Game of Thrones season 8 release date: Final episodes could be delayed a year

The showrunners have yet to write the final season

With season seven of Game of Thrones fast approaching, members of the cast and crew have been participating in various interviews, revealing snippets of new information.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, HBO programming president Casey Bloys spoke about the show’s future concerning season eight and possible spin-offs.

Regarding possible spin-offs, Bloys said reiterated author George RR Martin’s words, saying that — although there are five ideas currently in development — we shouldn’t expect to see all on screen.

“The idea is to find a series,” he told the publication. “It would be nice to find something that has the legs this one did. But if something works better as a limited series, sure.”

Talking about season eight, Bloys hinted at some bad news for Game of Thrones fans. Asked whether the final episodes could air in 2018 or 2019, he replied: “Yeah. They [showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss] have to write the episodes and figure out the production schedule. We’ll have a better sense of that once they get further into the writing.”

However, the extended period between episodes would only be a good thing for the show’s quality: “One of the hallmarks of the show has been how cinematic is it. The show has proven that TV is every bit as impressive and in many cases more so, than film.

“What they’re doing is monumental. When you see these battles in season 7, and what I imagine season 8 will be, it’s a big, big show.”

Meanwhile, in other Game of Thrones news, a season seven photo may have revealed a huge plot spoiler concerning Arya. The HBO show returns 17 July.