If you had asked Kit Harington about the Jon Snow spin-off right around the time when Game of Thrones was ending, you would have heard a hard no. He didn’t have it in him to star in another GOT-based content at the time and he made it clear during an interview with Rich Eisen.
However, he later agreed to a Jon Snow spin-off, although he rarely spoke about it when it was in development.
Interestingly, he only decided to comment on it when he was sure that the spin-off had been shelved at HBO. While Harington didn’t give a clear reason why he agreed to the spin-off, his comments make it seem like he wasn’t entirely on board with the idea.
Kit Harington had brutal thoughts on a Jon Snow spin-off before he wrapped Game of Thrones
Kit Harington never wanted a Jon Snow spin-off in the first place. When asked about a potential spin-off while he was still filming Game of Thrones, he was totally against the idea. He shared on The Rich Eisen Show, “I’m not sure you could do a Jon Snow spin-off. It might just be too morbid.”
He further elaborated that all the current cast members of the HBO fantasy series were done with the show. He shared that while there was much scope for spin-offs, he wanted such shows to focus on other storylines and characters. He shared:
I think we’re I think we’re done… The current cast is sort of done with Game of Thrones once it’s done. But there’s so much scope for spin-offs. I’m sure they’ll do other things in that world and I hope they do because it’s such a rich world.
Harington was not in his best health when the show ended. In 2019, just as the show aired the final episodes, he checked into a rehab facility. He shared on The Jess Cagle Show that he faced “mental health difficulties” due to the “nature of the show.” He even spoke about his exhaustion when asked about the controversial finale of the show. Harington shared with GQ:
I understand some people thought it was rushed and I might agree with them. But I’m not sure there was any alternative. I look at pictures of me in that final season and I look exhausted. I look spent. I didn’t have another season in me.
At that point, he was sure that he wouldn’t film another Game of Thrones-related show. However, in 2022, a Jon Snow spin-off was reported to be in development, with the potential return of Harington. In the years since, there was little update about the show and Harington confirmed that the show was shelved last year.
Why was Kit Harington’s Jon Snow spinoff shelved?
Kit Harington rarely spoke about the Jon Snow spin-off until it was shelved at HBO. When he appeared for an interview with ScreenRant to promote his film Blood for Dust last year, he shared that he didn’t want to speak about it because he didn’t want fans to get excited about something that may never happen.
He shared that the film was no longer in development as the studio couldn’t find the right story to tell. He shared with ScreenRant:
And currently, it’s not. Currently, it’s off the table, because 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.
While some are disappointed at the fate of the show, others believe that it is best the show isn’t happening. One of the issues with the series is the lack of source material. Game of Thrones has already proven that the fantasy series wouldn’t work well without George R.R. Martin’s story. The potential spinoff also had the mountain task of addressing the controversial ending of the original.
Game of Thrones and its spinoff House of the Dragon are now available for streaming on Max.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
