Calling all Thronies. Wondering what season seven of Game of Thrones has in store for you? Well, Liam Cunningham, who plays Ser Davos Seaworth on the hit HBO show, says the answers lie in the official first trailer. In town attending the Middle East Film and Comic Con, Cunningham spoke about the upcoming season, literally giving nothing away, but also enough to make the wait all the way until July 16 even more unbearable, if that was possible.
“It’s no secret that I was alive at the end of last season. And everybody knows where my loyalties are, with Jon Snow. And unless they hate me, I’m coming back certainly in the beginning of seventh season,” said Cunningham.
The trailer, released on March 30, shows the three remaining players in Westeros who have a proverbial crown on their head: Cersei Lannister in King’s Landing, Jon Snow in Winterfell, and Daenerys Targaryen in the throne room at Dragonstone. We get a split-second look at a final fourth character, a White Walker. “If you look closely at this trailer and really think about it and the power plays between these three people, you’ll find some answers about what could happen in season seven,” said Cunningham, his cheeky smile giving away all the pleasure he takes in teasing his fans.
While previous seasons have all had an April release, season seven only comes to television sets in July, this year, generating backlash from fans. Another point of displeasure is the reduced number of episodes, only seven as opposed to ten. But Cunningham says this is actually good news.
“People look at it as bad news because they’re only getting seven episodes this season, and then six episodes for the last season. But, originally, it was only going to be seven seasons. But we decided to split that into seven episodes for season seven and six episodes for the final eighth season. So in reality, if you’re an optimist, you’re getting an additional three episodes,” said Cunningham.
The actor is quick to stress that the new season will boast the biggest production yet, with “different sets and incredible new locations.”
Winter has finally descended on Westeros (rest in peace, Ned Stark), which means the crew had to shift their shooting schedule to the winter. “We normally shoot about six months for ten episodes. We’ve taken about the same amount of time for seven episodes. Also, like Sansa said at the end of last season, ‘Winter is here’. So we needed to start late, because of winter and the light, which means we started shoot three months later, finished later, and we’ll screen three months later. It’s pretty logical if you think about it. We’re not trying to annoy people,” he added, laughing.
Cunningham said his character is refreshing to play because Ser Davos is never interested in acquiring powerful positions. “He’s a brave man. He’s so committed to the truth and so decent. I hope to be Davos one day. I’ve never been faced with the same challenges he has and I’m not sure what I’d do if I ever was. But I like Davos because he’s a quiet hero. He’s not looking for power. He’s not in that race and he doesn’t have that disease. Absolute power corrupts absolutely,” he said.
Season seven of Game of Thrones will have its global premiere on July 16. The final eighth season starts shooting in September, this year.
