While millions of fans are eagerly awaiting the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones, Entertainment Weekly has come through with a few details on the closing episodes. In addition to showcasing Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) and Kit Harington (Jon Snow) on their November 2018 cover, the publication provides insights from the cast and crew on the epic finale.
Below we've highlighted the standout excerpts from EW's Game of Thrones piece to get you better prepared for the eighth season. After reading the noteworthy quotes, head over to Entertainment Weekly for additional details.
Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, on reading the script for the final season:
“It was completely overwhelming. Afterwards I felt numb, and I had to take a walk for hours.”
Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen, on reading the script for the final season:
“I turned to my best mate and was like, ‘Oh my God! I gotta go! I gotta go!.’ And I completely flipped out. Genuinely the effect it had on me was profound. That sounds insanely pretentious, but I’m an actor, so I’m allowed one pretentious adjective per season.”
Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion Lannister, on reading the script for the final season:
“This was the first time ever that I didn’t skip to the end.”
Kit Harington, who plays Jon Snow, on not reading the final script prior to the table read:
“I walked in saying, ‘Don’t tell me, I don’t want to know.’ What’s the point of reading it to myself in my own head when I can listen to people do it and find out with my friends?”
Joe Dempsie, who plays Gendry, on keeping story secrets:
“There are moments where you don’t trust yourself to have this in your brain. You’re in possession of something millions of people want to know. It’s such a bizarre feeling. And between now and when it comes out, I’m gonna be drunk at some point.”
Sophie Turner on the use of code names for actors to enhance secrecy:
“It gets highly confusing when you need to remember who is who”
Co-executive producer Bryan Cogman on callbacks for season eight:
“It’s about all of these disparate characters coming together to face a common enemy, dealing with their own past, and defining the person they want to be in the face of certain death. It’s an incredibly emotional, haunting, bittersweet final season, and I think it honors very much what George set out to do — which is flipping this kind of story on its head.”
Peter Dinklage on filming an epic battle scene for the final season:
“It’s brutal. It makes the Battle of the Bastards look like a theme park.”
Emilia Clarke on heightened production for season eight:
“[Camera] checks take longer, costumes are a bit better, hair and makeup a bit sharper — every choice, every conversation, every attitude has this air of ‘This is it.’ Everything feels more intense. I had a scene with someone and I turned to him and said, ‘Oh my God, I’m not going to do this ever again,’ and that brings tears to my eyes.”
Kit Harington on crying at the end of the table read:
“Every season, you read at the end of the last script ‘End of Season 1,’ or ‘End of Season 2.’ This read ‘End of Game of Thrones.'”
Again, follow on over to Entertainment Weekly for more surrounding the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones.
In other TV-related news, Netflix is taking on $2 billion in debt in order to fund more original shows.
