Season eight is so close I can almost taste it. After a year and a half with no new Game of Thrones on our screens, the three months that are left until April 14 feel like such a breeze. The cast appear to be in the same groove, because they’ve thrown themselves all-in, in terms of promoting the upcoming final season. This week, as a guest on Irish TV network RTÉ One’s The Late Late Show, Liam Cunningham joined the hype brigade and teased the possible doom of Davos—and of all men, for that matter. Valar Morghulis!
“We normally took about six months to shoot ten episodes, and on the six episodes we’ve done for the last season it has taken us nearly a year. So the budget, the scale, is absolutely extraordinary,” he says. After quoting HBO CEO Plepler’s claim that watching the six final episodes, even without visual effects, feels like watching “six movies,” Cunningham adds that this season “will be a different style; it’ll make epic seem small.”
When congratulated for “staying in the picture” given the death toll of the show, the Irish actor corrects host Ryan Tubridy with a mischiviously ominous “so far, so far. Not that that does mean anything!”, and ends with “We’re all gonna die, Ryan, we’re all gonna die. Don’t forget one of the phrases in the show: Valar Morghulis; all men must die.”
Though Cunningham treads little new ground here, I can’t help but think he’s such a fantastic hype man for the show. It may be because I love to listen to him talk, but few of his fellow cast members are as consistently excited about Game of Thrones as he is.
Hodor? HODOR!
it’s been awhile
Tinfoil hat on – what if all men must die has been a giant foreshadowing all along? 😂 Maybe at the end we’ll have a group shot of Dany, Sansa, Arya, Yara, Cersei, Missandei, Mel, Gilly and Brienne lording it over the 7 kingdoms.
Tinfoil hat off again, I wonder if there is supposed to be some symbolic link between All Men Must Die and Craster’s male babies building the NK’s forces up? Probably none at all, but it just occurred to me while watching the lovely Liam speak.
Wonder what he means by different style?
Before S7 was strangely limited of cast appearances on the US night talk shows as the premiere was looming. There were some but not like usual or as expected. One of the main reasons was probably the premiere being in July and the bigger shows took a hiatus for a couple weeks around the 4th of July holiday. Hopefully we get a lot more interviews for this last promo period.
I have to say it again, Liam turned out to be such a surprisingly great casting. I wasn’t much of a Davos fan when reading but I certainly am of the show’s version because of him.
Che,
I read his All Men Must Die and thought: “who knows, maybe they’ll go with the asteroid hitting Planetos and wiping out everything theory”.
Jack Bauer 24,
He explains it very clearly.
They should have premiered last night during the Super Blood Wolf moon after making us wait so long. That was a missed opportunity, in my opinion.
Why do they keep marketing the season as ‘movies’? If they meant movie length, wouldn’t they just come out and say so?
All Men Must Die = Jon.
TormundsWoman,
And here I thought it was “White Walkers wipe out those bickering idiots from the planet and make a better world”.
Valar doharis.
Che,
😂😂
Hmm wondering too and why the reply with valar doharis.
Jack Bauer 24,
I think it will feel more like a movie like lord of the rings. The pacing will be different. Less “filler” moment more streamlined story. Longer episodes. Look how 7×06 and 7×07 feel against 2×02 for instance.
I think less jokes and darker.
And more closure at end of every episode. Every episode focusing on one part of the story.
Episode 1 Jon and dany
Episode 2 theon and yara
Episode 3 white walkers
Episode 4 Jaime brienne
Episode 5 cercei
Episode 6 the end
Maybe something like that.
Eonwe,
Maybe that’s their plan all along. Making mankind work together. Good guy Ice popsicle.
All men must die, sure.
But not Davos, right.
Right, guys.
He’s immune, right.
Guys.
Guys?
Just looked at this week’s talk show schedule and do see that Lena is to be on with Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday night.
I think he gave away he dies before the end of the season and then recouped with the ‘all men must die’.
It makes sense he won’t make it to the end though sad as it will be to have him go. The advisor Tyrion is more likely to be at the side of the final throne holder.
Che,
The reply to ‘all men must die’ is “all men must serve”. I think that is a deliberate foreshadowing of what is to come. and its backwards, isn’t it? How do you serve after you die… drumroll… you MUST die to serve the Knight king.. don’t you!?!
Olli,
Wouldn´t be so sure about Tyrion. VFX guys.
Quinton O’Connor,
Davos will survive. (at least I hope)
The end of the show must be him sailing to his wife. I’m still wondering where she live.
Olli,
If he dies it will be the saddest death of the show.
Kevin1989,
In the keep that Stannis gifted to him when he was knighted.
Bookwise at least.
Quinton O’Connor,
Right, along with Tormund, Gendry, Tyrion, Little Sam, Sam, Grey Worm, Bronn, Jorah, Theon & Little Jon.
Eonwe,
But where is that keep? Not on dragonstone in the show because dany was there last season and Davos never visited his wife.
Yeah it’s kinda strange. I’m just waiting for the episode lengths to come out and see 60-65 minutes average and people will start freaking out.
Kevin1989,
In Cape Wrath. It is in the Stormlands.
https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Cape_Wrath
Of course this is in the books.
All he said was “the budget and scale are absolutely extraordinary”. GoT has been doing big budget, big scale stuff for a long time now compared to other shows. Of course I expect Season 8 to be massive.
Jack Bauer 24,
more camera angles.
Rygritte,
More dragons shots. No Ghost or Nymeria.
Is there a longer clip then the 2 minute one posted because I didn’t hear him say anything else.
It’s my birthday today (21st) and I was expecting a decent gift in the form of Liam Cunningham popping round to tell me exactly what we can expect from Season 8. Sadly, he didn’t.
Eonwe,
I hope we are going to see her. But probably not.
Ketlan,
Happy birthday, any got plans today?
If the Onion Knight gets cut down, he will truly have earned his name, because I will cry like a baby.
Kevin1989,
Sadly the 21st has been and gone here in the UK but the day was spent with kids, grandkids and friends. A good (and noisy) day was had by all. 🙂 Thanks for asking. 🙂
Kevin1989,
“…And more closure at end of every episode. Every episode focusing on one part of the story.
Episode 1 Jon and dany
Episode 2 theon and yara
Episode 3 white walkers
Episode 4 Jaime brienne
Episode 5 cercei
Episode 6 the end
Maybe something like that.”
______________
Let’s try something like this:
Episode 1: Jon & Arya
Episode 2: Sansa & Sandor
Episode 3: Arya & Sandor
Epidode 4: Theon, Yara, WWs, Jaime & Brienne
Episode 5: Dany, Jon, Cersei & Tyrion
Episode 6: Sandor & Lightbringer
I just hope that the storytelling does not suffer for the sake of too many action sequences of “explosions connected by dead bodies!”
How Davos survived that crush with one good hand is beyond me, but much appreciated. 😁
Am I the only who wishes to give a hug to Ser Onion knight?
Stannis and Davos book arc is one of the most compelling stories. How Davos and Mel act as foils, the ugly truth of the world vs the glorious destiny and purpose. And Stannis in the middle.
Chills every time Stannis and Davos talk about Edric Storm.
Wait a minute. Earlier at work I saw a thread about season 8. Just came on to read it and it’s missing.? Was I seeing things?
It was interview with Hibberd? Talking about longest battle scene etc.
Ygritte,
A birthday with family is the best there is. The best memories you can create there.
Ten Bears,
Let’s try something else:
Episode 1: Arya and Sandor
Episode 2: Arya and Sandor
Episode 3: Arya and Sandor
Episode 4: Arya and Sandor
Episode 5: Arya and Sandor
Episode 6: Arya and Sandor
Sound better right?
Colin Armfield,
depends, if they include the emotion that it can bring, focusing on the people watching those bodies, in horror fear and tears I’m all in for it.
Ha! I was going to suggest:
Ep 1: Arya & Jon
Ep 2: Arya & Sandor
Ep 3: Arya & Mel/Beric
Ep 4: Arya & Gendry
Ep 5: ASNAWP & Cersei & the Mountain
Ep 6: Arya & West of Westeros
Works for me!
The thing is, there will be people who will kill themselves for real when the shows end.
SOLD.
kevin1989,
“Let’s try something else:
Episode 1: Arya and Sandor
Episode 2: Arya and Sandor
Episode 3: Arya and Sandor
Episode 4: Arya and Sandor
Episode 5: Arya and Sandor
Episode 6: Arya and Sandor
Sound better right?”
__________
Yup. Works for me too.
I still think it’s a no-brainer that there should be an animated Arya & The Hound Saturday morning cartoon show. They both have distinctive voices and cadences, so they’d be instantly recognizable – and nobody else could voice the characters.
Maisie Williams has already been doing voice “acting” as Goona in “Early Man”, and as Cammie MacLoud in the upcoming “gen:Lock” (debuting later this month on Rooster Tooth, whatever that is). Rory McCann can record his audio from wherever he is on his boat in the ocean in the middle of nowhere.
As an aside: actor John deLancie, who had a recurring role as the (fan favorite) character “Q” on Star Trek: The Next Generation”, also had a distinctive voice for his role. Decades later, “Q” was essentially revived as an animated character “Discord” on the cartoon show “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.”
Anyway, I’d bet there’d be more anticipation for an Arya & The Hound cartoon than the GoT prequel. My nieces – and pretty much everybody else I know – adore Maisie Williams as Arya. And even non-show watchers have heard about the Hound and his chickens and “Cleganebowl,”
With good scriptwriters and decent animators, how could such a show not be a hit – with kids and GoT fans alike?
That’d work too.
And then they could use Maisie’s hashtag for her Instagram photo of Arya’s blood-spattered sneakers as the title for Season 8, Episode 6:
“Last Woman Standing.”
Ten Bears,
The tales of the wolf and the hound.
Or maybe a comedy show called: The pack,
It could be about those 2 and be a comedy in the format like the office. I would watch it.
The amount of special-issue GoT whisky that will be consumed come April is going to be epic. YOU’D BETTER LIVE THROUGH IT, DAVOS!!!
In all seriousness, though…
I was a super-fan long before Saner Half watched it with me, and while he always enjoyed it he’s one of those people who’s so deeply enthralled by LotR that it’s difficult for him NOT to compare any other work of fiction (unfavorably) to it. During his entire first viewing of GoT he consistently wrote it off as a tits ‘n’ dragons knockoff of LotR (much to my dismay), even after listening in on umpteen conversations among my daughter, a couple of friends and me about both the books and the show.
He started to come around after Con of Thrones, during which he was stunned to find that most of the people he met—whom he’d previously written off as über-nerds with no lives—were actually über-nerds with very rich lives. So he actually decided that he wanted to watch the series all over again before April (which I would have done with or without him), and now his tune has totally changed. In large part, that’s because we recently took a trip to Scotland and it’s really hit him how much GoT is based on Scottish and English history—and how well-done it is on that front. But just as important, even though he still has trouble keeping the story threads straight he’s become invested in many of the characters, and has come to greatly respect a number of the actors.
Needless to say, Liam is very close to the top of the list.
Off-topic:
This tweet seems to be doing the rounds on social media
Which Google Translates to
So assuming this info is accurate, Season 8 will have a runtime of about 440 minutes, which is the same length Season 7 was.
Episode 1 Everyone meets
Episode 2 Everyone argues
Episode 3 Everyone dies
Episode 4 Survivors cry & have sex
Episode 5 Everyone makes future plans
Episode 6 Everyone leaves
Episode V
Am I only one who is thinking “with all this talk of six episodes we are gonna end speakinng of another saga”?
What happened to “6 movies”?
Jack Bauer 24,
They probably meant production-wise
Wolfish,
“… In large part, that’s because we recently took a trip to Scotland and it’s really hit him how much GoT is based on Scottish and English history—and how well-done it is on that front…”
———–
Scottish, huh? Might you or Saner Half be curious about an animated show featuring “a mischievous Scottish hacker with boundless energy”?
“Maisie Williams (Arya Stark in Game of Thrones) was announced as mischievous Scottish hacker, Cammie MacCloud”, on the animated show “gen:LOCK.”
It premiers this Saturday, Jan. 26 on “Rooster Teeth.” Here’s an image of her character, Cameron “Cammie” MacCloud:
https://goo.gl/images/ygou8D
More information, and a short teaser and gif of Maisie’s character, are in the 9/15/18 EW weekly article linked below, “Maisie Williams cast as Cammie MacLoud in animated show gen:Lock”, including this:
“Williams will voice Cammie MacCloud, a mischievous Scottish hacker with boundless energy, and the youngest recruit to the gen:LOCK program.”
“Working with Maisie is as fun as it gets,” said gen:LOCK showrunner Gray G. Haddock in a statement. “Her energy and the sense of humor she brings to Cammie is an absolute delight. I’m running out of superlatives to describe how perfect this cast works for the characters, but Maisie truly sounds exactly like how Cammie does in my head — she’s brilliant.”
________________________
(EW 9/15/18):
“Maisie Williams cast as
Cammie MacLoud in animated show gen:Lock.”
https://ew.com/tv/2018/09/15/maisie-williams-gen-lock-rooster-teeth/
“Maisie Williams has joined the cast of the new animated show gen:LOCK, it was revealed today. As previously announced, the Game of Thrones actress’ costars on the science fiction series include Michael B. Jordan and David Tennant.
Produced by the Austin-based Rooster Teeth, gen:LOCK focuses on a diverse team of young pilots who have been recruited to control the next generation of giant, weaponized robot bodies known as “mecha.” Williams will voice Cammie MacCloud, a mischievous Scottish hacker with boundless energy, and the youngest recruit to the gen:LOCK program.
“Working with Maisie is as fun as it gets,” said gen:LOCK showrunner Gray G. Haddock in a statement. “Her energy and the sense of humor she brings to Cammie is an absolute delight. I’m running out of superlatives to describe how perfect this cast works for the characters, but Maisie truly sounds exactly like how Cammie does in my head — she’s brilliant.”
***
____________________
P.S. A few years ago, after a meeting with Maisie Williams, Guillermo del Torro gushed about her and proclaimed that if Pacific Rim 2 ever got made, “that girl’s getting a Jaeger” [giant robot operated by two mind-melded co-pilots], but by the time Pacific Rim 2 did get made, she wasn’t in it.
Kind of a coincidence that the description of “gen:LOCK” sounds an awful lot like Pacific Rim, e.g., it “focuses on a diverse team of young pilots who have been recruited to control the next generation of giant, weaponized robot bodies known as ‘mecha.'”
So in a way, maybe she’s getting her Jaeger after all.
Ten Bears,
Cool!!! Thank you for all the info!
Rygritte,
How’s this for a title for your Episode 3?
“Seven Hells.”
Four 80 minute episodes would be amazing if true and with the increased filming time this season I’m sure they’d feel like mini movies.
Obviously we weren’t going to get six 120 minute episodes. Nobody expected that. Four 80 minute episodes is more than most people were expecting. I hope it’s true but I have some doubt. What is the source of this info?
Jay Targ,
Still a question, who give that feed. Because lately there are a lot of twitter-feeds about information about GoT, rutimes, trailer stuff etc and there seems to be mistakes there.
I could go on twitter saying episode 1 will be 50 minutes and all the rest 200 minutes. So wondering what their source is.
There’s also Twitter chatter about the poster being released today.
Love that interview and agree Liam is a great hype man for the show. Even though I’m moving towards the less is better as we edge closer to the final season it seems we’ve had a glut of these interviews since the teaser and release date dropped. I do hope the rumours about a single trailer are true now even if they make us wait until March but recent increased hype now makes me think we are close to the first of two proper trailers like in previous seasons.
As for Davos, in my mind behind Sam & Gilly he’s one of the most likely to be alive when the credits finally roll on the last episode.
Didn’t your leaked source suggest the poster would be out today Jack? I mean he/she got a lot correct on the teaser but missed by a couple of days so likely we should get it soon (not that it overly excites me).