Who will direct Game of Thrones season 8?
Game of Thrones’ final season won’t allow anyone new to try their hand behind the camera, which is both a good thing and a bad thing.
Talk about your afternoon announcement, Game of Thrones fans. Entertainment Weekly has reported that all of the directors for season 8 are now known … and it’s a pretty short list, to be honest, but it’s also populated with some familiar names. Chief among the news is that D.B. Weiss and David Benioff themselves will put the show to rest.
As EW notes, that’s no surprise, and it points out the pair have directed episodes before. Specifically, Benioff was behind “Walk of Punishment,” while Weiss has the credit for “Two Swords”. If your Game of Thrones memory is accurate (and ours is), that means that they haven’t directed since season 4. However, they’ve both been steeped in the show. This could be a good thing in that they know every single development and presumably have a vision for it. It could also end up being a curse, though. They don’t really have the same fresh perspective, because they’ve still been steeped in the show.
To continue the trend of older directors returning to Westeros, David Nutter is on the list. EW reminds us that he both directed “The Rains of Castamere,” but was last here for season 5. It’s not quite the same length of absence, but it certainly is notable. Miguel Sapochnik is on the list as well, with EW reporting he could direct up to half the season, which is three episodes, albeit three episodes that could each be the length of a film.
So we’re talking possibly three “Battle of the Bastards” style episodes, since EW notes that that’s still his signature episode? Be still, our hearts. We’re not ready. Give us all the action scenes, Sapochnik, and watch our heads explode with the awesomeness.
To dissect the trend, though, let’s take a look at season 7. The show called in Alan Taylor to make his return, and he handled “Beyond the Wall” after last working on season 2. Speaking of last season’s directors, however, Matt Shakman didn’t make the cut. EW speculates that the season should be packed with action just by who’s on the list, and Shakman’s “The Spoils of War” contained that fantastic sequence that nearly killed Jaime Lannister. His IMDb page lists him working on a pilot, and again, these episodes could be massive. He’s probably just too busy.
Next: 5 early predictions for Game of Thrones season 8
A show has four names for directing its final season, but does a show have the right four names? Let us know what you’re thinking in the comments below.