HBO exec says Jon Snow is dead

NEW YORK, July 31 (UPI) -- The Season Five finale of Game of Thrones left many fans with a burning question: "Is Jon Snow really...dead?"

An executive for HBO has conformed that it's true.

The character from the wildly popular HBO series supposedly died in the season's final episode since he was abandoned by his comrades to bleed out in the snow.

But rumors have stirred since the finale, especially more recently, since photos surfaced of Kit Harington, the actor that plays the contentious Night Watch leader, in Belfast near the season six filming location.

Kit Harington spotted in a coffee shop in Belfast yesterday with co-star Nathalie Emmanuel. pic.twitter.com/MkifEKKje4

— Jon Snow (@LordSnow) July 29, 2015

However, though the evidence is enough to raise speculation, HBO programming president Michael Lombardo made it clear on Thursday that "dead is dead."

"Dead is dead is dead," Lombardo said at the Television Critics Association's press tour. "He be dead. Um, yes. Everything I've seen, heard and read, Jon Snow is indeed dead."

That's not the only news he delivered regarding the hit series based off the books written by George R.R. Martin.

Lombardo also mentioned that the season will be continuing beyond not only season six but seven also.

In fact, he said that going beyond season seven was never even a question.

"The question is: How much beyond seven are we going to do," Lombardo said. "Obviously we're shooting six now, hopefully discussing seven. [Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss] feel like there's two more years after six. I would always love for them to change their minds, but that's what we're looking at right now."

"I would be open to anything that Dan and David wanted to do—about Game of Thrones, or any subject matter," he continued. "It really would depend fully on what they wanted to do. I think you're right, there's enormous storytelling to be mined in a prequel, if George and Dan and David decide they want to tackle that. At this point, all the focus is on the next few years of the show. We haven't had any conversations about that at this point."

Author George Martin has yet to set a release date for the sixth book, entitled "The Winds of Winter" from the A Song of Ice and Fire series.

The television cult drama, which garnered about 20 million viewers this year (up one million from the prior season), is continuing to grow Lombardo said.

He even announced that Season five home video will be available in August, a release that arrived much earlier than in years past.