It hasn't even been a month since the jaw-dropping Season 6 finale of Game of Thrones but as we begin the long wait until Season 7, the cast and crew descended upon Comic-Con for their annual Hall H panel. We have previously reported that Season 7 will be delayed a bit, with a tentative premiere date in the summer of 2017, but during the Hall H panel today, the producers confirmed that production has in fact begun. The cast and crew debuted a new two-minute video that gives fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse at various aspects of the production, along with a Season 6 blooper reel.
Just a few days ago, HBO confirmed that Game of Thrones Season 7 will not only start production a bit later than usual, but that the season will be much shorter. There had already been rumors that Season 7 will span only seven episodes, with the eighth and final season closing out the series with the final six episodes. HBO still hasn't confirmed whether or not Season 8 is the final season or not, but we'll have to wait and see when it's made official.
During the HBO show's earlier treks to Comic-Con, one of their traditions was to unveil all of the new cast members for the upcoming season, along with the characters they're playing. That tradition came to an end last season, and Deadline reports that no information was given for Season 7, except for this brief production video, or Season 8, so we'll have to wait and see what will be announced in the wake of Season 6.
Game of Thrones Season 7 directors will include Mark Mylod, Jeremy Podeswa, Matt Shakman and Alan Taylor. Locations for shooting in Spain will include Sevilla, Caceres, Almodovar del Rio, Santiponce, Zumaia and Bermeo. Last week, Game of Thrones received 23 Primetime Emmy nominations, the most of any nominee for the third year in a row. This year's nominations include Outstanding Drama Series, 2 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington), 3 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Emilia Clarke, Lena Headey, Maisie Williams}), Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Max von Sydow), 2 for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Miguel Sapochnik, Jack Bender) and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (David Benioff and D.B. Weiss).
The executive producers of Game of Thrones Season 7 are David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger and Bernadette Caulfield; co-executive producers, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, George R.R. Martin and Bryan Cogman; producers, Chris Newman, Greg Spence and Lisa McAtackney. Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have confirmed that there will be only two more seasons of Game of Thrones, both of which will be shorter than the typical 10-episode seasons fans have grown accustomed to. Hopefully we'll get confirmation on Season 8 soon, but until then, take a look at the Season 7 production video, along with the Season 6 gag reel.