Game of Thrones did not actually film multiple endings

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

From Digital Spy

Note: The following article contains spoilers for Game of Thrones' season 8 finale.

Don't count on any 'lost endings' for Game of Thrones popping up on box sets - or even worse, leaking on social media - in the years ahead.

The speculation over whether producers David Benioff and DB Weiss had shot alternate finale endings for 'The Iron Throne' dates nearly two years, thanks to HBO boss Casey Bloys.

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

In 2017, he hinted that multiple endings would be filmed "so that nobody really know what happens" in the run-up to transmission.

However, Bloys has since hinted to Deadline that he may have been misleading Game of Thrones fans all along in order to throw off the infamous leakers.

"I don’t think they actually shot multiple endings," he said. "But putting that in the water supply wasn’t a bad thing to protect against leaks. They always had a little bit of edge of doubt because you couldn’t be totally sure."

In terms of whether different endings were ever discussed, Bloys teased: "No. [David Benioff and D. B. Weiss] are very smart, very bright, very methodical. They’ve had this in their heads for a long time. So there weren’t big debates about, should it end this way or not end this way, this is what they had planned."

The HBO programming president admitted that his disinformation strategy still wasn't entirely successful since key spoilers (and full episodes) leaked anyway!

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

"I think there was somebody who was posting. … You could’ve found it if you wanted to but most people want to experience and go on a ride - I think it’s a testament to the show," he acknowledged. "By the last season we had so many security measures in place for how the show was distributed internationally, many safeguards.

"Even with that, because you are dealing with humans, there always is going to be the potential that someone leaks or tells somebody or does something so you can’t safe guard 100%. Ultimately, there was speculation about the ending - some of it correct as it turns out - but most people wanted to experience it as fans."

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

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While no alternate endings were shot, some fans are convinced that showrunners actually intended a different fate for one major character than what viewers ultimately saw on-screen.

Game of Thrones aired on HBO in the US, and you can also catch up on the show via Hulu. Viewers in the UK can catch up via Sky Atlantic and NOW TV.


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