HBO confirms for first time, 'Game of Thrones' to return in 2019

Putting speculations to rest, HBO now confirms that fan rumours were true -- the final season of "Game of Thrones" won't be back until 2019. 

HBO's flagship hit series "Game of Thrones" is taking longer than the previous seasons to make and will need more than one year to film and release. 

The confirmation proves earlier media reports that "GOT" showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss plan to spend a year and a half crafting the show’s final episodes in an effort to make the final hours as spectacular and satisfying as possible.

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The filming of the final season is scheduled to start this summer if reports are to be believed. 

Also, star Sophie Turner let slip in an interview that she didn't expect the show to return until next year. 

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The final season will have six episodes as previously reported -- while some episodes may be longer than usual.