Now that Game of Thrones season 8 is in our rearview mirror, stories from behind the curtain are starting to come out. For instance, did you know there was almost a huge fanservice moment in “The Long Night” that included Arya’s direwolf, Nymeria?
Director Miguel Sapochnik, who directed “The Long Night” and “The Bells,” talked about ideas that got passed around for the season on IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, as reported by Forbes. “There were many things that happened, that people would have been so happy to have happen,” he said. “Attack of direwolves and crazy stuff. At some point you’re like, ’50 direwolves attacking an undead dragon does not a good movie make.’”
Although he doesn’t mention her by name, it’s safe to assume that Arya’s direwolf Nymeria would have been part of that giant wolfpack. We got a glimpse of her pack in season 7, when Arya was on her way to Winterfell.
We get even more of Nymeria in the Song of Ice and Fire books, where we hear tell of a massive wolf harrying the Riverlands with her pack.
It’s hard to tell at what stage the idea of the wolf-on-dragon attack was dropped, but I will happily jot it down in my dream journal. Maybe George R.R. Martin will include it in his final two books, should he ever finish them.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Watch Game of Thrones for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels
