Game of Thrones star says his Jon Snow spin-off show was canceled because it wasn't "exciting enough"

Kit Harington as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones
(Image credit: HBO)

Does anyone remember when HBO had a Game of Thrones Jon Snow spin-off series apparently in the works but nothing ever came of it? Well, it looks like the show will not go ahead, and star Kit Harington has revealed exactly why. 

"We spent a couple of years back and forth developing it. And it just didn’t... nothing got us excited enough," said Harington in an interview with GQ. "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."

The live-action Jon Snow-centered Game of Thrones sequel series was announced back in 2022. "I thought there could be an interesting and important story about the soldier after the war," Harington explained. However, the show, which had the working title ‘Snow’, never got a synopsis and simply faded into nonexistence along with other scrapped spin-offs such as the apocalyptic prequel show The Long Night, and sea-based series 10,000 Ships.

But for Harington, Snow doesn't seem to be a huge loss as it means leaving such a huge character which took up so much of his life, permanently in the past. "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," added Harington.

However, one spin-off show that did manage to get off the ground and is proving to be super successful is House of the Dragon, the Targaryen-centered prequel set almost 200 years before the events of the main show. But despite its popularity, Harington has previously stated that he will never watch House of the Dragon, or Game of Thrones again for that matter.

Another spin-off show that has been greenlighted and will hit screens in 2025 is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on Martin's Dunk and Egg novellas. The show has already started filming and is set right between House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones.

House of the Dragon seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Sky Now in the UK and HBO Max in the US now. For more, check out our guide to House of the Dragon season 2 ending explained, or keep up with new TV shows heading your way this year. 

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Editorial Associate, 12DOVE

I am an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering TV and film for SFX and Total Film online. I have a Bachelors Degree in Media Production and Journalism and a Masters in Fashion Journalism from UAL. In the past I have written for local UK and US newspaper outlets such as the Portland Tribune and York Mix and worked in communications, before focusing on film and entertainment writing. I am a HUGE horror fan and in 2022 I created my very own single issue feminist horror magazine.