‘Game of Thrones’ officially confirms when its final season is coming

Send a raven. returns to for its eighth and final season in 2019:

— Game Of Thrones (@GameOfThrones)

This confirms what HBO programming president Casey Bloys previously told , citing the cinematic scope of the final season.

“[Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss] have to write the episodes and figure out the production schedule. We’ll have a better sense of that once they get further into the writing,” he said. “One of the hallmarks of the show has been how cinematic is it. The show has proven that TV is every bit as impressive and in many cases more so, than film. What they’re doing is monumental.”

But some fans aren’t too impressed with how long we’ll have to wait to get our teeth stuck into the final episodes:

Me watching the premiere in 2019

— Rachel Agurkis (@RachelAgurkis)

— La NC (@negracabreada)

So, what else do we know about the final season?

1. The cast thinks it’s going to be epic
“Just knowing how amazing this season is going to be…” Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo) told EW after visiting the set. “It’s going to be the greatest thing that’s ever aired on TV. It’s going to be unbelievable.”

2. It will probably be released in the Spring
It’s not been officially confirmed but based on previous seasons, it’s likely the show will return in the Spring of 2019.

3. The delay could give time for George R.R. Martin to release another book
The push back to 2019 means Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin could release the next book in his A Song of Ice and Fire series, The Winds of Winter, which he hinted last summer might be ready in 2018.

4. The evil Freys might not be completely dead
Irish actress Danielle Galligan has been cast to play a character called Sarra in the show’s final season. The only known reference to a Sarra in the A Song of Ice and Fire book series is Sarra Frey – one of Walder Frey’s granddaughters. So the fact that Arya left one or two Freys alive – and this latest casting announcement – both suggest that House Frey could be making a comeback.

Wake me up when it’s 2019!