While fans of the hit HBO show Game of Thrones still have plenty of wait time before the season 8 premiere, the network recently announced they will be releasing a special version of season 1 just in time for the summer. HBO announced today that season one of the epic series will be available in 4K Ultra HD, a must have for every die hard GoT fan.

Fans of the series who are waiting to see just how, or if the North will survive now that the Night King has his very own undead dragon, and how awkward it will be when Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen realize they’re actually related, will have to wait a little while longer to see how the final season plays out. Season 8 isn’t rumoured to air until April of 2019, which makes it the perfect time for HBO to release this 4K version of all 10 episodes of the first season. Season one introduced us to George R. R. Martin’s world of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and an epic battle for the Iron Throne that is still being played out, 7 seasons later.

Game of Thones has 38 Emmy awards to date, making it the most awarded drama series in Emmy history, according to HBO, and the network clearly is hoping that die hard fans and new viewers will be eager to pick up this latest season one offering. HBO has announced that with this re-release of season 1 on 4K Ultra HD on June 5, 2018, there will be some pretty interesting additional bonus features. Here’s a complete look at what will be included (in HD) in the season 1 release:

  • “Animated Histories,” about the mythology of Westeros as told from the varying perspectives of the characters themselves; “Anatomy of an Episode,” an in-episode experience that explores the creative minds and colossal efforts behind episode six, “A Golden Crown”; cast auditions, with rarely-seen footage of the cast auditioning; “Making Game of Thrones,” an exclusive 30-minute feature including never-before-seen footage from the set and interviews with the cast and crew; profiles of 15 major characters as described by the actors portraying them; “Creating the Show Open,”an inside look at the creation of the Emmy-winning opening title sequence for “Game of Thrones”; “From the Book to the Screen,” in which executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss along with author George R.R. Martin talk about the challenges of bringing Martin’s epic fantasy novel to life on HBO; “The Night’s Watch,” an in-depth look at the unique order of men who patrol and protect the wall, a 700-foot ice structure that separates the Seven Kingdoms from the darkness beyond; “Creating the Dothraki Language,” a glance into the comprehensive language created for the Dothraki people in the series; seven audio commentaries with cast and crew, including David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Mark Addy, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Bryan Cogman, Harry Lloyd, Daniel Minahan and Alan Taylor; and a digital download code for the ten-episode season in HD.

This isn’t the first time HBO has made one of their television shows available in 4K Ultra HD. The network released season 1 of their hit show Westworld in 4K Ultra HD, making history as the first scripted television series to be released in 4K resolution. By releasing season one of Game of Thrones in 4K resolution, fans will be able to fully immerse themselves in the world of the Seven Kingdoms and fully appreciate the stunning visuals that brought Westeros, Essos, and King’s Landing to life.

Fans of HBO’s most successful franchise in history will enjoy returning to season one - when cast members Kit Harington, Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, and more were just kids - especially knowing how the show’s characters have changed over the course of seven seasons so far. Season one also introduced viewers to a young Daenerys Targaryen as she’s married off to Khal Drogo, the leader of the Dothraki warriors. Fans will also no doubt enjoy seeing Sean Bean’s Eddard Stark and Mark Addy’s Robert Baratheon on the small screen again, alive and well once more. The season 1 release features almost 600 minutes of runtime, not including the bonus features, which is almost enough to tide fans over as they wait for the final season.

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Game of Thrones season 8 premieres sometime in 2019. The season 1 4K Ultra HD version with bonus features will be availble this year starting June 5.

Source: HBO