"Game of Thrones" (GoT) producers are going to the most extreme measures during the filming of the finale of season 8. The additional security will be necessary to stop the leaks, hacking and spoilers that have plagued the show for years.
Star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister) told a Scandinavian talk show that the cast will not be given any scripts for the finale of "Game of Thrones" season 8. Instead, the actors will be asked to wear earpieces from which their lines will be fed for each scene, according to The Ringer.
A history of leaks
The measure might sound drastic and unnecessary but “Game of Thrones” has a history with plot and storylines leaking online, including photos from the set.
Following the death of Kit Harington's character Jon Snow in season 5, fans have become relentless about acquiring spoilers.
While filming the sixth season, photos and videos of Kit Harington on the set found their way online, which were captured via drones. It confirmed Jon Snow's resurrection months before the episode aired. It spoiled fans about a very important reveal on “GoT.”
Producers learned from this oversight and built towering walls around the set so that drones from clever fans won't be able to capture anything anymore. The measure, however, did not prevent the leaks coming from inside or among the cast or crew of "Game of Thrones."
Despite signing non-disclosure agreements, accurately detailed scripts to "GoT" season 6 and 7 also appeared online before the premiere.
The breach from the inside spread like wildfire among the fans who already knew what would happen. They also posted the spoilers on sites like Reddit and Facebook groups.
Misleading information
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s latest reveal, however, might be part of a plan to mislead those hunting spoilers for "GoT." In an interview with Vulture, a fan who collects tips and leads -- both from insiders and other fans -- admitted that people behind the production might want to trap those spreading leaks by using false information.
HBO president Casey Bloys allegedly also told a local morning show that “Game of Thrones” will be filming multiple episodes of the season 8 finale to mislead those looking for spoilers. “The Walking Dead” used the same strategy while filming an important episode involving a character’s death to confuse fans who spread leaks online.
Meanwhile, filming for season 8 has not yet started. The cast, however, rounded up in Belfast for their table read on October 8 and 9. Rehearsals for the scenes will soon follow before the actual filming.
Production of “Game of Thrones” might last for 10 months as season 8 will include six 80-minute episodes. HBO has not yet confirmed the show’s return date and speculations are that the new season will premiere in 2019.