HBO’s fantasy epic Game of Thrones will return for its seventh season on 16th July.

The shortened run of seven episodes will once again feature TVO regulars Gemma Whelan and Paul Kaye it its large ensemble cast, and the show’s creators are promising a faster pace than even before.

“Things are moving faster,” executive producer Dan Weiss explained to Entertainment Weekley, “because in the world of these characters the war they’ve been waiting for is upon them. The conflicts that have been building the past six years are upon them, and those facts give them a sense of urgency.”

Fellow exec Dan Benioff continued: “For a long time we’ve been talking about ‘the wars to come’. Well, that war is pretty much here. So it’s really about trying to find a way to make the storytelling work without feeling like we’re rushing it. You still want to give characters their due, and pretty much all the characters that are now left are all important characters. Even the ones who might have started out as relatively minor characters have become significant in their own right.”

This last point may directly refer to Paul Kaye’s character, Thoros of Myr, with the actor spending time in Iceland to film for the run earlier this year. Thoros originally appeared in a handful of episodes during the show’s third run, before returning at the very end of Season Six.

Elsewhere, Gemma Whelan’s character, Yara Greyjoy, is – spoiler alert – now leading the Iron Fleet as part of Daenerys Targaryen’s massive invasion force, so we’ll no doubt be seeing a whole lot more of her in the new run.

The show will air in the US on 16th July via HBO, and is expected to once again simulcast in the UK via Sky Atlantic, before being aired in its usual Monday night slot the following day. As soon as we’re allowed to report on further details of Gemma and Paul’s involvement, we’ll let you know, but in the meantime, take a look at the trailer for season 7 below, and keep your eyes on Winter Is Coming and Watcher on the Wall for regular Thrones updates.