HBO Boss Dishes on ‘Game of Thrones’ Final Season 8 Episodes: ‘They’re Like 6 Movies’

HBO’s CEO Richard Plepler teased guests with knowledge of Game of Thrones Season 8 this weekend at the network’s 2019 Golden Globes afterparty.

Plepler mingled with guests at HBO’s lavish celebration following the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday. According to a report by Variety, the premium cable chief posted up in the main dining room of the Beverly Hilton, telling guests that he had seen the entire final season of Game of Thrones. While he promised the highest quality and a satisfying ending for the show, he would not share too many specifics.

“It’s a spectacle. The guys have done six movies. The reaction I had while watching them was, ‘I’m watching a movie,’” he said.

Plepler had the highest praise for creators and showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who are co-creating another show for HBO to follow the fantasy epic. He said that, even without the final special effects, they produced a marvelous season.

“They knew the bar was high,” he said. “They’ve exceeded the bar. I’ve watched them twice without any CGI and I’m in awe. Everybody’s in for an extraordinary treat of storytelling and of magical, magical production.”

Plepler’s teasing came on the same day that HBO released a teaser for its 2019 programming slate, including one significant new snippet from Game of Thrones. In the clip, Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) arrived at the northern capitol for the very first time.

“Winterfell is yours, your grace,” Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) said.

All rumors indicate that Plepler is not exaggerating about the length of the upcoming episodes. In the past, the show produced 10 episodes per season, each about an hour long — give or take. Last season, the order was shortened to seven episodes, though many were longer than usual. For the big finale, it is rumored that every episode is at least 90 minutes long.

Beyond that, HBO is playing its cards close to the chest. Last year, rumors even circulated that there might be multiple endings to Game of Thrones, preventing the cast and crew from revealing any spoilers ahead of time.

“I think they’re filming a bunch of stuff and they’re not telling us,” Clarke told The Hollywood Reporter in May. “I’m being serious. I’m being deadly serious. I think that they don’t even trust us.”

If that is the case, even Plepler could be in for a surprise when the finale airs. Game of Thrones returns in April on HBO.