Game of Thrones season 7

Production

Series creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss served as showrunners for the seventh season. Directing duties were handled by Jeremy Podeswa (episodes 1 and 7), Mark Mylod (episodes 2 and 3), Matt Shakman (episodes 4 and 5), and Alan Taylor (episode 6). Taylor returned to the series after an absence since the second season, while Shakman directed Game of Thrones for the first time. Costume designer Michele Clapton returned after spending time away from the show in the sixth season; she had previously worked on the first five seasons and the end of the sixth.

The season contained original material not found in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, with some elements revealed to the writers during discussions with Martin. Filming began on August 31, 2016, at Titanic Studios in Belfast and concluded in February 2017. The start of filming was delayed to later in the year due to necessary weather conditions; the showrunners explained that winter had arrived in the story, requiring grim, gray weather even in sunnier filming locations.

Girona, Spain, which had stood in for Braavos and parts of King's Landing, did not return as a filming location. The season filmed in Northern Ireland, Spain, and Iceland, with Northern Ireland production beginning in August 2016. Spanish locations included Seville, Cáceres, Almodóvar del Río, Santiponce, Zumaia, and Bermeo, as well as Muriola Beach in Barrika, Las Atarazanas, the Royal Dockyards of Seville, and the shores of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe.

The series returned to The Dark Hedges in Stranocum, previously used as the Kingsroad in the second season. Some scenes were filmed in Iceland, and filming also occurred in Dubrovnik, Croatia, for King's Landing. The scene where Arya was reunited with Nymeria was filmed in Alberta, Canada.

Reception

On Metacritic, the seventh season of Game of Thrones earned a 77 out of 100 from 12 reviews, a score that falls under "generally favorable." Over on Rotten Tomatoes, 479 critics gave it a 93% approval rating, with an average score of 8.2 out of 10. The site’s summary noted the season came back with strong storytelling and a clear focus on its main characters, especially the women. The premiere episode drew more than 30 million viewers across HBO’s domestic platforms within weeks.

In the UK, 4.7 million people watched the premiere within seven days, a new record for Sky Atlantic. HBO Asia saw a 24 to 50 percent jump compared to the prior season, while HBO Latin America hit a regional record with a 29 percent increase. Germany’s viewership rose 210 percent, Russia’s went up 40 percent, and Italy’s climbed 61 percent. In the U.S., the finale had 12.1 million viewers on its first TV airing, and 16.5 million when counting streams on HBO Now and HBO Go.

Across the entire season, each episode averaged over 30 million viewers on all platforms. Because Live +7 numbers weren’t available, Live +3 figures were used instead.

Release

HBO and its international partners broadcast the seventh season of Game of Thrones simultaneously across 186 countries, though some regions aired it a day later. A teaser production trailer debuted at San Diego Comic-Con on July 23, 2016, featuring voiceovers and behind-the-scenes footage of set and prop construction. The first actual season footage appeared in a November 28, 2016 promotional video for HBO’s upcoming programming, showing Jon Snow, Sansa Stark, and Arya Stark.

On March 1, 2017, a cross-promotion with Major League Baseball involved at least 19 teams. A poster teasing the conflict between ice and fire was released on March 8, 2017, ahead of the SXSW Festival, where showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss appeared alongside actors Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams. The premiere date of July 16, 2017, was announced during a Facebook live stream on March 9, 2017, which also included a teaser trailer. A promo highlighting the thrones of Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, and Cersei Lannister came out on March 30, 2017.

Fifteen official photos from the season were released on April 20, 2017, with more following on May 22, 2017. Posters featuring the Night King arrived on May 23, 2017. The first official trailer, released on May 24, 2017, set a record as the most-viewed show trailer ever, racking up 61 million views across digital platforms within its first day. A second official trailer followed on June 21, 2017.

The season premiere was shown at Los Angeles’ Walt Disney Concert Hall on July 12, 2017. The Blu-ray and DVD release for region 1 occurred on December 12, 2017.