Around this time last year, Game of Thrones fans were busy debating whether or not Jon Snow (Kit Harington) was actually dead, or if he would be resurrected by Melisandre (Carice Van Houten). During the excruciating off-season, rumors continued to fly at a rapid pace, although HBO confirmed nothing, not even the new cast members, despite a slew of casting reports surfacing. It seems HBO may be shedding its secretive ways, with the network confirming the directors for Season 7.

Entertainment Weekly reveals that four directors have come aboard for Season 7, Game of Thrones veterans Alan Taylor, Jeremy Podeswa and Mark Mylod, along with series newcomer Matt Shakman. Over the past few seasons, the series would bring in five directors, each of whom would direct two episodes apiece. Earlier this week, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss confirmed that Season 7 would be shorter, seemingly confirming rumors that Season 7 would be seven episodes long and the eighth and final season would span six episodes. HBO hasn't confirmed this plan yet, though.

Alan Taylor was already an established TV veteran when he started directing for Game of Thrones in the first season, having directed episodes of Mad Men and winning an Emmy for directing an episode of The Sopranos. He directed the last two episodes of Season 1, including the shocking Baelor where Ned Stark is surprisingly beheaded, and a whopping four episodes in Season 2, including the premiere and the finale episodes. He moved on to the big screen, directing Thor: The Dark World and Terminator Genisys, but now he is returning to Westeros in Season 7.

Jeremy Podeswa received an Emmy nomination for directing last season's Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken. This particular episode is quite possibly the show's most controversial ever, featuring the brutal rape of Sansa Stark by her new husband Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon). He also directed the first two episodes of Season 6, including Home, which featured the resurrection of Jon Snow. He has also directed episodes of Boardwalk Empire.

Mark Mylod will return for the third year in a row, after directing two episodes apiece in Season 5 and Season 6. His episode The Broken Man re-introduced fans to The Hound (Rory McCann), who most fans thought was dead after his Season 4 finale encounter with Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie). He also directed this season's No One, which featured a thrilling chase sequence in Braavos featuring Arya Stark (Maisie Williams). He has also directed for Shameless and Entourage. The

The final Season 7 director, Matt Shakman, has directed 39 episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which is one of Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss' favorite TV shows. He has also directed episodes of Mad Men, The Good Wife and Fargo. Production is scheduled to start next month, so stay tuned for more on Game of Thrones Season 7.