Game of Thrones: The Last Watch
Documentary on the making of Game of Thrones' final season.
Game of Thrones: The Last Watch is a 2019 documentary about the making of the eighth and final season of HBO's fantasy series *Game of Thrones*. Directed by Jeanie Finlay, it premiered on HBO on May 26, 2019, a week after the series finale. The film covers a year on set, starting with the initial table read and ending with the shoot of the last scene.
Finlay, a casual fan of the show, was approached by HBO after they were impressed by her earlier documentaries *The Great Hip Hop Hoax* and *Orion*. She met with producers David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Bernadette Caulfield, and Carolyn Strauss to pitch her approach. Given unrestricted access, Finlay alternated weeks between this project and another documentary, *Seahorse*. The documentary's existence was kept secret, known only to those involved. Finlay found the secrecy overwhelming but felt it eased fan pressure. She received the season's scripts before some cast members did. Composer Hannah Peel was hired in late 2017. Filming wrapped in July 2018 alongside the show, resulting in over 950 hours of footage shot over 14 months. Finlay delivered her final cut two weeks before the season premiere. The documentary was announced on March 27, 2019, with HBO describing it as a look at the "tears and triumphs" of bringing Westeros to life in Northern Ireland.
The documentary was seen by 1.63 million viewers during its initial U.S. broadcast. It received mostly positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 100% positive rating from 10 critics, with an average score of 7.3/10. Critics like Alexis Nedd of *Mashable* called it "a better ending than the *Game of Thrones* finale," praising its scope and focus. Hannah-Rose Yee of *Stylist* said it was "better than season 8." Jesse Schedeen of *IGN* gave it an 8.8/10, calling it a satisfying coda but noting it could have explored the writing process more. Michelle Jaworski of *The Daily Dot* gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars, calling it a "love letter to the show's crew" but felt post-production was undercovered. In response to mixed reactions to season 8, Finlay said it was fine for people to express their passion.
At the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, Hannah Peel was nominated for Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special for her score.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Jeanie Finlay
- Producer
- Jeanie Finlay / Rachel Hooper / Martin Mahon
- Cinematography
- Jeanie Finlay / Louise Liddy / Richard Jephcote / Aaron Black
- Editing
- Alice Powell
- Music
- Hannah Peel
- Distributor
- HBO
- Released
- 26 May 2019
- Runtime
- 115 minutes
- Country
- Northern Ireland
Facts from the source article.
背景与渊源
HBO approached Jeanie Finlay several months before filming for the eighth season began, impressed by her past documentary films such as The Great Hip Hop Hoax (2013) and Orion (2015). Finlay met with producers David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Bernadette Caulfield, and Carolyn Strauss to propose her approach. She was given full autonomy and unrestricted access to the set, spending one week on, one week off alternating between this documentary and another project, Seahorse. The documentary's production was kept secret, known only to those involved in Game of Thrones or the documentary itself.
阅读指南
Game of Thrones: The Last Watch received mostly positive reviews from critics and audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 10 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. Critics praised its scope and direction, with some calling it a better ending than the series finale. The documentary was nominated for Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series at the Primetime Emmy Awards for composer Hannah Peel. It was viewed by 1.63 million viewers during its initial U.S. airing. The film highlights the contributions of not only actors and writers but also production assistants, costume designers, set decorators, caterers, and carpenters, revealing the challenges of bringing the fantasy world to life.
你知道吗？
- Over 950 hours of footage was filmed over 14 months.
- Finlay had the season's scripts before some of the cast had read them.
- It was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special.