‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 7 Spoilers: HBO Cuts Down Number Of Directors Ahead Of Rumored Short Season

At present, very little is known about Season 7 of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” But we do know that, for a third season in a row, the cast of directors will be entirely male.

Alan Taylor, Jeremy Podeswa, Mark Mylod and Matt Shankman have been chosen to direct episodes, according to Entertainment Weekly. Taylor, Podeswa and Mylod have all directed at least one episode in previous seasons, making Shankman — who is known for his work on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” — the only newcomer.

Another noteworthy tidbit about the list? It features one less director than usual. “Game of Thrones” generally hires five directors per season, doling out two episodes to each. Many have taken the decision to cut back as a sign that Season 7 will be shorter than previous installments, but this has yet to be confirmed by HBO or the show’s writers, David Benioff and Dan Weiss.

While fans anxiously await the return of “Game of Thrones,” new theories about the show — and it’s eventual end — continue to crop up. Most recently it was reported that an Easter egg, hidden in the Season 6 finale, may have provided an important clue about how the show will come to a close.

After Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) arrives in Oldtown, explaining to a maester at the Citadel why he’s there in the first place, he’s granted access to a library like none he’s ever seen before. While looking out into a sea of books, the camera catches a glimpse at a great chandelier. According to Uproxx, the fixture also appears in the opening credits of “Game of Thrones,” though it’s a bit skewed.

Joanna Robinson, a writer at Vanity Fair, suggests that the reason for the fish-eyed look is that viewers are being shown the chandelier through the lenses of the maester who greeted Samwell at the Citadel. This theory is said to be a visual representation, meant to symbolize that either Samwell or Gilly’s (Hannah Murray) son will be tasked with documenting the stories of Jon Snow (Kit Harington), Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and the rest of the gang.

Even the cast has even commented on the speculation. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Clarke opened up about the possibility of facing off with Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), the current Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. She told the publication that she had every confidence in Daenerys, given her fleet of ships, three dragons and enormous army. She joked that she is essentially unstoppable at this point. When asked about whether she thought she and her rumored nephew Jon Snow — that is, if the R + L = J fan theory holds any weight — may come face-to-face, Clarke was far more uncertain.

“Those rumors have never been substantiated within the ‘Game of Thrones’ circle,” she said. “It’s never been said. So I don’t know. I could kill him. He could kill me. He could be dead before we even meet. I could be dead before we even meet. Arya [Maisie Williams] could kill us both! You never know!”

While a release date has not been set, many fans speculate that “Game of Thrones” will return with Season 7 in spring 2017. The show has historically premiered in March or April.