Kit Harington has opened up about how tiring the filming process was for Game of Thrones' final season. In a new profile, the actor shared details about the cast and crew's grueling final stretch of performances being brought to the screen for Season 8. Describing the spotty morale that was left by the final days, Harington said:
Everyone was broken at the end. I don't know if we were crying because we were sad it was ending, or if we were crying because it was so fucking tiring. We were sleep deprived. It was like it was designed to make you think, 'Right, I'm fucking sick of this.'
Considering that HBO's CEO recently revealed that the final season of Game of Thrones is akin to "six movies," Kit Harington's assessment to GQ is not entirely surprising. Just the sound of "filming six movies in nine months" is exhausting. But to imagine actually doing it? Rough.
Kit Harington continued discussing the mixed emotions that filled his last days of filming Game of Thrones' mammoth final act. Harington said:
I remember everyone walking around towards the end going, 'I've had enough now. I love this, it's been the best thing in my life, I'll miss it one day -- but I'm done.'
They say that "absence makes the heart grow fonder." Having to film in the midst of being so tired does not make that so likely for Game of Thrones' cast and crew. At least not before years of absence have been experienced.
The day that Kit Harington will nostalgically miss Game of Thrones will probably come eventually. However, it sounds unlikely to occur any time soon, and for perfectly understandable reasons. What Harington has said about filming Game of Thrones' last season helps flesh out what he previously shared regarding the spinoffs, and his lack of interest in returning to the franchise.
Fans are about to enjoy the fruits of Kit Harington and his co-stars' hard work, which makes me feel a bit guilty. The draining experience Harington and Co. endured to bring Game of Thrones' final season to life will not be in vain, though. The new season is right around the corner and some of the previously revealed details can clue fans in on the scenes that may have exhausted Harington the most.
Filming for one Season 8 battle reportedly took 55 consecutive nights to capture. Not only did the cast and crew have to weather a long shoot, but they also had to put up with nearly two months of what sounds like pretty horrible conditions, all to bring the huge battle scenes to the screen.
Considering that gigantic battle was lensed by "Battle of the Bastards" director Miguel Sapochnik, fans can likely expect something incredibly epic that will leave the stars breathless and aching. Between the White Walkers and Cersei, Game of Thrones' main heroes are in for an epic fight for their fate in Season 8.
Hopefully, there are more than battles that comprise Game of Thrones' final seasons. The intense conversations and wars of words between the series' vast amount of characters can frequently be just as exciting.
Given how wiped out Kit Harington was by the Season 8 production, we can probably rule some things out. It is highly unlikely that Jon Snow will have it out with the Night King in a heated verbal debate or a chess tournament. Of course, you probably already knew that.
Game of Thrones' eighth and final season will premiere during April 2019 on HBO. An exact air date has yet to be released. The pop culture phenomenon is among the cornucopia of shows awaiting viewers in the midseason.
