. They don't even know what they want to be the focus, much less have a writer's room, production crew, cast, etc. all set up. To air in 2018, that show would need to be shooting within the next few months.

 

[gutshot]

My bullshit meter is going crazy on this. They already split the "final season" into two smaller seasons, this seems completely unrealistic. Unless the writers are that inept, which i'm sure alot of the show haters would love to agree with that point anyways. This seems much more like they don't want to let go of a super hot franchise for them and drag it as much as possible. If they do this I wouldn't be one bit surprised to see that rumored GoT spinoff suddenly premiere in 2018 in its place.

That's not happening. They've already stated that the spin-offs are still in the very, very early stages of development. They haven't even seen any scripts yet. They would have to be filming it now if they wanted it to premiere next year.

That being said, I can see the spinoff premiering in 2020, a year (or two) after GoT ends its run.

 

[riotous]

Endings are the most difficult part of storytelling so makes some sense. Ending an epic like GoT is that much more difficult.

 

[Lebron]

Trying to minimize that gap between S8 and when they start spamming out the spin-offs

I've resigned myself to him never releasing another book. He just doesn't give a shit about finishing the series any more.

Think it's more of that he doesn't know how to fully finish it. He has way more loose ends and sub-plots to close in the books that they avoided in the series.

 

[Chris R]

For some reason I thought they had finished filming everything at this point and were just holding onto episodes for next year