HBO Game of Thrones
HBO has just released a new Game of Thrones teaser while also announcing that the show is premiering on Sunday, April 14. But did this new teaser, which showed strange occurrences in the crypts of Winterfell, contain real footage from the show?
Although HBO has not specifically answered this question as of the time of publication, the answer is more than likely “no.” This is likely symbolic footage for Season 8 and not actual footage from the show. And we can make that assumption based on what HBO has done before.
Just look back at the teaser for Season 7 of Game of Thrones to confirm this. That teaser has a similar feel to the one released tonight. But like tonight, that teaser was largely symbolic and did not contain actual footage from the season.
The footage from Season 7’s teaser showed Cersei, Jon Snow, and Daenerys walking down long, dark halls and ultimately sitting on their thrones. No, these scenes did not actually happen in Season 7. But the teaser, as fans realized later, was quite symbolic of what was to come. In Season 7, Cersei was settling in as Queen (she actually took the throne at the end of Season 6 after blowing up a bunch of people, but this was the first time we saw her acting in her role as queen.) Jon was named King of the North in Season 6 Episode 10, and Season 7 was also his first time acting officially in the role. And Daenerys cemented her title of Queen when Jon bent the knee to her in Season 7. So the promo was symbolic of all three performing in their respective roles, and how they would eventually come to clash in Season 7.
The Season 8 teaser is likely the same. We’re seeing that Arya, Sansa, and Jon Snow will be united for the same cause, but may be facing their own deaths. (At least, that’s certainly what those statues indicate.) Together, they will be fighting the coming cold (aka the Night King.)
But when will see a trailer with actual footage? HBO hasn’t said, but my personal guess is during the Super Bowl. That would be the perfect time for a very-hyped trailer to premiere.