It was a casting decision that was partly done to "surprise" Maisie Williams
The producers of Game of Thrones have confirmed that Ed Sheeran will make a cameo appearance in the forthcoming seventh season of the show.
The long-running HBO series will return to screens in July for the next eagerly-awaited installment, with the latest trailer for the new season having dropped last week.
- Read more: Game Of Thrones season 7 – release date, trailer, cast, rumours, and everything we know so far
Ahead of the premiere date on July 16, Game of Thrones showrunners have revealed that Sheeran will make a surprise guest appearance at some point in the new season.
Speaking at a SXSW film panel, David Benioff and Dan Weiss confirmed Sheeran’s cameo and revealed that they’d made the casting decision to especially delight prominent Game of Thrones cast member Maisie Williams.
Getty
“For years, we tried to get Ed Sheeran on the show to surprise Maisie,” Benioff explained. “And this year we finally did it.”
Browse our Game of Thrones collection in the NME Merch Store.
While his role wasn’t specified by the pair, Sheeran appeared to further confirm the casting news with a tweet posted last night (March 12).
guess the cats out the bag… https://t.co/9GCDUp9HPN
— Ed Sheeran (@edsheeran) March 12, 2017
Sheeran will follow fellow musicians Will Champion (Coldplay) and Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol) in making a cameo on the show.
