--- description: But nothing has been officially decided title: 'Game of Thrones' Considers Shortened Final Seasons image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt523425a6f3752afe/69888f41cd1bba59de70044e/ap_928914512489.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # _Game of Thrones_ Considers Shortened Final Seasons by [James Hibberd / Entertainment Weekly](/author/entertainment-weekly/) ## James Hibberd / Entertainment Weekly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 15, 2016 5:46 AM CUT  In this image released by HBO, Peter Dinklage appears in a scene from "Game of Thrones." The show was nominated for a Golden Globe for best drama series on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014\. The 72nd annual Golden Globe awards will air on NBC on Sunday, Jan. 11\. (AP Photo/HBO, Helen Sloan) In this image released by HBO, Peter Dinklage appears in a scene from "Game of Thrones." The show was nominated for a Golden Globe for best drama series on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014\. The 72nd annual Golden Globe awards will air on NBC on Sunday, Jan. 11\. (AP Photo/HBO, Helen Sloan)Helen Sloan—HBO by [James Hibberd / Entertainment Weekly](/author/entertainment-weekly/) ## James Hibberd / Entertainment Weekly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 15, 2016 5:46 AM CUT All shows must die – even _Game of Thrones_. As the fantasy epic readies to launch its sixth season, HBO and showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss are nearly ready to confirm a seventh – and the duo are also talking about an eighth run of episodes that _might_ include an end-date plan. “We’ve known for several years now how many hours, roughly, we want it to go,” Benioff tells EW. “It hasn’t changed.” The proposed magic number? About 73 hours, with the final run split between seasons 7 and 8\. _Thrones_ would then have six 10-episode seasons and shortened seasons for years seven (with seven episodes) and eight (with six episodes). So this could, in theory, mark the final year _Game of Thrones_ gets a 10-episode season – and there could only be 13 hours left after season 6. But nothing has been officially decided, as this discussion has been going on for quite a long time and may continue well into next year. “In every conversation, that’s been \[the showrunners’\] thinking,” says HBO’s entertainment president Michael Lombardo of setting a season 8 end date. “It will be interesting to see how strongly they feel about being definitive about that when we are in a position to announce seasons 7 and 8.” Some background: The _Thrones_ team first told EW a version of this idea back in October. We’ve been holding on publishing because of the level of uncertainty involved. But _Variety_ [published an interview](http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/game-of-thrones-end-date-season-8-1201752746/ "undefined") with the Benioff and Weiss where they essentially said the same thing, prompting HBO to release a statement: “Any conversations about the end of _Game of Thrones_ and the number of episodes of future seasons is purely speculative. As is customary, HBO will sit with Dan and David to discuss the details once a decision has been made to go forward with season 7.” Since this will doubtless prompt a frenzy of discussion, we’re telling you what we’ve heard so far, along with some major caveats. Keep in mind HBO and the _Thrones_ producers might not decide to announce an end date plan for another year or more, and could eventually agree to different numbers entirely. ### See Photos from Game of Thrones Season 5  Maisie Williams as Arya Stark. Macall B. Polay—HBO  Michael McElhatton as Roose Bolton, Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton and Elizabeth Webster as Walda Frey. Helen Sloan—HBO  Conleth Hill as Varys and Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister. Helen Sloan—HBO  Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen. Helen Sloan—HBO  Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei and Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm. Helen Sloan—HBO  Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand and Deobia Opaeri as Areo Hotah. Macall B. Polay—HBO  Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark and Aidan Gillen as Littlefinger. Helen Sloan—HBO  Kit Harington as Jon Snow, Stephen Dillane as Stannis Baratheon and Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth. Helen Sloan—HBO  Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrell and Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister. Helen Sloan—HBO  Alexander Siddig as Doran Martell. Macall B. Polay—HBO  Carice van Houten as Melisandre Helen Sloan—HBO  Kit Harington as Jon Snow. Helen Sloan—HBO  Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne and Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth. Helen Sloan—HBO  Dean-Charles Chapman as Tommen Baratheon and Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister. Macall B. Polay—HBO  Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane. Helen Sloan—HBO  Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister. Helen Sloan—HBO  Jonathan Pryce as the High Sparrow. Macall B. Polay—HBO  Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister and Ian Beattie as Meryn Trant. Macall B. Polay—HBO  Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister and Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister. Helen Sloan—HBO  Kit Harington as Jon Snow and Ciaran Hinds as Mance Rayder. Helen Sloan—HBO  Rosabell Laurenti Sellers as Tyene Sand. Macall B. Polay—HBO  Jessica Henwick as Nymeria Sand. Helen Sloan—HBO  Keisha Castle-Hughes. as Obara Sand. Helen Sloan—HBO  Nell Tiger Free as Myrcella Baratheon and Toby Sebastian as Trystane Martell Macall B. Polay—HBO  Nell Tiger Free as Myrcella Baratheon. Macall B. Polay—HBO If the _Game of Thrones_ team decides to drive a sword through its own production, some would consider it a Herculean act of creative integrity above financial gain. _Thrones_ is HBO’s most popular series ever, an international sensation that gains a bigger audience every season (racking up 20.2 million viewers in the U.S. alone for season 5). Just as crucial to HBO, the series shattered Emmy records with 12 wins last fall, more than any other drama series in history for a single year. This combination of audience passion and critical acclaim is an enormous incentive for a subscription-based cable network to keep a title going – especially while fighting off streaming rivals like Netflix and struggling to find new Sunday night drama heirs. HBO’s recently launched period drama _Vinyl_, despite being renewed for a second season, didn’t pop in the ratings charts, while the upcoming sci-fi series _Westworld_ has been beset by production delays. “\[Ending _Thrones_\] will be a tough one for me – partly as an executive and partly as a fan,” Lombardo says. “A show that resonates this way and works on all levels, it’s painful to imagine it ending. At the same time, David and Dan have a big responsibility and I respect that enormously. If we just keep going then we’re doing what the \[broadcast\] networks have done – and nobody wants to do that.” Since _Thrones_ is also evolving past the story in George R.R. Martin’s novels this season, there’s no longer even fan expectations that the show will follow a certain path. This is a sprawling fantasy tale without a singular quest – there’s not a magic ring of power being carried to Mount Doom – so the producers could presumably drag the tale out beyond what they and Martin consider the most ideal path. But Benioff and Weiss have long sought to end _Thrones_ on the most epic possible note, and the show’s notoriously grueling production pace has also become an exhausting factor. “We wanted to end while we’re still ambulatory and going strong,” Benioff says. “We love the show too much.” _Game of Thrones_ returns for its sixth season on April 24. _This_ [_article_](http://www.ew.com/article/2016/04/14/game-thrones-end-date "undefined") _originally appeared on_ [_EW.com_](http://www.ew.com "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4295566/game-of-thrones-shortened-final-seasons/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4295566/game-of-thrones-shortened-final-seasons/"},"headline":"Game of Thrones Considers Shortened Final Seasons","datePublished":"2016-04-15T05:46:35.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:00:06.960Z","description":"But nothing has been officially decided","url":"https://time.com/4295566/game-of-thrones-shortened-final-seasons/","keywords":["Television"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt523425a6f3752afe/69888f41cd1bba59de70044e/ap_928914512489.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"James Hibberd / Entertainment Weekly"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt523425a6f3752afe/69888f41cd1bba59de70044e/ap_928914512489.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Game-of-Thrones-S4-E6","caption":"","creditText":"Helen Sloan—HBO","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4295566/game-of-thrones-shortened-final-seasons/","name":"Game of Thrones Considers Shortened Final Seasons"}}]}] ```