HBO has made it known that they are going to great lengths to prevent leaks of their flagship series "Game of Thrones." Previously, they planned to shoot multiple endings in light of the hacking breach last season, and now, it has been revealed that the scripts for each episode are already under lock and key, even from the actors who need to learn the lines.
The latest scoop comes from "Game of Thrones" actor Liam Cunningham who plays Ser Davos Seaworth in the show. Talking to IGN, Cunningham revealed that the show had gone digital-only with the scripts because paper copies can be left out in the open. The actor said that although he had them all at the time, he could not just access them whenever he liked.
"I got six of [the scripts], I've got them all," the actor told the publication "[but] I can't open them because of all the security and I can't walk [them] out."
Apparently, the digital scripts can only be opened in a secure location — presumably at the show's Belfast studios — or if the person accessing them has prior authorization. He did not reveal how the restriction will be loosened once filming starts, but he did note that he was not entirely happy about it, likening the entire process to "pulling the pin out of a grenade."
By the looks of it, HBO is ensuring an entirely spoiler-free season of "Games of Thrones." After all, it is the series' last, and the show is a multi-million dollar vehicle for the company. One leak and the network could lose thousands or millions of dollars.
The show has been plagued with leaks for years now, but this year has been the worst so far. HBO affiliates accidentally aired two episodes from season 7 ahead of their air dates. Hackers also breeched HBO's United States servers, holding a total of 1.5 terabytes of data in ransom. These resulted in a couple of scripts becoming publicly available, spoiling many viewers.
