'Game of Thrones' returns for eighth & final season in 2019

It’s official.HBOhas confirmed the fantasy sagaGame of Thronesbased on George R.R. Martin’s books will return for a six-episode, eighth and final season to air in 2019.

The premium cabler also confirmed series creators David Benioff & D.B. Weiss are among the directors for the new season along with David Nutter and Miguel Sapochnik. Writers for the new season are Benioff, Weiss, Bryan Cogman and Dave Hill.

Sapochnik has directed four episodes including two of what many fans consider the best of the series: Season 5’s “Hardhome” and Season 6’s “Battle of the Bastards,” the latter of which won him a Best Directing Emmy; and David Nutter, who among his six helming credits on the series is the Season 5 finale “Mother’s Mercy” that featured Queen Cersei’s memorable walk of atonement. It also won him an Emmy.

The Season 7 finale, the Jeremy Podeswa-directed “The Dragon and The Wolf,” set a viewership record August 27 when 16.5 million viewers saw the Night King and his Army of the Dead break through the Wall and Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen hit the sheets.

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