Video: Iain Glen discusses the Game of Thrones season 8 read-through

Last month, Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont) stopped by Comic Con Stockholm to give an interview about his career, and because he is who he is, that mostly meant an interview about Game of Thrones. Check out the full, hour-long video below. He drops some juicy tidbits which we’ll highlight below.

First, around the 6:50 mark, Glen revealed something about how season 8 will be shot. In the past, the show has used two production units — occasionally three — to film the show. That’s because Game of Thrones has so many characters who are so spread out geographically that in order for HBO to shoot everything it needed, it had to divide and conquer.

However, in season 8, there will only be one production unit. Glen explained further:

"As we narrowed it down and we’re entering this kind of end-game…we’re all starting to occupy the same territory. We’re all starting to be in the same storylines. I think this last season will take much longer to shoot because they can only use one unit because we’re all in the same sort of scenes."

Filming on Game of Thrones season 8 begins this month, and while we’re not sure how long it’ll take, HBO programming president Casey Bloys suggested it could go as late as August of 2018. That is indeed longer than usual. This information could help explain what looks like it will be a long wait for the final six episodes.

The other big piece of news comes around 20:40, when Glen reveals that the cast will meet for a read-through of season 8 on October 9. “I suspect that will be about the first time that us as actors find out what’s going on. So they don’t trust us.”

To hear Glen tell it, the actors are the last to know what’s going to happen on the show — apparently, he was fitted for a greyscale prosthetic before he even learned that Jorah would be contracting a disease. As for what he’s hoping will happen to Jorah in the end, he’s ready for anything. “I would just be happy to be alive in what I imagine is gonna be a massive battle. And I survive or die nobly.”

Here are a few more highlights:

• He has “very fond memories” of the scene at the end of season 1 when “Khaleesi” gives birth to the dragons. He’s also a big fan of the Daznak’s Pit sequence from season 5.
• Glen has “heard whispers” about the Game of Thrones prequels, but not anything we don’t already know. He doesn’t expect to be involved.
• Glen mentions that he was once played a country singer in a movie called Small Country Repair, and I simply had to find it. He doesn’t play an American country singer, but still, this is great:

• How would Glen like Jorah to die? Taking a blade meant for Daenerys.
• Question: Is Jorah okay with Jon being with Daenerys? Glen: [very long pause]. But seriously, he thinks Jorah has accepted that he and Dany will never be a couple, and at least thinks Jon Snow is a decent person.
• Glen can’t reveal his fondest memories of his costars, because he’d “be putting people in jail.”
• At 43:45, Glen just…goes off on the country of Sweden. “You’re a f**ked-up society.” Okay.

Next: Lena Headey (Cersei) posts pic from behind the scenes of Game of Thrones season 8

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