Game of Thrones’ reduced final season will feature Ed Sheeran

David Benioff and Dan Weiss have been with HBO’s Game of Thrones since the beginning: they were the ones who convinced George R.R. Martin they could do his series justice (they lied), and they were the ones who decided that some story lines in the books were better off being about a girl imprisoned and abused in the only place she ever felt safe (I’m bitter).

But now the two are gearing up for the airing of Game of Thrones’ final two seasons, and, at a panel at South by Southwest this weekend, the two revealed what they could about the hit show’s ending.

The creators have decided to end the show with a six-episode long season — a shorter season than the 10 episodes viewers have been used to.

“From the very first time we pitched this show to HBO, we wanted to tell one 70 hour movie – it’s gonna turn out to be 73 hours, but still, it’s stayed relatively the same in terms of the beginning, the middle and now we’re coming to the end,” Benioff said, according to Mashable.

The show’s creators have been told some of how the books are going to end, but they’ve already diverged so far from major story lines that it’s hard to tell if they’re planning on ending the show in a similar vain.

Game of Thrones’ final season will have just six episodes. But look on the bright side, Ed Sheeran will be in one (or more?) of them

If they do, it leaves book readers in a predicament — after five seasons of threatening spoilers, the tables are finally turning.

But one part of the show that will surely not be in the books is Ed Sheeran’s cameo.

“We knew that Maisie [Williams, who plays Arya Stark] was a big fan of Ed Sheeran, so for years we tried to get Ed Sheeran on the show so we could surprise Maisie, and this year we finally did it,” he revealed.

Other guest stars that have made a trip to Westeros include Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men and David Benioff’s own parents.

When asked about the possibility of a spin-off series, the showrunners removed themselves from the equation.

“I think HBO might well do one, and I’m looking forward to watching it. I think it’ll be great, but I think it’s better for them to get new blood in with new visions,” Benioff admitted to the relief of female characters everywhere.

You can hold your book purist friends ransom from 16 July, when season seven is set to air.

Featured image: Maria Morri via Flickr (CC 2.0, resized)