The primary cast of Game of Thrones has reportedly received another pay rise, and are receiving up to £2 million per episode of the hit fantasy show. According to the Express, cast members Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister) have signed new contracts making them the highest paid TV stars in history, beating the cast of the Big Bang Theory and even Friends.
GALLERY: Game of Thrones season 7: See all the pictures here
The cast have had pay rises
According to Forbes, the network HBO have also increased the budget dramatically for the final two seasons of the incredibly successful show, taking it from $6 to $10 million per episode. The final two seasons will be shorter than their predecessors, with seven episodes in season seven and just six in season eight. Kit opened up about the shorter seasons, telling ABC News: "Season seven has much more ambition. There are less episodes this year, so they spent more money on those episodes. So, the whole scale of it is up."
READ: Kit Harington opens up about huge Game of Thrones theory for first time
Kit Harington spoke about season seven
However, these new contracts don't ensure that the stars' characters will survive to the end of show. Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, opened up about how those who survive the conclusion of the show have planned to get matching tattoos, telling Vulture: "I think the plan is for everyone to get matching tattoos if we survive to season eight. That's the plan. But that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm in there!" She then joked: "On our foreheads. Like a gang-style tat. Perfect. Then I'm good to go. Life's made. Job's done. I could die happy now."