Game of Thrones showunners to direct series finale as final directors announced

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the young prophets of television’s new era, will direct the series finale for their show that forever changed the landscape of modern entertainment, Game of Thrones.

Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Benioff and Weiss, who have directed other episodes during their tenure as showrunners on the show, will handle the final episode. The other five episodes — remember this will be the shortest season yet from an episode standpoint — will be directed by two others: Miguel Sapochnik and David Nutter.

Spochnik and Nutter should be recognizable to obsessed fans. Nutter has directed six Game of Thrones episodes, including the Emmy winning, season five episode “The Dance of Dragons.” Spochnik has directed two of the biggest Game of Thrones episodes in recent years: “Battle of the Bastards” (season six) and “The Winds of Winter” (season six).

It’s unsurprising that Benioff, Weiss, Spochnik and Nutter are the four men who will helm the final season, but it’s upsetting that one of Game of Thrones’ best directors, Michelle MacLaren, won’t be returning. Both the seventh and eighth seasons didn’t feature any female directors. MacLaren has directed four episodes since Game of Thrones began in 2011, including “Oathkeeper” (season four) and “Second Sons” (season three).

Game of Thrones is set to start filming later this year and isn’t expected to premiere until 2019. For everything we know about Game of Thrones’ next season, here’s our guide for what’s to come.