“The dragons this year are the size of 747s” on Game of Thrones!

dragon

Westeros will be fighting a staggering level of firepower, in season 7 of Game of Thrones, because Daenerys’ children are all grown up! At least that’s what it sounds like in a new interview in Entertainment Weekly today. New Thrones director Matt Shakman discusses the size of the khaleesi’s dragons, which have grown by leaps and bounds every season.

“The dragons this year are the size of 747s,” the director tells the magazine. “Drogon is the biggest of the bunch — his flame is 30-feet in diameter!”

To give you a sense of how massive that is, “a 747 is about 230 feet long with a 210 feet wingspan,” as EW notes.

Shakman may be exaggerating, but considering how quickly the dragons have been growing each year, it’s probably close to the truth. And what are the fiery scamps up to, now that they’re fully grown, or nearly so? Shakman isn’t saying but we can hazard a guess.

Our sources previously confirmed he’ll be helming episodes 4 and 5 of the new season, which feature some intense action. If you’d like spoilers, check out our report from December!

Sue the Fury
Susan Miller, Editor in Chief of WatchersOnTheWall.com

46 Comments

  1. I am extremely disappointed with this news. I expected dragons to be closer to Airbus A380 in size. #D&DHacks #MakeDragonsGreatAgain

  2. I love dragons and I ‘d like Jon to embrace his Targaryen side by riding one of them, but I can’t predict what will happen to Ghost. I remember Wimsey imagined Ghost also riding Jon’s dragon, while wearing WW1 pilot goggles 🙂 A sweet picture indeed!

  3. Director Jack Bender discussing why the horses were agitated during Dany’s “Bloodrider” speech in Season 6 (quoted in WotW on June 2, 2016):

    If you have her on a 747 of a dragon up on that hill, those horses would be f***ing freaking out.

    Perhaps Drogon needs a nutritionist to analyze why he hasn’t grown in the past year.

  4. I hope when they say “dragons” they actually mean all 3 dragons and not just Drogon. Viserion and Rhaegal’s growth was stunted while locked up under the pyramid, so I hope their newfound freedom and the flying across the Narrow Sea will allow them to catch up on the growing they were denied in S5 and S6. I know Drogon has always been the alpha and the biggest one but it would be nice to finally see Viserion and Rhaegal get a little time in the spotlight.

    If the dragons are really supposed to be the size of 747s, just how the hell is Dany (and hopefully Jon in the future) supposed to ride a beast of that size?? I just don’t think it would be safe or feasible now to straddle Drogon’s neck. I really really hope Tyrion devises a riding saddle like he did for Bran so he could ride a horse in S1. It would be a nice and useful callback.

  5. How big would…..um….Rhaegal be exactly? Could a grown man ride him? Could….say….a direwolf ride shotgun?

    I need to know….for science.

    Danke!

  6. BunBunStark,

    “Tyrion devises a riding saddle like he did for Bran so he could ride a horse in S1. It would be a nice and useful callback.”

    I’m still holding out hope that Tyrion will use that design for his own dragon rides.

  7. Forget dragons. I’d settle for a direwolf the size of a Toyota Corolla.

    #WheresNymeria
    #GhostMIA

  8. absolute legends. These dragons are gonna be number 1 on the best dragon list. move over smaug.

  9. 122 days left? 😮

    It kinda sucked the air of the GOT hype.

    They should have kept the normal schedule for the premiere. Don´t know what were they thinking its like they were giving time for GRRM to publish the book. For that to work it would require the show to take a 5 year break. 🙂

    #makeAprilgreatagain

  10. Abbie,

    “These dragons are gonna be number 1 on the best dragon list. move over smaug.”

    No matter how big these 3 get, Smaug will always have Cumberbatch.

  11. Hoyti Von Totiy:
    122 days left? ?

    It kinda sucked the air of the GOT hype.

    They should have kept the normal schedule for the premiere. Don´t know what were they thinking its like they were giving time for GRRM to publish the book. For that to work it would require the show to take a 5 year break.?

    #makeAprilgreatagain

    Yeah I’m curious to how much more snow was in Iceland in Jan/Feb compared to December and if the change in filming schedule was really needed.

  12. Flayed Potatoes: Could….say….a direwolf ride shotgun?

    I’ve just been stopping by for a few seconds the last few days, without time to add to some of the great comments that have been posted to the various threads. But this one made me laugh and brightened my day so I had to say thanks. I can just imagine Ghost with goggles tethered onto Drogon’s back. The CGI specialists would have a great time figuring out just how to picture the fur of a flying direwolf!

    Great day to all of you.

  13. Thronetender,

    They’ve always said they want to push boundaries each season. Now’s their chance. Ghost on Rhaegal please!

    BunBunStark,

    I fully expect Tyrion to design a special saddle that can accommodate both direwolf and owner. Like a cute little sidecar or something.

  14. Sounds pretty amazing, I can’t wait to see them in action. I do hope Rhaegal and Viserion get more attention this season, Dany is close to all her dragons in the books not just Drogon.

  15. Jack Bauer 24,

    I don’t know the answer to that, but I’ve always thought the delay allows them more time for the extra special effects that they will surely be using in the final seasons. Season 2 and 3 Iceland scenes looked pretty snowy/frigid to me, and they didn’t film them in January/February.

  16. Mr Fixit: I am extremely disappointed with this news. I expected dragons to be closer to Airbus A380 in size. #D&DHacks #MakeDragonsGreatAgai

    Yeah , was looking for the wing span of the Hughes H-4 Hercules.

  17. Gee , seems one look at an over flight by Drogon and King’s Landing says, … ah well ok, we give up!

  18. Wow, so I take it a good amount of time must have passed on the show? Judging by the dragons.
    However Cersei’s hair is still as short as in last season. (Although it could be she just keeps it short).

  19. Shy Lady Dragon: I remember Wimsey imagined Ghost also riding Jon’s dragon, while wearing WW1 pilot goggles

    That I haven’t been banned from this place is a constant amazement to me….

  20. Wimsey,

    Why should you? Always a gentleman, even if sarcastic 🙂 And about Ghost, everybody (including myself) goes “Awww!” while watching a flying doggy/ wolffy.

  21. I know it’s fantasy, but if that isn’t exaggeration, it’s going to be a bit ridiculous. That’s three times as long as a brachiosaurus or blue whale. They should maintain some level of plausibility. How much thrust would a 747 need to generate for a vertical takeoff? You wouldn’t even be able to see the rider.

  22. Adam,

    This is one rare case where “magic” works!

    Actually, the thing that they got really wrong last year was when Drogon lands next to Daeny with a jarring “thud.” The dragons actually should be quite light. This is something that they recently have figured out about dinosaurs: because their design was much more like that of birds than other animals, they would not have been anywhere near as massive as we once thought. The jello would NOT have been shaking!

  23. Hoyti Von Totiy,

    LOL @ #makeAprilgreatagain.

    I got nothing. Not very witty (it’s one of my curses). Just wanted to give a “like” to that. April is a good month as two loved one’s birthdays fall then, plus the start of meh favorite season but the icing on cake was Thrones start-up, yep. Oh well. Patience is virtue they say.

  24. ygritte: Patience is virtue they say.

    And yet how many impatient people have made millions of dollars for themselves by inventing devices that reduce how long we wait for things?

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