A Jon Snow Spin-Off Isn't Happening Anymore, Here's Why
Kit Harington has given an update on the rumored sequel.
Summary
- The Game of Thrones franchise is expanding with a new prequel in the works.
- Kit Harington says the Jon Snow spin-off is 'off the table.'
- There's one key factor in the project's cancellation.
One month from now, it will be five years since the final episode of HBO's flagship fantasy drama Game of Thrones aired, causing quite a stir among fans who both loved and hated the ending. Despite this, the show remains one of the most popular projects to have ever aired on television.
Arguably, the Game of Thrones spin-offs help maintain the popularity of the hit franchise. The prequel House of the Dragon, which takes place more than a hundred years before the original show, has followed in GoT's footsteps and boasts millions of fans from around the world. Another prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, is said to be in production. But there's a fly in the ointment, as the highly anticipated Jon Snow sequel was recently scrapped from development.
Kit Harington on Why There Won't Be a Jon Snow Spin-Off
Although it was meant to be kept a secret, rumors of a Jon Snow-centric started circulating back in 2022. Kit Harington who portrayed the character in eight seasons of Game of Thrones was said to serve as an executive producer on the show as well as to reprise his iconic role. Yet, recently, the actor revealed that the spin-off about his 'You know nothing' character was canceled. And the reason for it was remarkable.
'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,' Kit Harington said in an interview.
According to the actor, he didn't want GoT fans to know about the Jon Snow spin-off at all because it was still in development and nothing was clear as the creative team were still considering whether it was worth making. Harington didn't want viewers to get their hopes up only to be disappointed when things turned out badly for the show.
No Source Material
Given that the Jon Snow spin-off was scrapped because the producers couldn't find a good story to tell, you can't but wonder why things are different for the two prequels. Apparently, G.R.R. Martin's writings play a paramount role in providing the stories to tell. The Game of Thrones author wrote Fire & Blood and Tales of Dunk and Egg, which inspired House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, respectively.
In the case of Jon Snow, Martin has no books for the showrunners to base the spin-off on. So unless he comes up with a Jon Snow story worth telling, the new show won't see the light of day.
Source: ScreenRant.