Sophie Turner: Game of Thrones season 8 will premiere in 2019

It has been 103 days since Game of Thrones season 7 ended, and it already feels like a lifetime. HBO has waffled back and forth on when the eighth and final season will air, but lately, it’s been looking more and more like we won’t get it until 2019, meaning that the entirety of 2018 will be bereft of new episodes. Now, speaking to Variety, Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) has confirmed our fears.

Variety asked Turner how far along they were with production on season 8, to which she responded they had started in October. “[S]o maybe like a tenth of the way through. No, no, we’ve got six or seven months left.”

So that’s six or seven months left for filming, plus three or four for post-production. That probably pushes the season 8 premiere into 2019, which Turner confirmed when asked whether she was excited about X-Men: Dark Phoenix coming out in 2018.

"Yeah, I’m really excited. “Game of Thrones” comes out in 2019. “Dark Phoenix” is in November."

And that appears to be that.

Before confirming the date, Turner discussed her favorite scene from season 7, which is probably what you thought it was:

"It was probably the moment that you realized that Sansa was going to kill Littlefinger [Aidan Gillen] and does kill him, and when you realize that Sansa and Arya Maisie [Maisie Williams] had been scheming behind Litlefinger’s back, which is a pretty impressive thing to do for two young girls against a master manipulator.  It was just a really powerful moment for her, to have used up all of her master’s lessons and finally discard him. The student becomes the master now."

Yes, it was very impressive, but let’s not forget Bran the Three-Eyed Raven’s involvement in that scheme. Let’s just call it a combined effort from the Stark kids.

But as satisfying as that moment was, Turner said it was hard to say goodbye to actor Aidan Gillen, whom she’s shared a lot of screentime with going all the way back to season 1. “He has been my “Game of Thrones” experience.”

"He’s been the backbone of it for me. So to say goodbye to him was pretty hard, especially because life imitated art in a way, because he was also my mentor. I learned so many lessons just by watching him act. It was this weird parallel, and an emotional thing for everyone."

Turner grew up on the set of Game of Thrones — she started when she was 14 — which meant learning from some of the best actors in the business. “I learned to act watching Lena [Headey] and Peter [Dinklage] and Maisie and Kit [Harrington] and all of these different people. I put them all on such pedestals. The thought of not working with them is almost excruciating to me.” For better or worse, she’ll soon have to say goodbye to a lot of them, and the cast is apparently doing all it can to make their final months together count. “We’re all staying in town a little longer, going out for more meals, trying to get together more. We’re all trying not to take it for granted any more.”

As far as how Sansa will manage to get through season 8 without Littlefiner whispering in her ear, Turner says it’s going to be “tricky.”

"This season, there’s a new threat, and all of a sudden she finds herself somewhat back in the deep end. And without Littlefinger, it’s a test for her of whether she can get through it. It’s a big challenge for her, without this master manipulator having her back. This season is more a passionate fight for her than a political, manipulative kind of fight."

Naturally, Variety zeroes in on that response, and wonders if Sansa’s fight will be different because she’s now facing the existential threat represented by the White Walkers rather than political gamesmanship. “Well, I don’t know,” Turner replied. “We’ll have to see.”

And what will Turner do with herself after Thrones is over?

"I kind of want to do everything. I feel this sense that everything  is over “Game of Thrones”-wise. I have nothing to lose right now, because I don’t have “Game of Thrones” anymore. I’m kind of born again, because I’m at a different stage of my career now — not necessarily at a higher level, I just find myself at a different version of my career. So I’m going to try my hand at everything."

It’s good to set goals.

For now, you can look forward to seeing her play the title role in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, of which Entertainment Weekly recently released some new images:

I’m digging the fiery look. This film looks like it has a ton of potential.

So now we begin our vigil until 2019 when the final season of Game of Thrones will premiere. Just saying that, stings a bit, but we’ll get through it together.

Next: Liam Cunningham (Davos) weighs in on Jon and Dany’s incest problem

To stay up to date on everything Game of Thrones, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Watch Game of Thrones for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channel