The showrunners of Game of Thrones have revealed that a seven-season run for the fantasy drama was their aim “from the beginning”.

Executive producer David Benioff told EW: “It feels like this is the midpoint for us. If we’re going to go seven seasons, which is the plan, Season 4 is right down the middle, the pivot point.”

He added: “I would say it’s the goal we’ve had from the beginning. It was our unstated goal, because to start on a show and say your goal is seven seasons is the height of lunacy. Once we got to the point where we felt like we’re going to be able to tell this tale to its conclusion, that became [an even clearer] goal. Seven gods, seven kingdoms, seven seasons. It feels right to us.”

HBO programming president Michael Lombardo commented: “I think [the showrunners] feel bullish enough that there’s enough story to deliver through Season 7. I hate to sound greedy, but our longest shows have gone 7 or 8 seasons, so seven is a nice long run for us.”

Season 4 begins in the UK at 9pm on Monday 7 April on Sky Atlantic, airing less than 24 hours after it premieres in the US.

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