HBO has finally announced the premiere date for Season 7 of “Game of Thrones.”
The fantasy drama will return for a shortened seven-episode season on Sunday, July 16, 2017 at 9 p.m.
The news was announced in an elaborate Facebook livestream on Thursday (video below), which involved a slowly melting block of ice and several flame throwers. After more than an hour — and several technical glitches — the ice was melted to reveal the date hidden inside.
The video also featured a brief teaser for the upcoming season, featuring quotes from the series playing over images of dragons, lions, direwolves and stags locked in a battle.
As the network announced last year, Season 7 of “Game of Thrones” was moved to later in the year than usual in order to accommodate the show’s shooting schedule. Due to the show’s new winter setting, the HBO fantasy epic began production later in the year.
Ensemble cast members Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Aidan Gillen, Kit Harington, Diana Rigg, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams and Jonathan Pryce are all expected to return.
Directors for Season 7 will include Mark Mylod, Jeremy Podeswa, Matt Shakman and Alan Taylor. Executive producers are David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger and Bernadette Caulfield; co-executive producers, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, George R.R. Martin and Bryan Cogman; producers, Chris Newman, Greg Spence and Lisa McAtackney.