Other than a few new theories here and there and that cryptic Instagram post by Maisie Williams that divided the entire fandom, there hasn't been much "Game of Thrones" news since everyone's favorite fantasy drama wrapped filming on its eighth and final season -- and the same goes for the "Game of Thrones" prequel about the Age of Heroes and the descent into the Long Night whose pilot has been greenlit by HBO. That was until Casey Bloys, HBO's programming president, shared some immensely exciting news today during the Television Critics Association's press tour in Beverly Hills.

Let's see what he had to say.

'Game of Thrones' final season will most likely return to the show's original premiere slot

After almost a full year of speculation about the release date for the final season of "Game of Thrones," Casey Bloys, HBO's programming president finally shed some light on this mystery. As reported by Entertainment Weekly, Bloys said that "Game of Thrones" Season 8 will arrive in the first half of 2019.

While to some this may not be news at all, given all the speculation mentioned above, you have to admit that it's kind of nice having an official confirmation from a person in charge -- not to mention the fact that if true, this could mean that "Game of Thrones" Season 8 will actually premiere in either March or April, just like every season so far, except Season 7, which premiered in July of 2017.

With all of this in mind, I think it's safe to say that late March or mid-April would be a safe bet when it comes to the final season's premiere date. So, mark your calendars, "Game of Thrones" fans, as it won't be long until the long-awaited season finally premieres.

With all the talk surrounding the last season of "Game of Thrones, there has also been significant chatter regarding the prequel as well.

Breaking news about the 'GoT' prequel

HBO's programming president decided to clear up the confusion surrounding the Long Night prequel as well. Remember how a while ago a certain report by Belfast Telegraph came out claiming that Jane Goldman's "Game of Thrones" prequel would begin filming as early as October this year? As it turns out, this is far from the truth because, according to Casey Bloys, they are still searching for a director: "I don't know where that report came from," Bloys said during the Television Critics Association's press tour, adding: "we're hoping to go into production in early '19."
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