Final season of 'Game of Thrones' to premiere in April

LOS ANGELES: HBO’s hit Emmy-winning drama “Game of Thrones” will debut its eighth and final season starting in April, the network announced in a trailer released online on Tuesday.

The video featured footage from previous seasons to recap the costly battles that preceded the coming showdown for control of the fictional kingdom of Westeros. The network did not reveal a specific date for the final season’s premiere.

“Game of Thrones,” which has won multiple Emmy awards, is HBO’s biggest hit ever with some 30 million viewers in the United States and an army of devoted fans worldwide.

Several spinoffs of the series are in the works. HBO, owned by AT&T Inc (T.N), said in June that it had given a pilot order to a prequel that will take place thousands of years before the events of the current series.

Read More: ‘Mrs. Maisel,’ ‘Game of Thrones’ win on night of Emmy upsets

“Game of Thrones” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” had won the top prizes at the Emmy awards, on September 18, a night of upsets for the highest honours in television and a triumph for streaming services.

Dystopian female show “The Handmaid’s Tale” and FX’s surreal hip-hop comedy “Atlanta” were the biggest losers, taking none of the most prestigious awards and making a disappointing night for stars Elisabeth Moss and Donald Glover.

HBO’s medieval fantasy “Game of Thrones” won a total of nine Emmys, including technical awards for special effects and stunts, and was named best drama series for a third time, beating last year’s champion “The Handmaid’s Tale.”