Fans of the acclaimed HBO series Game of Thrones are in for major disappointment if they were anticipating the release of Season 8 in 2018. Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, revealed in an interview with Variety that the next Game of Thrones season won’t released anytime soon.
“I’m really excited. Game of Thrones comes out in 2019,” she said. WHAT???
The delay in the show’s release could be due to a few reasons, namely the fact that it’s the last season of the series. HBO president Casey Bloys explained, “Creatively, it’s my understanding that the final season is going to be extremely cinematic—so much so that there was an urge behind the scenes for years to end the show with a movie.” Given that the show has countless expectations to live up to and eager fans who are desperate to see the ending of their beloved fantasy series executed perfectly, it comes as no surprise that Game of Thrones producers are taking their time to make sure it’s done right.
Sophie also noted that they’re still in the very early stages of production, which means she has other things to look forward to in the new year. Turner will be starring in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, which is set to release in early November 2018. Fans of the talented actress will be able to get their fix in this anticipated Marvel movie, but the looming end of the show that she’s starred in since she was 14 is becoming more of a reality. Turner noted, “When we all had the read-through for the final season, it was very, very emotional.”
It’s safe to say that the cast and crew of Game of Thrones won’t be the only emotional ones when the beloved series ends. The extended wait to see how everything unfolds is only riling up my anticipation, but I’m hopeful that the ending will be done with the justice the show deserves.