Today in news exactly no one wants to hear, Game of Thrones Season 7 is being delayed. Noooo! But before you get too upset, you should know it's all for a good reason. Remember Jon and Sansa's talk in the Season 6 finale about winter finally arriving? Well, the change of season means that production needs to be pushed back ever so slightly so that the series can film under grayer skies. Sunny, clear days just aren't going to work anymore.
Showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss revealed the change in production schedule during a UFC Podcast released July 5. While they noted that no premiere date has been set just yet, they are anticipating that Game of Thrones Season 7 will air later than fans may be used to (the series usually premieres in April each year). "We're starting a bit later because at the end of this season, 'Winter is here' — and that means that sunny weather doesn't really serve our purposes anymore," Benioff said. "So we kind of pushed everything down the line so we could get some grim gray weather, even in the sunnier places that we shoot."
Of course, the probable later premiere date stings even more when you remember Season 7 will be shorter than previous seasons, and that there are just two seasons of Game of Thrones left. As cool as it is that winter has finally arrived, it is heartbreaking to realize this also means the end is near for the show. (One upside: Increased filming during the winter does hint at more White Walker action in the coming seasons.)
While I would love to get my regularly scheduled Game of Thrones premiere in April 2017, if waiting a bit longer means the show's aesthetic gets a boost, then the news cannot be all bad. It doesn't sound like the delay will be significant — in fact, it sounds like Game of Thrones Season 7 will still premiere by the summer. However, when the show comes back, I'm sure it will look very different due to this change. Say goodbye to all those sunny skies, and prepare for the show to go even darker than before. Winter is totally here, guys — for real this time. And the show is adjusting accordingly. The commitment to getting the look just right speaks volumes about the layered goodness that lies ahead as the series heads toward its final battles.
Somewhere out there, Ned Stark is feeling pretty smug right about now.
Images: HBO; Giphy
