Kit Harington has opened up about the Jon Snow spinoff that never happened — and why it still could. The Game of Thrones star spent about two years developing a sequel series with HBO, then walked away. Now he says the door is not fully closed.
Harington discussed the shelved project on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast this week. He explained that he, HBO, and author George R.R. Martin agreed on one rule from the start: if they could not find the right story, they would not make the show. After two years of work, Harington decided they had not found it — and he says he was the one who called it off.
What Kit Harington said about the Jon Snow spinoff
“We developed it for two years or so,” Harington said on the podcast. “I still think there’s a world in which something could work. I wouldn’t have gone into it in the first place if I didn’t.”
He also described the ground rule the team set at the outset. “I was very insistent at the start — as was HBO and George R.R. Martin — of like: ‘If we don’t find the right thing, let’s not do it. It’s much better if we don’t,’” he said.
In the end, the decision to stop came down to the story. “After a little while of thinking about it — it kind of was me — [I said], ‘This isn’t quite the right [story],’” Harington said. As The Playlist reported, he also framed it as a timing question: “This isn’t quite the right time.”
A quick refresher on Jon Snow’s ending
For context, Jon’s story ended in the most debated finale of the last decade. In the Game of Thrones series finale in 2019, Jon killed Daenerys Targaryen to stop her conquest of Westeros. He was then sentenced back to the Night’s Watch. In the closing scene, he walked beyond the Wall with the wildlings, Ghost at his side.
That is exactly where the planned sequel would have picked up. Earlier reports described the concept as following Jon in exile: a broken man haunted by what he had done. He would live among the free folk, far from any throne. No official plot was ever confirmed, but the starting point was never in doubt — Jon Snow, alive, and very much not at peace.
Why the Jon Snow spinoff stalled
Harington had already signaled the project was dead back in 2024. He said the team had not found a story that excited them enough. This week he went further, taking personal responsibility for the call — while making clear it could be revisited if the right story ever appeared.
That puts Harington at odds with the rumors that HBO killed the project. According to the actor himself, the studio and Martin shared his principle. Better no show than the wrong show. The shelved spinoff was not a casualty of network politics. It was Harington looking at two years of development and deciding it was not there yet.
Harington’s life since Game of Thrones
What changed, Harington said, is distance. Since leaving Westeros, he has deliberately taken on very different characters. He joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Dane Whitman in Eternals. He also starred in the BBC/HBO drama Industry and voiced Gilderoy Lockhart in the full-cast audio editions of the Harry Potter books.
That time away changed his relationship with his most famous role. “[But] now I’ve gone and done all these other things and now I feel more comfortable with that character and that world again and where it sits in my life,” he said.
Could the Jon Snow spinoff still happen?
Fans should keep one big caveat in mind. Harington’s new comments change his personal position, not the project’s official status. HBO has not ordered a Jon Snow series, announced a writer, or set a production date. As Collider noted, Harington remains the only performer tied to the old development. There is no announcement involving Emilia Clarke, Sophie Turner, or Maisie Williams.
Still, the shift matters. A year ago, Harington spoke about the spinoff in the past tense. Now he is speaking in the conditional. For a project that was officially shelved, that is the closest thing to a green light a fan can hope for. And in Westeros, stranger things have come back from the dead.
Where the Game of Thrones universe stands
Meanwhile, the wider franchise is thriving without Jon Snow. House of the Dragon continues as HBO’s flagship fantasy series. The newest prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, has landed strongly this year. That success may explain why Harington feels warmer about Westeros — and why fans are listening closely this time.
For now, the message is simple: the Jon Snow spinoff is dead, but Harington no longer says it must stay that way. If HBO or Martin’s camp respond, we will update this story.
For more HBO coverage, check out our Lanterns episode 6 recap.