It’s been known for some time the HBO hit series won’t be hitting screens until next year and filming for the next instalment began in October.
However, the wait for the highly-anticipated series won’t be as long as some fans feared as Maisie, who plays Arya Stark, let slip some vital information.
Speaking to the Metro, she said: “We air our first episode in April [2019]. That’s a four-month turnaround for these huge episodes. There’s a lot that goes into the final edit.
“You would not want to rush this season at all. We owe it to our audience and our fans to really do this final season to the best of our abilities.”
If Maisie’s news is true, the eighth instalment will return to its usual spring release after the last season of Game of Thrones was pushed back to a summer date.
HBO programmer Casey Bloys recently revealed why there is such a massive delay on the next season and said it’s to do with the writing process.
“They [show runners David Beniof and D.B Weis] take the time they need to do the show at its highest level of quality,” Casey told Entertainment Weekly.
“As the show has gone on, it’s gotten bigger — big battle scenes, big special effects,” she continued.
“These things take time. Here’s the one thing I can assure you: Dan and Dave were not sitting around on a beach waiting to go back to work.
“They’re perfectionists and this is the soonest it can come back at a level of quality that they are comfortable with.”
Spoilers from the new season have already started to emerge on fan webpage Watchers On The Wall.
The site claims viewers will see characters returning to the crypts of Winterfell as two leading cast members were reportedly at the site.
The set was last seen when Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Arya were reunited in front of their father Ned’s statue in season seven.
In recent weeks, many cast members have also descended on Northern Ireland as they continue to shoot gripping scenes.
But despite Maisie’s exciting reveal, the last ever season of Game of Thrones will only feature six episodes with varying lengths.
Game of Thrones will return to Sky Atlantic in 2019.
