If it's seemed like Game of Thrones has been gearing up to a close since season six began, that's because it probably is; answers are being dished, character arcs are leaping ahead and the pace has been hurtling along at a breakneck speed the show's not seen the like of since its inception in 2011.

On the subject of the show's climax, co-showrunner David Benioff previously told Variety: "I think we're down to our final 13 episodes after this season. We're heading into the final lap. That's the guess, though nothing is yet set in stone, but that's what we're looking at."

Now it seems like we have much more of a clearer idea as to when Thrones will end thanks to a Vanity Fair interview with one of the show's several directors, Jack Bender.

On whether he'd be returning to the series, Bender said: "I don't know the answer to that. They're only doing seven [episodes], and they've got their regulars who have done it forever. I know that I had a wonderful experience doing the show and I know that Dan and David are thrilled with the shows, but I've got this series I'm mounting for the beginning of 2017 based on Stephen King's trilogy of books, starting with Mr. Mercedes."

Game of Thrones: Who's planning what?

To us, this feels like next year's batch of episodes could be the first part of season seven that will be concluded the following year. This would be in a similar vein to the final seasons of former HBO series The Sopranos as well as AMC's Breaking Bad and Mad Men.