Game of Thrones season seven episodes will have longer run-time, to make up for fewer numbers

Fans were might disappointed when they heard that the new, seventh season of Game of Thrones would be much shorter than previous ones.

In contrast to the 10 episodes viewers were used to binge-ing on for each of the previous six seasons, HBO informed that the seventh season would be only seven episodes long.

However, the latest reports now indicate that each of those episodes will be slightly longer than those from previous seasons.

The Independent was among the sites that confirmed the episode run-time for Game of Thrones season seven — and the opening episode clocks in at a good-ish 59 minutes. That’s nearly 10 minutes more than The Red Woman — the season six opener.

You’ll also be seeing a lot more of the principal characters crammed into these fewer, albeit longer episodes. Cast members Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) and Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) both mentioned in interviews that their filming work was considerably higher in season seven.

Showrunners DB Weiss and David Benioff, however, have explained the reason for this.

“The all-around bloodbath of season six freed up screen time to spread around to other main characters,” Weiss told The Independent .

“As the worlds start to converge the characters who haven’t met each other before start to meet each other and there are more main characters together in each other’s storylines than ever before.”

Game of Thrones’ season seven will premiere on HBO on 16 July 2017.

Watch the trailer here: