‘Game Of Thrones’ On Lockdown? HBO Refusing To Send Press Any Season 6 Footage For Fear Of Leak

The sixth season of Game of Thrones is surrounded by a lot of mystery. Along with the fate of Jon Snow (Kit Harington) being the topic of conversation, the new season also ventures into unknown territory without a book as a guide. With the fear of leaks in mind, producers have apparently taken their secrecy to new heights as the show is officially on lockdown.

According to Entertainment Weekly, HBO will not issue any footage from the upcoming season to the press. In the past, the network has allowed the media a first look at the coming season through DVD or online streaming. Now, executives have decided that any preview is not worth the risk of major leaks.

“We’re not sending out press copies this year, anywhere in the world,” Michael Lombardo, the president of HBO programming, told the outlet. “There will be no copies for review.”

While this is the first time Game of Thrones has not released footage ahead of time, the decision does not come as a major surprise. After all, HBO did release footage last year ahead of Season 5, some of which ended up online for fans to view ahead of the season premiere.

According to Gizmodo, almost half of last season surfaced online before the premiere. Naturally, this information spoiled most of the season for many fans, regardless if they watched the leaked footage or not.

In contemplating what to do about potential leaks, the decision to not release any footage to media was apparently first brought up by creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss. After the showrunners approached the network with their idea of complete lockdown, the executives thought it was good plan.

“It’s painful for Dan and David [when leaks happen],” Lombardo stated. “When you have press copies, inevitably friends ask, ‘Can I see your copy?’ There are things that happen. We talked about the upsides and downsides. Some of the press are fans who might be disappointed, but they’ll understand.”

In order to remedy the problem of leaks with media previews, the network has created a better screening process. However, with some major shifts ahead in the plot of the series, HBO apparently doesn’t want to risk having any secrets spoiled.

Of course, the biggest potential spoiler concerns the fate of Jon Snow. At the end of Season 5, Harington’s character met a surprising and tragic end, which left many fans wondering if he will be resurrected at some point in the future. This has led to one of Game of Thrones most anticipated seasons ever as fans tune in to find out what happened to the Lord Commander.

Along with the fate of Jon Snow up in the air, the sixth season marks the first without a companion book by George R.R. Martin. In the past, those who had read the books had an idea of what to expect in the TV series. Now, everyone is in the dark, including the media.

Meanwhile, Games Radar is reporting that a new trailer (below) for the upcoming season has been released. Although the footage focuses on the behind-the-scenes work on the new season, there were a few spoilers to be had. This includes a scene involving Daenerys, Tyrion, and Melisandre, and an intense battle scene that rivals anything in past seasons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up2beGQRx_Q

Unfortunately, the trailer did not leak any details concerning Jon Snow’s fate. With the season premiere around two months away, fans will likely have to wait until the series returns to television to ultimately find out.

The sixth season of Game of Thrones is set to premiere on April 24 on HBO.

Tell us! How do you think Jon Snow will appear in Season 6 of Game of Thrones? Let us know in the comments and check out the latest teaser below.

[Image via HBO]