Season 7

Season 7 of Game of Thrones was announced by HBO on 21 April 2016. In contrast to previous seasons, the seventh season will be shortened to seven episodes, due to the smaller amount of story content remaining, as well as the increased production values and time required to film episodes involving larger set pieces than in previous seasons.

Like the sixth season, Season 7 will be based on an outline of the two final, presently-unpublished novels in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring. Filming began in Belfast on August 31, 2016 and continue through February 2017, for a summer 2017 release.

Plot


After a summer lasting almost ten years, the words of House Stark have finally become reality once again: winter has come.

In King's Landing, Cersei Lannister has finally seized the power that she has craved for many years. In one swift move, she has eliminated nearly all of her enemies, rivals, and obstructions; Queen Margaery Tyrell, Lord Mace Tyrell, Ser Loras Tyrell, her uncle Ser Kevan Lannister, Grand Maester Pycelle, the High Sparrow, and most of - if not all - the members of the Faith Militant were killed when the Great Sept of Baelor was destroyed using large amounts of wildfire, an event orchestrated by Cersei. She has crowned herself the undisputed Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, with Qyburn as her Hand and the undead knight Ser Gregor Clegane at her side. After nearly four decades of serving as the power behind the throne, House Lannister has finally become the new royal house. However, Cersei is still haunted by the prophecy she was told during her childhood, which claimed that the deaths of her three (future) children would predate her own; Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen are all dead, Tommen having taken his own life shortly after the Sept's destruction. This has made Cersei all the more determined to crush her enemies once and for all, but the number of her enemies has just increased exponentially; though she now sits on the Iron Throne, her actions have undoubtedly earned her the hatred of all of Westeros. Most of the realm is either in open rebellion against the Iron Throne or has fallen out of her allies' control, leaving Cersei effectively as the Queen of King's Landing, the Crownlands, the Westerlands (the region governed by House Lannister) and possibly the Stormlands, mostly identical to the situation at the beginning of the War of the Five Kings, when her son Joffrey Baratheon became king. It is the beginning of the end.

In the Riverlands, the last bastion of Robb Stark's independent Northern-Riverland kingdom, Riverrun, has fallen to House Lannister and House Frey in a siege led by Ser Jaime Lannister. Lord Edmure Tully, who has been held hostage by the Freys ever since the Red Wedding, ordered the Tully garrison to stand down for the sake of his wife and child, whom Jaime had violently threatened if Edmure refused to cooperate. Edmure's uncle, Brynden "The Blackfish" Tully, is dead, having chosen to fight to the death rather than surrender. Brienne of Tarth and her squire, Podrick Payne, had traveled to Riverrun in an attempt to recruit the Blackfish to assist Sansa Stark in reclaiming Winterfell from House Bolton. The attempt failed, and they were only barely able to escape when the castle fell.

Although House Frey has reclaimed Riverrun, Lord Walder Frey is also dead. Arya Stark, despite nearly being killed by the Waif, has completed her training as a Faceless Man in the Free City of Braavos. With her original mission clearly back in focus, she swiftly abandoned the Order and has returned to Westeros to cross more names off of her list of vengeance. She killed Walder for orchestrating the Red Wedding that claimed the lives of her mother, brother, and pregnant sister-in-law, leaving the rule of the Riverlands in unknown hands. Also, Sandor "The Hound" Clegane has survived his brutal fight with Brienne of Tarth and attempted to build a new, humble life, but has been dragged back into conflict by the Brotherhood Without Banners, who intend to head north to fight in the war that is coming.

On the Iron Islands, King Balon Greyjoy is dead, having been murdered by his psychopathic brother, Euron Greyjoy. Balon's son, Theon, returned to the Iron Islands after helping Sansa Stark escape from Ramsay Bolton and endorsed his elder sister, Yara, as their father's successor at the subsequent Kingsmoot. However, Euron has claimed the Salt Throne by promising an alliance with Daenerys Targaryen, which he will use to conquer the Seven Kingdoms. In desperation, and in fear for their lives, Theon and Yara have stolen a hundred ships from the Iron Fleet. With sailors and soldiers loyal to them, they traveled to Meereen and sought out Daenerys's help first. They managed to secure an alliance between House Targaryen and House Greyjoy to help Daenerys retake the Iron Throne and overthrow Euron. Euron, however, has ordered the construction of an even bigger fleet to begin his own invasion, seek out new alliances and destroy all who may stand in his way of taking the Seven Kingdoms for himself.

Also aiding Daenerys are the Dornish and the Tyrells, the rulers of the Reach. In Dorne, Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes have staged a coup; they have murdered Prince Doran Martell and his heir, Trystane, and taken control of Dorne in retaliation for Doran's inaction against House Lannister for their crimes towards House Martell. With Cersei declaring war against the Sands for the murder of Myrcella, Ellaria has turned to Daenerys and her loyalists to help bring the Lannisters down. However, Tyrion Lannister, Myrcella's uncle and now serving as Hand of the Queen to Daenerys, may demand justice against the Sands for murdering his niece in cold blood. Lady Olenna Tyrell, herself now a target of Cersei as she is now the only surviving Tyrell, has met with Ellaria and the Sand Snakes, a meeting facilitated by Varys. Although skeptical of their motives (and wary that they essentially murdered their own family to seize power), Olenna is grief-stricken and incensed by the deaths of her son, grandson, and granddaughter. No longer caring about her own survival, she pledges House Tyrell's forces to Daenerys in the hope of revenge for her slain family.

In the North, Jon Snow and Sansa Stark, aided by Ser Davos Seaworth, Tormund Giantsbane, and Lady Lyanna Mormont, have defeated Ramsay Bolton and reclaimed Winterfell following a spectacular battle. Their victory was also due in large part to the support from the knights of the Vale, the elite soldiers of House Arryn, the lords of the Vale, courtesy of Lord Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish. Even though House Bolton is now extinct following Ramsay's brutal execution, the future of House Stark is left in question: with Robb and Rickon dead, and Bran believed dead as well, the Northern and Vale lords have turned to Jon and named him the new King in the North, while Sansa has rejected Littlefinger's proposal to help him take the Iron Throne and become his queen. Given that Littlefinger was instrumental in the outbreak of the War of the Five Kings (by conspiring with Lysa Arryn to murder Jon Arryn, pit the Starks and Lannisters against each other, and throw Westeros into complete chaos), and that one of his initial goals was to become the new Warden of the North, Jon's ascension to King in the North is now a major obstacle in his master plan, setting the stage for a looming conflict between Jon and Littlefinger, the latter already having sewn seeds of distrust in Sansa towards Jon. Melisandre, meanwhile, has been dismissed from Jon's service following the discovery of her role in Shireen Baratheon's death, stripping Jon of easily one of his most valuable advisers. The red priestess is now heading south to locations unknown.

In the Reach, after navigating various obstacles, Samwell Tarly, Gilly, and her son have finally reached the Citadel in Oldtown, where Sam intends to train as a maester. He hopes to gain some insight into the White Walkers and how to defeat them. However, with Sam's theft of his family's ancestral Valyrian steel sword, Heartsbane, he will have undoubtedly incurred the immense wrath of his father; Randyll Tarly will now likely seek retribution, so Samwell must use the sword in his studies and uncover the secrets behind Valyrian steel for the coming battle against the dead, before all is lost.

Across the Narrow Sea, having at last defeated the slave masters and the Sons of the Harpy, Queen Daenerys Targaryen has finally set sail for Westeros. She has acquired an army consisting of the Unsullied, the Dothraki, and troops from House Greyjoy, House Tyrell, and Dorne. Tyrion Lannister serves at her side as Hand of the Queen, though at the cost of two of her advisors: Ser Jorah Mormont, whom Daenerys has sent to find a cure for his spreading greyscale infection, and Daario Naharis, her lover whom Daenerys has ordered to stay behind with the Second Sons (on Tyrion's advice) so that she may pursue potential marriage alliances to aid her in her campaign. Unknown to Daenerys, however, there is somebody across the Narrow Sea who may very well have a stronger claim to the Iron Throne than she does, and who may prove to be her most valuable ally or her greatest enemy yet.

Beyond the Wall, Bran Stark has been training in his power of greensight under the tutelage of the three-eyed raven and has learned some devastating secrets, such as origin of the White Walkers and the true parentage of his believed half-brother, Jon Snow: Jon is the son of Lyanna Stark and Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, which would make him the nephew and a rival claimant to Daenerys Targaryen for the Iron Throne. Following an attack which claims the lives of the three-eyed raven, Hodor, and seemingly the last of the Children of the Forest, Bran and Meera Reed have been rescued by Bran's undead uncle, Benjen Stark, and taken back to the Wall. There, Bran must prepare for the arrival of the Night King, who at all costs must be defeated before Westeros can dream of another spring.

Filming
Producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have confirmed that season seven will be both filmed and released later than past seasons of Game of Thrones. This is mainly due to the desire to accurately depict the winter that now grips Westeros.

In Northern Ireland, production began in August 2016. Interior shooting returned to the show's headquarters, the Paint Hall Studios in Belfast as well as Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge. Meanwhile, location shooting has taken place at the following locations so far: the Winterfell set in Moneyglass, the Saintfield Estate (for scenes in the Winterfell Godswood) as well as Ballintoy (previously Pyke), Murlough Bay (previously The Stormlands), and Fair Head in Country Antrim. The Dark Hedges in Stranocum, which were previously featured in Season 2, will also return to stand in for the Kingsroad.

In Spain, filming took place from late October through December at various locations. Production started in the Basque country, including Itzurun Beach in Zumaia (as Dragonstone), Muriola Beach in Barrika (as the shores of Blackwater Bay) and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe in Bermeo (as Dragonstone), before moving to Andalusia, where they used the Roman Ruins of Italica in Santiponce (as King's Landing), Las Atarazanas (also known as the Royal Dockyards) in Seville (as King's Landing) and Castillo de Almodóvar del Río (as Highgarden & Casterly Rock). Meanwhile, filming had also started in the province of Cáceres at Trujillo Castle (as Casterly Rock & King's Landing), before commencing a nearly month long shoot at Las Breñas and Barrueco de Arriba in Malpartida (as the Reach). Production in Spain ended in the Old Town of Cáceres (as King's Landing & Oldtown) mid-December.

Similar to last season, production only returned to Croatia for a brief shoot in Dubrovnik (as King's Landing) mid-December.

Finally, for the first time since the fourth season, production is set to return to Iceland. Filming will reportedly take place in January.

Cast
Starring cast ​Confirmed returning guest starring cast Recast characters New guest starring cast Reported new characters
 * Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
 * Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister
 * Lena Headey as Queen Cersei Lannister
 * Kit Harington  as King  Jon Snow
 * Emilia Clarke   as Queen  Daenerys Targaryen
 * Liam Cunningham as Ser Davos Seaworth
 * Sophie Turner as Princess Sansa Stark
 * Aidan Gillen as Lord Petyr Baelish
 * Carice van Houten as Lady Melisandre
 * Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand
 * Maisie Williams as Princess Arya Stark
 * Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei
 * Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane
 * Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy
 * Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Prince Bran Stark
 * Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
 * Conleth Hill as Varys
 * John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
 * Hannah Murray as Gilly
 * Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane
 * Jerome Flynn as Bronn
 * Joe Dempsie as Gendry
 * Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont
 * Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell
 * Pilou Asbæk as King Euron Greyjoy
 * Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy
 * Anton Lesser as Qyburn
 * Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm
 * Tobias Menzies as Edmure Tully
 * Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne
 * Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett
 * Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed
 * Richard Dormer as Lord Beric Dondarrion
 * Paul Kaye as Thoros of Myr
 * James Faulkner as Lord Randyll Tarly
 * Rupert Vansittart as Lord Yohn Royce
 * Rosabell Laurenti Sellers as Tyene Sand
 * Jessica Henwick as Nymeria Sand
 * Joseph Mawle as Benjen Stark
 * Tim McInnerny as Lord Robett Glover
 * Bella Ramsey as Lady Lyanna Mormont
 * Mark Gatiss as Tycho Nestoris
 * Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Ser Gregor Clegane
 * Staz Nair as Qhono
 * Richard Rycroft as Maester Wolkan
 * Annette Hannah as Frances
 * Josephine Gillan as Marei
 * Tom Hopper replaces Freddie Stroma as Dickon Tarly
 * Jim Broadbent as TBA
 * Megan Parkinson as a 16 year-old Northern girl
 * Joseph Quinn as Koner
 * Paul Ward as TBA
 * Philip O'Sullivan as Citadel Maester
 * Brendan Morrissey as a Frey Lord
 * Rory Dignam as TBA
 * Conor McGregor as a Pirate on the Silence
 * A 10-year-old Northern boy
 * A general
 * A venerable priest
 * A tough-looking warrior
 * A city guard
 * A merchant
 * A lovely courtesan
 * A young lord
 * A lieutenant
 * A fierce warrior
 * Archmaester Ebrose

Producers

 * David Benioff: executive producer & showrunner
 * D.B. Weiss: executive producer & showrunner
 * Bernadette Caulfield: executive producer
 * Frank Doelger: executive producer
 * Carolyn Strauss: executive producer
 * George R.R. Martin: co-executive producer
 * Vince Gerardis: co-executive producer
 * Guymon Casady: co-executive producer
 * Greg Spence: producer
 * Chris Newman: producer
 * Lisa McAtackney: producer
 * Bryan Cogman: supervising producer
 * Michele Clapton: costume designer
 * Deborah Riley: production designer
 * Ramin Djawadi: composer
 * Nina Gold: casting director
 * Robert Sterne: casting director

Writers

 * David Benioff & D.B. Weiss
 * Bryan Cogman

Directors

 * Jeremy Podeswa : episodes 1 and 7
 * Mark Mylod : episodes 2 and 3
 * Matt Shakman : episodes 4 and 5
 * Alan Taylor : episode 6