Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage thinks now is the perfect time to end HBO's acclaimed fantasy series. The show is based on the novel series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, though series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have since had to overtake the books with their show as Martin has yet to complete and release his final volume.

HBO is currently in the midst of filming the upcoming eighth and final season of Game of Thrones, which will consist of only six episodes compared to season 7's seven-episode length and prior seasons' 10-episode length. To compensate for fewer episodes, some - but not all - of the new chapters will be feature-length. Coupling that with the fact that much of the season takes place during the winter, Game of Thrones has an extra-long shooting schedule, which means it, unfortunately, won't be returning until 2019.

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In an interview with Variety at Sundance Film Festival 2018, Peter Dinklage briefly discussed Game of Thrones season 8, offering only spoiler-free details about his and the cast's feelings towards the show ending. After eight seasons, the actor feels it's finally time for the series to end.

“It’s time. Storywise, not just for all our lives. It’s the perfect time to end it. Sometimes shows stay on a little too long, the jumping-the-shark thing. ... It’s bittersweet when it’s time to move on with everything. It’s always the sad part of our business, because you get pockets of great people for short amounts of time and then you have to move on and it’s always heartbreaking. Especially when you’ve spent more than a couple months with people.”

To add, HBO president of programming Casey Bloys recently offered fans solace by confirming that there will never be a Game of Thrones revival. The network won't be following in the footsteps of broadcast television and reviving popular shows from the past. Instead, once the story ends, it ends... for good. However, that doesn't mean HBO is giving up on Martin's expansive fantasy world just yet. Five Game of Thrones spinoff shows are currently in development, of which only one may make it on the air. If it does, it won't premiere until 2020 at the earliest, despite Martin previously claiming 2019 as a possibility.

Although audiences don't know what to expect, storywise, from the final season of Game of Thrones, it's fair to assume that the series will have an emotional resolution that will leave fans satisfied. After all, the cast and crew themselves were applauding and crying after they read the series' final scripts; it's not difficult to imagine what they will be feeling after seeing those stories unfold on-screen.

More: Why Game of Thrones Is Delayed to 2019

Game of Thrones season 8 premieres on HBO in 2019.

Source: Variety