George R.R. Martin is discussing a secret project with Maisie Williams, but could it be a Game of Thrones sequel? Williams was part of Game of Thrones‘ cast through all eight seasons as Arya Stark, bringing to life one of the books’ best characters and turning her into one of the show’s greatest players too. Arya is also a character relatively unscathed by the show’s divisive ending, which could play into her favor when it comes to a possible spinoff.

So far, the only firm idea for continuing on from Game of Thrones‘ ending was a sequel show about Jon Snow, starring Kit Harington. However, after a couple of years in development, Harington confirmed in 2024 that the Jon Snow spinoff was shelved, as they couldn’t crack the story. There is also a Game of Thrones movie in development, but no word on whether that will be a continuation, or, like all other spinoffs so far, a prequel.

What’s clear is HBO and WB have a lot of plans for the franchise, including Martin’s involvement, and that could lead to an Arya show. Martin teased meeting with Williams for a secret project, but didn’t divulge any further information.

Could GRRM’s Project With Maisie Williams Be A Game Of Thrones Spinoff?

Martin Is Involved With Several GOT Projects

Maisie Williams as Arya Stark standing in King's Landing wreckage in Game of Thrones season 8 episode 5

On the one hand, Martin’s potential project with Williams being Game of Thrones-related is the obvious choice. Arya is, after all, the role she’s best known for; it’s the franchise Martin is also best known for and most connected to. Plus, it would’ve been quite easy for him to say it wasn’t about a new show in the franchise in his update and avoid the speculation, so while it is purely speculative, it’s not without reason.

For her part, Williams has been open to returning as Arya, if the timing and project were right.

Although Martin has been outspoken against House of the Dragon season 2, or at least some elements of it and how they changed the books, he continues to be involved in HBO’s expanding franchise. He has discussed visiting the set of the next spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and seeing a rough cut of the first episode [via his Not A Blog site]. Martin also signed a 5-year overall deal with HBO back in 2021 and, according to a 2022 report from THR, every Thrones project put into development received his approval (even if HOTD shows those relationships can break down).

For her part, Williams has been open to returning as Arya, if the timing and project were right. When asked by StyleCaster in 2024 if she would return, the actress said: “Absolutely. It’s such a rich universe. One day I would love to.”

This echoes similar sentiments from Williams on a Game of Thrones spinoff from back in 2022, where she was also open to a return, albeit not guaranteeing anything:

“I’m not saying it would never happen, but I’m also not saying it in this interview so that everyone goes… [gasps] ‘The spinoff! It’s coming!’ Because it’s not. It has to be the right time and the right people. It has to be right in the context of all the other spin-offs and the universe of Game of Thrones . […] It has to be the right time for me.”

Of course, it’s possible that Williams and Martin were discussing an entirely different project. Martin keeps himself incredibly busy, and is involved in various productions in varying capacities. He is an executive producer on the AMC series Dark Winds, which will return at some point for a third season; there’s also the Wild Cards anthology series that he has overseen, a TV adaptation of which has been in development for several years. And with his HBO deal, there could be other projects too. There’s no guarantee Martin and Williams met for Game of Thrones, but it would make sense.

An Arya Stark Spinoff Is The Only Good Choice For A Game Of Thrones Sequel

It’s The One Way To Avoid A Season 9 Problem

Arya on a ship in the finale of Game of ThronesAside from whether it could happen, it’s also worth assessing whether an Arya Stark spinoff should happen. And, increasingly, I think the answer is yes. There’s part of me that does think HBO is better off leaving the main show behind completely, and that all future spinoffs should be prequels, given Martin has created an incredibly rich world that goes back thousands and thousands of years. At the same time, I think there’s a slight inevitability about a return to it in some way (because nothing can ever truly end), and an Arya spinoff is the best continuation.

Since Arya is off on her own adventure to find what’s West of Westeros, then it would make perfect sense for there to be no other returning characters, which is a problem any other show that follows a main character would have to deal with.

The setup for an Arya show genuinely feels interesting, exciting, and unique. There’d be no issue with this being Game of Thrones season 9, or dealing with questions about why it isn’t. Since Arya is off on her own adventure to find what’s West of Westeros, then it would make perfect sense for there to be no other returning characters, which is a problem any other show that follows a main character would have to deal with.

There’s also a clear built-in story there, since Arya’s ending was very much the promise of adventure. In contrast to Jon or Sansa, whose endings felt like a completion of their journeys, Arya’s was as open-ended as a map of the known world, with countless possibilities for where she might go, what she might discover, and who she might meet. It’d still require a fair bit of work turning that into an actual compelling story, but there’s solid foundations. So, if Game of Thrones does continue, I really hope it’s an Arya spinoff, and it could well be possible.