Skip to main content

Future Game of Thrones seasons could be seven episodes or less

kit harington jon snow reveal game of thrones 1
HBO
Bringing an end to HBO’s epic fantasy series, show-runners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are considering reducing the total number of episodes for the final two seasons of Game of Thrones. Rather than the traditional ten episode run in each previous season, the seventh season of the show would have a total of seven episodes and the final eighth season would only run for six episodes.

Detailed by The Hollywood Reporter, nothing is set in stone at this time. Speaking about the possibility of shorter seasons, an HBO spokesperson said “Any conversations about the end of Game of Thrones and the number of episodes of future seasons is purely speculative. As is customary, HBO will sit with Dan and David to discuss the details once a decision has been made to go forward with season seven.”

Related Videos

Of course, two shorter seasons could mean viewers won’t have to wait as long to see the final season. Traditionally, Game of Thrones fans have had to wait a full year for each season to be start on HBO. However, this could also be a ploy to retain HBO subscribers for a longer period of time rather than simply broadcasting an extra long 13-episode season. AMC has used this tactic on mulitple occasions, splitting up seasons of major shows like Breaking BadMad Men and The Walking Dead.

The sixth season of Game of Thrones begins on April 24, 2016. This is the first season that will debut before the next book in George R.R. Martin’s fantasy series is actually released. Called The Winds of Winter, it’s likely that HBO subscribers will get to see events of the book happen on screen before fans of the book series get to read about it. At this time, there’s no set release date for The Winds of Winter.

Editors' Recommendations

Batman’s live-action future should be on HBO, not on the big screen
Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight in red promo art for The Batman.

Matt Reeves' recent Dark Knight venture is the third major live-action rendition of the character in the last 10 years, and while it seems like a lot to already be thinking about what comes after The Batman movies, Warner Bros. Discovery and DC could do well to look to TV for the next take's future.

That might be asking a lot, especially considering the company's chaotic merger laying waste to a slew of streaming projects and DC's reputation for its use of Batman -- and lack thereof -- in the live-action TV space. However, while The Batman is an exciting fresh start for a detective-focused, neo-noir Gotham City, a shakeup in the medium of choice could give the next long-term reboot a new and tantalizing creative angle through the HBO brand.
A change of pace from the theatrical format

Read more
House of the Dragon and the power of female rage
Alicent and Rhaenyra look at each other in House of the Dragon.

HBO's flashy House of the Dragon is four episodes in, but fans are already hooked on the politics and drama in King's Landing. Following a disastrous ending to what was arguably the best television show of the new millennium, the world of Ice and Fire had a steep climb uphill to recover the audience's trust. Game of Thrones broke our collective hearts, so why should we trust this franchise again? Still, George R. R. Martin's hold on us is more powerful than Valyrian steel because we are back in Westeros and all seems forgotten and forgiven.

It's easy to see the appeal. House of the Dragon was the last chance to save Game of Thrones' stained reputation. If fans were to return to Westeros, they wanted things bigger and bolder than ever; they wanted dragons raging in the sky and fantasy elements to spare, two aspects that the original show didn't use enough. After disposing of a costly spinoff that would've expanded on the White Walker lore, HBO chose to focus on a less risky bet that would make audiences' return to Westeros more digestible: the Targaryen dynasty. The Dance of the Dragons is one of the flashier chapters in the larger World of Ice and Fire, if not the most complex. It has dragons, exciting battles, and political intrigue aplenty. Above all, it has some of the most compelling female characters in Martin's world; in fact, the Dance of the Dragons is all about women, for better and worse.

Read more
Game of Thrones: the best Jon Snow episodes
Jon Snow beyond the wall in Game of Thrones.

Though we're only two episodes into the new series, HBO's House of the Dragon has so far successfully captured the thrill of week-to-week dark fantasy epics, political drama, and overall excitement for the characters and world of Game of Thrones. A second season was already greenlit less than a week after the series premiere but with the recent bombshell of the Kit Harington/Jon Snow-led sequel series in development, it's worth revisiting the impact of the original show as well as its potential future.

Despite a final season that went off the rails, Jon Snow cemented his status as a pop culture fantasy icon and one of the most compelling characters in Thrones' main cast. As such, he's had a great spotlight in a handful of the series' best episodes.
Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things (season 1, episode 4)

Read more