HBO open to the idea of a Game of Thrones prequel

With every season of Game of Thrones, many look to the future and wonder how much more violence Westeros can withstand. And with winter coming (or pretty much already here if you've seen the end of season 5), how much longer can Game of Thrones continue?

"Seven season and out was never the case," said HBO Programming president Michael Lombardo in his first solo executive session at TCA (via Deadline).

"The question is how much beyond (seven seasons) it will go," he continued, adding that Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss had originally envisioned the series running for 7 seasons. "David and Dan are feeling there are two more years after Season 6, that's what we're looking at right now."

"We hope that they would change their mind," he said, "but that's how they are feeling now."

When asked about the idea of a prequel series to continue as an extension of the franchise on HBO, Lombardo explained the company is "open to anything (Benioff and Weiss) want to do."

"There is an enormous amount of storytelling in that world," he explained. But for now, "the focus is on figuring out the next season."

Speaking of Season 6, rumors and speculation surrounding Jon Snow's apparent death at the end of Season 5 continue to mount. Earlier this week, however, a sale on the HBO store might have clued us in to the beloved character's fate.