Why did Kit Harington back away from Jon Snow spinoff? Game of Thrones star explains decision

Kit Harington recently opened up about why he stepped away from the Jon Snow centric spin-off series in an interview with GQ on August 12, 2024. He mentioned that show-makers from HBO approached him with the idea of a Jon Snow sequel series after Game of Thrones concluded in 2019. Initially, he rejected the idea but later warmed up to it.

"What I can tell you is it was HBO that came to me and said, "Would you consider this?" My first reaction was no. And then I thought there could be an interesting and important story about the soldier after the war. I felt that there might be something left to say and a story left to tell in a pretty limited way."

However, after failing to develop an interesting storyline over the years, Kit Harington stepped away from the project altogether.

"We spent a couple of years back and forth developing it. And it just didn't... nothing got us excited enough. In the end, I kind of backed out and said, 'I think if we push this any further and keep developing it we could end up with something that's not good. And that's the last thing we all want," he explained.

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Kit Harington confirms the spin-off is shelved

In the interview with GQ, the Primetime Emmy Award-nominated actor insisted that he did not want to make an unconvincing show just for the sake of it. Highlighting how he was not enthusiastic about the idea of returning, Harington told the publication,

“There’s a lot of baggage that goes with it, and I think that was part of the problem."

Back in June this year, Kit Harington told Screen Rant that the spin-off series is "off the table."

Jon Snow, arguably one of the most popular characters in the fantasy drama, is believed to have a controversial ending. In season 8, he is exiled from Westeros and returns to the lands beyond the Wall with the Wildlings. The season 7 and 8 of Game of Thrones, were written without any source material from George R. R. Martin's books. This meant Jon Snow's story was scripted without adhering to the text.

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Kit Harington understands that Game of Thrones finale was rushed

Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen (Image via HBO)

The 37-year-old actor shared in the GQ interview that he understands the disappointment of fans who thought that season 8 was rushed. He admitted that "there were mistakes made, story-wise towards the end maybe". The Blood for Dust star attributed the shortcomings to the exhaustion of the cast.

I think if there was any fault with the end of ‘Thrones,’ is that we were all so f–king tired, we couldn’t have gone on longer. And so I understand some people thought it was rushed and I might agree with them. But I’m not sure there was any alternative," Kit Harington reasoned.

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Other Game of Thrones spin-offs

Even if Jon Snow's story did not materialize, the Game of Thrones franchise continues to flourish. Both seasons of the House of Dragon series, set about 200 years before Game of Thrones, became a hit with record-breaking viewership.

Jon Snow and Daenerys in Game of Thrones (Image via HBO)

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, set almost 90 years before Game of Thrones, will be released in late 2025. Both shows are prequels based on George R. R. Martin's Fire & Blood and Tales of Dunk and Egg.