Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington Reveals the Real Reason His Jon Snow Spinoff Fell Apart

Kit Harington has provided fans with some more details about why HBO’s planned Game of Thrones spin-off focusing on Jon Snow was shelved. Harington appeared as Jon Snow, the illegitimate son of Ned Stark (at least in the early seasons), in every episode of HBO’s smash-hit series. Despite the tumultuous reception to the show’s th and final season, the success of House of the Dragon led HBO to greenlight other potential spin-off shows. After years of development, Harington announced that his spin-off series was officially dead earlier this year.

Speaking to GQ, Kit Harington opened up about why the Jon Snow spin-off series was canceled by HBO. The actor candidly admitted that the writing team couldn’t develop a story that satisfied everyone involved and justified the show’s existence. While no plot details were released or teased by HBO, Harington revealed the initial concept for the spin-off. The show would have examined Jon Snow’s journey after House Stark won the battle for the Iron Throne. The actor said:

”
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. We spent a couple of years back and forth developing it. And it just didn’t.”

“Nothing got us excited enough,” continued Harington. “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.'”

Kit Harington Wants to Separate Himself From Game of Thrones

During the conversation, Kit Harington looked back on his time working on Game of Thrones. Even after the hassle of working on a failed spin-off and the core show’s divisive finale, the actor has fond memories of his Thrones tenure. Harington is aware that the show might forever be the most successful project he works on, even as he looks ahead at his career. Harington said:

“In some ways, you need to divorce completely from this previous thing, and we’re only a few years after it.
The role will always be just such a significant factor of my life. It might very well be the biggest, most important piece of work I do. I met my wife on it. I have kids from it.
Have some lifelong friends from it. I’m recognized in the street because of it.”

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With Game of Thrones ending five years ago and the Jon Snow spin-off dead in the water, Kit Harington is now looking to separate himself from the franchise. As well as finding his latter years on the series exhausting, the actor said that his relationship with Game of Thrones has detracted from his current and upcoming work. It’s hard for Harington to appear in a rom-com or indie drama when audiences’ first reactions are, ‘Hey, look, it’s Jon Snow.’ Harington said:

“[But] it was also working against what I’m trying to do, which is separate myself from [the show]. By still being with it, it [would be] very hard to ask people to see you as something else. And it’s kind of essential to do my job, for people to come and see me and not see Jon Snow.”