When Is The Season 8 Game Of Thrones Premiere?

One of the hardest parts about waiting for a new season of Game of Thrones is how secretive the creators can be with the release date. While most seasons appear within roughly a year, the lead time has expanded recently. Both of these things are now coupled with the show itself entering its final season. In the meantime, at least we all have a chance to catch up on the characters, the plot points, and even the linguistics of the series. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.

8 Shows To Watch While Waiting For Game Of Thrones Season 8

  1. The Leftovers is in many ways the spiritual successor to Lost, except this time it doesn't take forever or wrap up in a disappointing fashion.
  2. Westworld is more science fiction and western than fantasy, but HBO's high production values and the intriguing premise make it worth the time of fans.
  3. American Gods only has one season, but it's strong. This is for fans of visual grandeur and treacherous plots.
  4. Twin Peaks' most recent season is full of magic and the unexplainable. It requires a fairly patient viewer, however.
  5. The Magicians is a different kind of gritty reimagining of the fantasy genre.
  6. Outlander takes a more explicitly historical approach, for better and worse.
  7. The Shannara Chronicles is more reminiscent of late-1990s genre television like Hercules or Xena: Warrior Princess than prestige dramas of today, but with significantly less padding.
  8. Supernatural is the longest running live action fantasy TV series from America. It's a good choice if you can stand a little camp.

Some Things To Remember Before Season 8 Of Game Of Thrones

What Causes The Long Wait Between Game Of Thrones Seasons

  • Talent. The stars of Game of Thrones have become household names, and many are receiving other work.
  • Casting. Old characters regularly die, and new ones are introduced. Finding a perfect actor and keeping them secret is time consuming.
  • Seasonal filming. Weather plays a large part in the visual aesthetic of the show, and it is filmed on location.
  • Production. Scriptwriting, costume making, and gathering permits all requires significant work.
  • Post-production. The extraordinary amount of visual effects work is not simple.

Game Of Thrones Season 8 Predictions

Conclusion

As frustrating as the wait can be, the creators of Game of Thrones have a lot of work on their plates. The show isn't just a phenomenon: it's one of the most expensive shows ever. Which is a large part of why fans are so devoted to it. The intricate narrative comes alive because of the attention to detail of everyone from George R.R. Martin to the lowliest costume designer or lighting technician. With all those issues, a probably release in early 2019 makes sense. Plus, you can catch up on the intricate fiction in the interim.

In Depth

As one of the most compelling fantasy series of its time, Game of Thrones has been enthralling audiences and readers for years. Creator and author George R.R. Martin is notorious for taking his time with the novels. The first installment was released in 1996. Since then, he has completed five of an expected seven. In the time the story has been adapted to the screen, Martin has written one book. The show has now eclipsed the source material. While book purists have been complaining for years, that doesn't mean audiences of the show are off the hook.

If you're a fan of the HBO series, then you're no stranger to the long wait between seasons. With the seventh neatly wrapped up, everyone is wondering when the eighth and final season will premiere. Historically, the wait has been around or in excess of one year. There are a handful of reasons why the show takes so much time between installments. First, there's the question of the talent. As the series grows in popularity, the stars are in higher demand for other projects.

Kit Harington, who plays Jon Snow, was involved in multiple action movies. Maisie Williams, better known as Arya Stark, had a stint on Doctor Who. The schedule of everyone involved needs to be taken into account. Then there's the question of casting. Characters come and go at a fast pace due to the show's treacherous nature. Casting directors Nina Gold and Robert Sterne take huge pains to find the perfect person to fill each role. This happens under a guise of constant secrecy, so die hard fans can't see what characters are coming and therefore guess twists.

The schedule of everyone involved needs to be taken into account.

Filming is also seasonal. Imagine trying to shoot a scene at Winterfell during summer. To create convincing environments for the show, location scouts have searched all over the world. Dragonstone is in Spain, the Iron Islands are really Northen Ireland and Iceland is the go-to for scenes north of the wall. Much of Essos is actually Morocco. The climate of these places can be drastically different and notoriously fickle. Many considerations are taken into account to organize the schematics of each location and the right time to be there.

There are other important aspects of production. Scripts for each episode need to be written, which means multiple writers need to be onboard and organized. The costume design is excessive, intricate and accurate. Hand sewn garments, expensive wigs made from human hair and period perfect armor need to be designed. To look realistic on high definition screens, all clothing is aged for weeks. Props, animals and extras are needed, as are location permits. Governmental cooperation is also often necessary.

Fortunately, the scripts are finished and production is already underway. It is expected to run as late as August of 2018. Then the next phase of post production will begin. This includes complicated editing and special effects creation, which is a painstaking process. The season will consist of only six episodes. Each one will need to be perfect, with intricate details and mind blowing visuals. With episodes crafted to be more like full length movies, this makes the final season the most ambitious to date.

Fortunately, the scripts are finished and production is already underway.

Looking at prior seasons can be telling. For the sixth, production began in July of 2015 and the show aired in April of 2016. That made for a nine month wait. It was then eclipsed by season seven, which took eleven months due to a late winter that delayed filming. For the next premiere to hit the airwaves, it's looking like it will take even longer. HBO has stated that production will most likely run into summer of 2018. Then you need to factor in months of hefty post work after that.

This makes it likely that season eight of Game of Thrones will debut in early 2019. This could make for a sixteen month wait, the longest ever. All this speculation is of course far from certain. After close to a decade, the cast and crew behind the show are far from novices. Executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss say that they know what will happen in every scene for the upcoming episodes. This will hopefully create a streamlined editing process that will wrap much sooner than anticipated.

Having to wait for nearly a year and a half is of course incredibly frustrating for devoted fans. Many are determined to stick it out, as the final leg of the journey promises to be epic. HBO programming president Casey Bloys and the producers will neither confirm nor deny any dates for certain. They have made it clear that they will not rush something so important. Fans can take solace knowing that the team behind this beloved series is doing everything they can to make it the highest possible quality.