Among the myriad reasons presented for Game of Thrones Season 7 shrinking to seven episodes over the usual ten, producers explained that the level of production could no longer accommodate so many episodes a year. Now, comments from star Iain Glen support that, noting that Season 7 will take just as long to film as full seasons.

Speaking with RadioTimes the once and future Ser Jorah Mormont explained why producers will be taking their sweet time with the next seven episodes, also seeming to suggest the series might have 15 hours to divide between 13 episodes:

They are taking the length of time it takes to shoot ten episodes to shoot just seven this year and six next year. There are fifteen more hours left in Thrones as we understand it, but that may change, but that’s as far as we know.

I think the scale and size of the set pieces, the world that is being created it’s just getting more and more extraordinary and they feel they need that time to shoot seven hours as opposed to ten.

Of course, Glen’s character has more immediate concerns in Season 7 than the approaching endgame, though the actor was of course unwilling to confirm he’d survive Season 7:

I don’t know of course if I am going to make the last one. I am sort of doing a head count, but I think it’s certainly under ten people who were in the original pilot and have been in every season since. I have grown very attached to it. I love the people involved. Dan and David are very benign showrunners and very good people.

Elsewhere of Game of Thrones Season 7, a list of directors for the year has been announced along with rumors of some major set pieces and battles, while at least a portion of filming will take place in Iceland. Harry Potter star Jim Broadbent has been confirmed for a “significant” role, along with UFC star Conor McGregor, while several notable returns have likely been revealed.

We’ll likely see more of Game of Thrones Season 7 in the coming weeks, but will extended production be worth the wait?

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