HBO has announced the exact date that Game of Thrones will return.
After over a year of speculation, and following an earlier announcement confirming its month of return, it’s been revealed that the Emmy Award-winning drama will begin its final season on 14 April 2019.
The news was confirmed in a trailer, named “Crypts of Winterfell”, which aired before the third season of True Detective, which stars Mahershala Ali.
It features characters Jon Snow (Kit Harington), Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) and Arya Stark (Maisie Williams).
April 14. #ForTheThrone pic.twitter.com/Mzy22yxM6Z
— Game Of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) January 14, 2019
This is earlier than what fans of the fantasy series had predicted: taking into account the forthcoming second season of Big Little Lies, they estimated that Thrones‘s eighth run would land on 28 April. It’s expected that Sky Atlantic will simulcast and broadcast the premiere the following evening (29 April).
Following the confirmation, fans can officially begin the countdown to the final six episodes of the cable network’s biggest ever show.
Teasing the final episodes, which will showcase the show’s most elaborate battle yet, co-executive producer Bryan Cogman said: “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.”
HBO has a huge year ahead, with the end of Thrones ushering in a new era for the cable network.