There are many who consider HBO's Game Of Thrones to be the greatest show of all time. A well-deserved title, considering the legacy of George R.R. Martin, David Benioff, and Dan Weiss' brainchild. And while the team has remained mum's-the-word about the final season, it would appear the first vestiges of information is beginning to surface, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly. While there is much to take away from the extensive cover story, one tidbit, in particular, sounds absolutely amazing.
When it initially debuted in 2011, the first season didn't even have the budget to sustain a single battle; in fact, the powers that be had to conveniently render Tyrion Lannister unconscious, revealing only the aftermath. Now, in the final season, we're looking at battles that will span the scope of an entire episode. And while the iconic "Battle Of The Bastards" and "Loot Train Battle" set an immense bar, the minds behind Thrones are adamant that the best is yet to come. Luckily, they've once again tapped the directorial prowess of Miguel Sapochnik, the man behind some of GOT's finest episodes to date.
“It’s brutal,” Dinklage says, of the upcoming battle. “It makes the Battle of the Bastards look like a theme park.” Apparently, the shoot took a staggering 55 nights of shooting; that was an underrepresentation, according to Sapochnik. That was only for the outdoor scenes. “Having the largest battle doesn’t sound very exciting — it actually sounds pretty boring,” Benioff says. “Part of our challenge, and really, Miguel’s challenge, is how to keep that compelling… we’ve been building toward this since the very beginning, it’s the living against the dead, and you can’t do that in a 12-minute sequence.” Apparently, the climactic battle will follow the perspective and arcs of several different characters, and looks to be one of the series' crowning achievements.
For more on Game of Thrones' final season, including what to expect in the opening episode, check out EW's full cover story here.