Game of Thrones Season 8: Everything We Know So Far

Christopher Rosa
Updated

Every day it seems like another headline about Game of Thrones season eight goes viral, but here's the thing: Even with so much chatter, we still don't know much. A lot of what's out there now is rumor and speculation. It's basically the cast members saying what they think or hope happens next season, but nothing is really concrete. HBO is doing an excellent job at creating buzz around the show without revealing anything—not that Game of Thrones needs promotion.

That being said, there are some things about Game of Thrones season eight that we do know for sure. It should hold you over until the series finally premieres in April. OK, so maybe it won't do that, but it'll scratch your GoT itch for today, at least.

First up is this teaser trailer. Take a look:

You can also see some new footage from the season in this video, which HBO dropped on February 24:

And on March 5, HBO finally dropped the full official trailer for the new season. This being Game of Thrones, it doesn't give too much away. But we do see Arya running from someone or something while she says, "I know death, he's got many faces, I look forward to seeing this one." There's also a shot of Dany, Jon Snow, and the dragons arriving to Winterfell. Lots of characters—like Sansa and Tyrion—look pensively into the distance. And we get a glimpse of troops preparing for a major battle, as well as Cersei looking smug with a glass of wine. Basically, all things that make us scream, "IS IT APRIL YET?!"

Watch for yourself below:

Here's everything else we know (we'll update this post as more facts come in):

1. HBO released a bunch of new photos from the season in February. All aboard the hype train.

Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark:

<cite class="credit">HBO</cite>
HBO

Maisie Williams as Arya Stark:

<cite class="credit">HBO</cite>
HBO

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister:

Kit Harington as Jon Snow and Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen:

<cite class="credit">HBO</cite>
HBO
<cite class="credit">HBO</cite>
HBO

Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister:

<cite class="credit">HBO</cite>
HBO

A second batch of promo shots show 20 of the show's major characters sitting on the Iron Throne. Obviously, there's really room for only one...and we'll have to wait until spring to find out who will finally reign over Westeros. See them all here.

2. It's premiering April 14, 2019. And yes, this is the final season.

3. It's going to be just six episodes long. All of the scripts are written and the directors (which include David Nutter and Miguel Sapochnik) are in place. Each episode is reportedly "monumental." (With a budget of $15 million per episode, they'd better be.)

4. The episode lengths. HBO officially released the run times of all six episodes. Only some of them are feature-length, while others clock in at just under an hour:

Episode 1
Debut date: Sunday, April 14, at 9:00 P.M. ET
Estimated running time: 54 minutes

Episode 2
Debut date: Sunday, April 21, at 9:00 P.M. ET
Estimated running time: 58 minutes

Episode 3
Debut date: Sunday, April 28, at 9:00 P.M. ET
Estimated running time: 1 hour, 22 minutes

Episode 4
Debut date: Sunday, May 5, at 9:00 P.M. ET
Estimated running time: 1 hour, 18 minutes

Episode 5
Debut date: Sunday, May 12, at 9:00 P.M. ET
Estimated running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Episode 6
Debut date: Sunday, May 19, at 9:00 P.M. ET
Estimated running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

5. Cersei Lannister is probably going to die. She has morphed into the full-on antagonist of the series, which means she'll most likely meet her demise as Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen rise to more power. Lena Headey even suggested this in a recent interview with Time magazine. In fact, she assumed her character would die by the end of season seven. "I was really in shock [when I found out I lived]," she said. "I think obviously, now, there's got to be some body count at the end of [season] eight."

6. They shot multiple finales. This was an attempt to keep the press from leaking the show's ending. Smart move, HBO.

7. Two new child characters will appear in the final season. According to TV Guide, one is a Northern girl and the other is a boy who's described only as coming from a poor family. How they'll each play into the story line is unknown at this time.

8. The cast apparently didn't even get scripts for the episodes. Instead they were reportedly fed lines through an earpiece. Producers hoped this would prevent scripts from being leaked. In light of the HBO hack from last year, we understand why they're taking such precautions.

9. Sansa will face a big challenge next season. “There’s a new threat, and all of a sudden she finds herself somewhat back in the deep end," Sophie Turner told Variety. "And without Littlefinger, it’s a test for her of whether she can get through it. It’s a big challenge for her, without this master manipulator having her back. This season is more a passionate fight for her than a political, manipulative kind of fight."

10. A documentary about Game of Thrones is airing after the series finale. It's called Game of Thrones: The Last Watch, and according to HBO, it centers on "the tears and triumphs involved in the challenge of bringing the fantasy world of Westeros to life." It will premiere on May 26.