PHOTO: FILE
The announcement that the 8 season of Game of Thrones will be its final one was made at the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills on Saturday. When asked if the eighth season will be the last, Casey responded saying, “Yes, I think the showrunners — David Benioff and DB Weiss — have a very specific plan about the number of seasons they want to do,” reported variety.com. “If I could get them to do more, I would take 10 seasons. But we want to take their lead with what they can do and what the best version of the show is,” he added.
HBO most recently renewed the drama for a shortened seventh season consisting of seven episodes. The producers have noted that they envision a total of 75 episodes of the series as a whole and up to season six, the show has already done 60 episodes. Casey reiterated that an episode count for the eighth season — which is all but a formality — has yet to be determined, but he noted that conversations for a spinoff remain on the table. “We’ve talked about it,” The Hollywood Reporter quoted him as saying. “It’s not something I’m opposed to but it has to make sense creatively. I’m not sure the guys can wrap their heads around it when they are about to start production. We’re open to it, the guys aren’t opposed to it but there are no concrete plans right now.”
With the arrival of the ominous winter on the show, production will be delayed and the series, which typically premieres in March or April, will not return until next summer. The delays will inevitably keep the fantasy drama out of running for the 2017 Emmy Awards, Casey confirmed.
Game of Thrones received 23 Emmy nominations for its sixth season this year, making it the most-nominated series for the third year in a row. Casey also told the press that he hoped that HBO’s upcoming fare — such as Sarah Jessica Parker’s Divorce and The Night Of — will help make up for Thrones’ absence.
Inspired by novelist George RR Martin’s bestselling series, Game of Thrones narrates a gripping story of seven kingdoms and royals, vying for the great Iron Throne. It weaves together various emotions such as love, revenge, hatred and deciet, into a bloody tale, which has caught the fancy of millions of people across the globe. Game of Thrones ranks as HBO’s most-watched and longest-running series ever and recently concluded its sixth season with an average total of 25 million viewers across multiple plays, DVR and non-linear viewing. The premiere of the seventh season is slated for summer 2017.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 2nd, 2016.
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