It looks like there’s a reason HBO hasn’t formally renewed Game of Thrones for its eighth and final season, even though everyone and their grandmother knows it’s coming. That’s because the creators might be considering more episodes, and HBO is crossing their fingers that it’s true.
Last year, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss announced that Game of Thrones would only have 13 more episodes, split among two seasons. That means season 7, which is currently being filmed, would have seven episodes…and the final season would only have six. This is far down from previous GoT seasons, which have had 10 episodes each.
This news hasn’t been ideal for HBO, since they were seemingly content to suckle at George RR Martin’s teat forever. While the network has been completely supportive of the showrunners’ decision, they have been looking for ways to continue the show’s bombshell success, like a possible prequel spinoff series with Martin. But luckily for HBO, it looks like Weiss and Benioff might be reconsidering the six-episode length for the series finale, so they’re waiting (and hoping) to see what they decide.
“I think they’re trying to get a shape of the season,” HBO programming president Casey Bloys said. “They always do what they think [will yield] the best version of the show. It’s all about how many they’re comfortable [with]. But I’ll always take more.”
Game of Thrones returns with season 7 this summer.
[TVLine]