Game of Thrones showrunners Dan Weiss and David Benioff has gone to some extreme lengths to keep the plot points of the show's final season from leaking, but even the most well thought out plans can go awry due to unexpected circumstances. The duo recalled a time while filming Season 8 where they thought they had the perfect strategy to hide the show's set from the public, only to have a ferris wheel totally spoil their plans.
David Benioff: At one point we set up these giant shipping containers on the street so nobody would see what we were shooting. Then this concert series came to Belfast and it was right across the street and they put up this giant Ferris wheel.Dan Weiss: They basically put up a viewing platform of our set.
Obviously the two were not thrilled by the surprise installment of a giant ferris wheel across the street from their set. As mentioned above, this gave anyone who rode it a bird's eye view of the Season 8 set that was nearby, which Game of Thrones fans in the area probably picked up on pretty quickly. That was probably great for whoever was raking in profits on the ferris wheel, although likely a nightmare for the Game of Thrones crew.
It was especially disheartening for the Game of Thrones showrunners, who could only look on as the ride destroyed what David Benioff told EW was a plan that had been constructed over some time.
I remember being with Dan and seeing this thing being built and going, ‘Well, there goes that. Months and months of security preparation and now there’s a Ferris wheel.’
Of course, both men are aware that leaks are more or less inevitable. As David Benioff said, if government organizations can't prevent leaks from reaching the public, what chance does Game of Thrones have of keeping everything fans wish to see away from the public?
To the show's credit, Game of Thrones' security efforts have been pretty solid thus far. While there have been some minor reveals, no major leaks have come with only days left before the Season 8 premiere. Of course, Dan Weiss and David Beinhoff aren't breathing easy just yet. Until the final episode airs, there's still plenty of times for hackers and pirates to obtain episodes and reveal major secrets of the show.
Episode leaks have plagued Game of Thrones in the past, so it's not like the showrunners' fears are baseless. There's a chance an episode could leak due to hackers or HBO, and that all the closely guarded secrets the cast and crew have kept so long could leak to the masses. Just thinking about it may make a fan not wishing to be spoiled nervous, so it might be an absolutely nerve-wracking time for the GoT showrunners.
Game of Thrones Season 8 kicks off on HBO Sunday, April 14 at 9:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to vote in our poll ahead of Season 8's premiere for a chance at ultimate bragging rights by voting on the likelihood of theories and who will rule the Iron Throne.
