There's been very little actual footage from Game of Thrones season 8 in the teaser trailers released so far, but showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss say that'll change in the future. Game of Thrones' production has become an increasingly secretive process with every passing season, especially since the show progressed beyond the story in George R.R. Martin's as-yet published A Song of Ice and Fire source novels. At this point, the HBO series rivals movie franchises like Star Wars, when it comes to keeping story details under-wraps before a particular season airs.

In fact, of the season 8 promos released so far, only a couple of them - most notably, HBO's 2019 First Look preview - contain any actual footage from the TV show. The other Game of Thrones teasers, including the "Ice & Fire" trailer and the "Crypts of Winterfell" promo that premiered this past weekend, have all been composed of footage made specifically for marketing purpose, rather than the final season proper. However, that won't always be the case, whether fans and/or the show's creatives like it or not.

Related: Game of Thrones Teases Jon Snow's Death in Season 8?

Benioff and Weiss confirmed as much during an interview with EW, with Weiss saying “I wish there were no trailers. I just want somebody to say, ‘Trust me, go see this”. However, when EW noted that he and Benioff could get away with not showing anything from Game of Thrones season 8 ahead of time, the showrunners didn't exactly disagree, but said they won't do that all the same. As Weiss put it:

“We won’t though. Because then we went and saw Ready Player One with our kids and they played the Westworld trailer and it looked great. And we’re like, ‘Ah, we should do that.'”

Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington in Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 5

Of course, that doesn't mean the Game of Thrones trailer(s) to come will include anything especially spoiler-y from the show's final six episodes. It's possible future trailers will keep things vague, as far as plot details go... if not quite as vague as, say, the infamously misleading trailers for Mad Men's episodes were, back when that show was airing. In fact, the trailers for season 8 can probably get away with painting things in broader strokes, seeing as fans already have a rough idea of what's to come in the episodes ahead. All the promos need to offer is a small taste of stuff like the showdown between the armies of the living and the dead - which is (naturally) the biggest battle ever filmed on Game of Thrones - and that should be enough to stoke the fires of fan anticipation.

That said, it may be awhile before HBO releases such a trailer for season 8. People are already buzzing about the hints of what's to come in the season's teaser trailers, in addition to the clip of Sansa Stark and Daenerys Targaryen meeting in Winterfell that's already been released. As EW pointed out, HBO could honestly get away with not releasing any season 8 clips ahead of time, which is all the more reason not to start rushing things now. There are still four long months to go before Game of Thrones returns, but fans can take comfort in knowing that a real trailer - like Winter - will come first.

MORE: Game of Thrones Season 8 Teaser Breakdown

Game of Thrones season 8 premieres Sunday, April 14 at 9pm on HBO.

Source: EW