A Jon Snow sequel is happening, and the spinoff show could well just end up being Game of Thrones season 9 in all but name. When Game of Thrones ended in 2019, it was already clear HBO had big plans for continuing to explore Westeros. However, the expectation then – and for a couple of years afterwards – was that the spinoff shows would all be brand-new stories, with considerable distance from Game of Thrones. There could be multiple prequels, but it didn’t seem like there would be any direct sequels.

That has changed with news of a Jon Snow sequel show, which will see Kit Harington return to the role that made him famous and pick up his story after Game of Thrones’ ending. Snow is set up as its own distinct series with a new creative team – there’ll be no return for Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss – but it’s not quite as simple as that. In contrast to something like House of the Dragon, this spinoff will be inextricably linked to its parent show. And with that, it will be the closest thing possible to Game of Thrones season 9