When Game of Thrones returns for Season 5 next year, there will be several new directors taking the helm for eight of the 10 episodes. David Nutter, who has directed four episodes during the show's four-season run, including the "Red Wedding" episode, "The Rains of Castamere", is the only Game of Thrones alum coming back, with longtime series directors Alex Graves and Neil Marshall taking this year off.

Michael Slovis (Breaking Bad) is slated to direct the first two Season 5 episodes, with Mark Mylod (Shameless) taking the helm for Episodes 3 and 4. Jeremy Podeswa (Boardwalk Empire) will direct Episodes 5 and 6, with Miguel Sapochnik (Fringe) taking on Episodes 7 and 8.

Season 5 will mark the first year that Alex Graves, Neil Marshall and series creators D.B. Weiss and David Benioff will not direct at least one episode of Game of Thrones. Alex Graves directed four Season 4 episodes and Neil Marshall landed an Emmy nomination for directing the ninth Season 4 episode "The Watchers on the Wall".