"Game of Thrones" creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have confirmed that GoT Seasons 7 and 8 will have fewer episodes with roughly 13 hours to go. The fixed plan was for the show to run 75 hours jammed into eight seasons but the showrunners have trimmed down to 73, a new report said.
Benioff told Deadline in an interview that there is no chance Game of Thrones will extend beyond the original plan submitted to HBO. Regardless of the millions of GoT fans that would wish the show would cover the whole of George RR Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" to stretch for additional seasons, the showrunner declared: "We're definitely heading into the end game now."
"It's not supposed to be an ongoing show, where every season it's trying to figure out new story lines. We wanted it to be one giant story, without padding it out to add an extra 10 hours, or because people are still watching it. We wanted to something where, if people watched it end to end, it would make sense as one continuous story," Benioff further explained.
The GoT showrunners confirmed to Deadline that two more seasons and Game of Thrones is done. Reports said that 75 hours will be the approximate total running time of the show that is stretched eight seasons but the two producers are currently looking to around 13 hours.
"From pretty close to the beginning, we talked about doing this in 70-75 hours, and that's what we'll end up with. Call it 73 for now," Benioff said.
At least, 13 more GoT episodes can be expected for the last two seasons. The likelihood is seven segments will be delivered in 2017 with the last six to broadcast the following year. HBO has yet to confirm but the show's likely return next year is likely set April.
The possibility remains that two more episodes will be added to achieve the initially reported 75 hours of running time but Benioff and Weiss are silent on the matter.
But they dropped clues on the things to expect following "The Winds of Winter" season finale. It was clear, Benioff said, that Daenerys Targaryen is heading back to Westeros to reclaim the Iron Throne. And it was crystal too that Cersei Lannister, now the ruler on King's Landing, will not vacate the seat without spilling blood.
And Jon Snow is the new King in the North. The last GoT episode strongly suggested that Jon is indeed a Stark with mix of Targaryen blood, thus making him a heir and rivals to both Daenerys and Cersei.
However, Benioff reminded that the one formidable foe for all three is just on the other side of The Wall up North, ready to strike and swamp the Seven Kingdoms with his army of the undead. "We know the Night King is up there, waiting for all of them," Benioff.
So it will be the battles to pit two kings and two queens that will make Game of Thrones Seasons 7 and 8 far more interesting than what viewers have already seen.