Kit Harington gives update on Jon Snow "Game of Thrones" spinoff
Kit Harrington as Jon Snow in “Game of Thrones” Photo: HBO
The planned "Game of Thrones" spinoff centered on Jon Snow is officially on hold at HBO. While the fantasy franchise lives on with prequels like "House of the Dragon" and the upcoming "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight," the Jon Snow project is stalled. News of the sequel series, starring Kit Harington, first broke in 2022.
In an exclusive interview promoting "Blood for Dust," Harington confirmed the spinoff's halted development. He explained the project was initially explored but is "off the table" due to a lack of a compelling storyline. "I hadn't really ever spoken about it... I didn't want the thing to happen where people kind of start theorising, getting either excited about it or hating the idea of it, when it may never happen. Because in development, you look at every angle, and you see whether it's worth it."
"And currently, it's not...we all couldn't find the right story to tell that we were all excited about enough. So, we decided to lay down tools with it for the time being. There may be a time in the future where we return to it, but at the moment, no. It's firmly on the shelf."
The Jon Snow spinoff's lack of development progress, coupled with Harington's comments, strongly suggests the project is unlikely to move forward.
Meanwhile, "House of the Dragon", based on George R.R. Martin's "Fire & Blood," has been a massive success. Season 2 is set for a June 16th premiere.
Of the proposed "Game of Thrones" spinoffs, only "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight" has a direct series order. Based on Martin's Dunk and Egg novellas, it begins shooting in spring 2024.
"Game of Thrones" ended controversially in 2019, with particular criticism towards Jon Snow's exile. The spinoff would have needed to directly address this unpopular conclusion, likely proving too difficult for its writers.
Similar to the later seasons of "Game of Thrones," the Jon Snow spinoff lacked source material to draw from, a factor that contributed to the original show's decline. Perhaps it's best the spinoff isn't moving forward, as the franchise seems to thrive when adapting Martin's work directly.