"Game of Thrones" director confirms shorter season 7

PanARMENIAN.Net - "Game of Thrones" director Jack Bender has just confirmed rumors that the upcoming seventh season of the hit drama series would be shorter than previous installments. Bender was interviewed by Vanity Fair about the two episodes that he helmed for the current sixth season, AceShowbiz said.

When asked if he would return for the seventh season, the helmer replied, "They're only doing seven [episodes], and they've got their regulars who have done it forever." He added, "I haven't been asked yet and I also don't know what their schedule is going to be. ... If available and they wanted me to, I would love to do that."

Back in April, "Game of Thrones" co-showrunner David Benioff said, "I think we're down to our final 13 episodes after this season. We're heading into the final lap. That's the guess, though nothing is yet set in stone, but that's what we're looking at." It's then suggested that the final 13 episodes would be divided into two seasons, with the seventh season consisting of 7 episodes and the eighth and potential final season consisting of 6 episodes.

In other "Game of Thrones" news, "The Walking Dead" comic books author Robert Kirkman recently criticized George R. R. Martin for revealing the ending of his "A Song of Ice and Fire" saga to "Thrones" writers. "I would never do that," Kirkman said when asked if he would ever reveal the ending of "The Walking Dead" to the show's writers. "That's the one thing I'm disappointed in George R. R. Martin for doing. He should have just been like, 'F**k you. You make it up now, I'll get mine when I'm ready.' "

Martin indeed shared to "Thrones" showrunners how his books would end since the TV series has gone past the point at the end of his last book "A Dance with Dragons".