'Game of Thrones' Season 8 Release Date News: Actor Explains Why Final Installment Will Be Filmed 'Much Longer'
Actor Iain Glen agrees with what many have already been speculating since "Game of Thrones" season 7 concluded, and that is that season 8's filming will take "much longer" than usual.
The actor, who plays Ser Jorah Mormont, was recently in attendance at the Stockholm Comic Con in September where he revealed several pieces of information about the filming of season 8.
The eighth season of "Game of Thrones" will be the show's final installment, and it is expected to only have six episodes.
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When Glen entertained questions from the Stockholm Comic Con audience, the actor explained (via Radio Times): "I think this last season will take much longer to shoot because they can only use one unit because we're all in the same sort of scenes."
In the same event, the actor further explained: "We're all starting to occupy the same territory. We're all starting to be in the same storylines and so they can't [have two filming units] anymore."
Through the seven seasons of "Game of Thrones," the show has been known for its very generous approach to filming. Apart from the staggering budget, the availability of CGI technology was never an excuse for the production team not to go on real-life locations.
For the most part, the show has been filming in Northern Ireland. However, they have also been to several locations around the world such as Iceland, Croatia, Spain, Morocco, and more.
Shortly after season 7 concluded, many fans were already doubting they would see season 8 next year for several reasons. For one, there have been reports that while the final installment will only have six episodes, they are going to be 82 minutes long each.
HBO executive Casey Bloys also said he expects season 8 episodes to be much longer, and mentioned that: "I imagine they'll be longer but . . . I'm not sure [how long]. We haven't had that discussion yet ... Two hours per episode seems like it would be excessive, but it's a great show, so who knows?"
Having all these factors considered, it is becoming more unlikely for "Game of Thrones" season 8 to be released in 2018. However, this part has not yet been officially addressed by the showrunners or anyone from the cast and crew.
