‘Game Of Thrones’: Maisie Williams Says No Alternative Ending Was Shot, Money Spent On Dragons Instead

SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses HBO‘s Game of Thrones. Please proceed with caution if you have not yet viewed all available episodes and wish to avoid spoilers.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Game of Thrones actor Kristofer Hivju, who played fan-favorite Tormund Giantsbane in the hit epic fantasy series, has claimed there was an alternative ending filmed for the final season.

“Well, we shot an alternative ending,” Hivju revealed, according to Fansided‘s Winter is Coming blog.

“That was mostly for fun but I don’t know if I’m allowed to tell you about that.”

While Hivju had previously speculated on this different ending, it likely had more to do with keeping plotlines a secret on the set and not as a result of what fans might have thought regarding the final episode.

Now, Maisie Williams has shot down the claims previously made by the Tormund actor, according to Metro.

“We didn’t [film an alternate ending],” Williams revealed. “It costs so much money and the schedule was way too tight.”

The Game of Thrones actor did offer a further reason as to why no alternate ending was filmed. Considering the fact that the show relied heavily on CGI, it comes as no surprise regarding her answer.

“We were spending all the money on dragons,” she said.

Season 8 of HBO’s juggernaut fantasy series was often maligned by viewers and critics alike after the truncated last season aired. With only six episodes, many people felt that things were rushed. In addition, there was further debate over the way in which some storylines and characters were resolved. In particular, many fans were disappointed in the way in which Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) was portrayed in Season 8, as well as the implementation of Brandon Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) as the leader of Westeros.

While there may not be an alternative ending on offer for Game of Thrones, there are certainly some deleted scenes. Available on the DVD and Blu-ray release of Season 8, several of these scenes included fan-favorites such as Daenerys, Jon Snow (Kit Harington), and Missandei (?Nathalie Emmanuel). Extended shots from inside the Stark Crypt during the Battle of Winterfell were also included, together with additional moments featuring Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen) and Alys Karstark (Megan Parkinson).

Season 8 was the last one for HBO’s Game of Thrones. The network is currently in production on a prequel series set in the same universe, called House of the Dragon. As yet, no premiere date for this new show has been announced.