Kit Harington reveals why he ‘backed out’ of ‘Game of Thrones’ Jon Snow spinoff

Photo byHBO

Kit Harington knows something about the Jon Snow spinoff.

The actor, 37, told GQ Hype that he “backed out” of the “Game of Thrones” sequel series that would’ve been centered on his beloved character.

“I don’t really want to say, because it starts a whole thing,” Harington said in his interview published Monday, when he was first asked about the shelved show.

He explained: “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,” Harington said. “And it just didn’t . . . nothing got us excited enough. 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 plays Jon Snow in “Game of Thrones.”Photo byAP

Kit Harington played Jon Snow on “Game of Thrones” from 2011 to 2019.Photo byAP

Harington portrayed Jon Snow across every single season of "Game of Thrones," spanning from 2011 to 2019.

The creator of "GOT," George R.R. Martin, along with HBO CEO Casey Bloys, have both acknowledged the development of a spin-off centered around the North King. However, Harington disclosed in a recent interview that the series had been canceled.

In an interview with GQ Hype, Harington confessed that he wasn't particularly thrilled about the idea of coming back to the fantasy series.

Kit Harington poses for the cover of GQ Hype.Photo byDanny Lowe

“There’s a lot of baggage that goes with it, and I think that was part of the problem,” he 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,” Harington continued, noting that he met his wife, Rose Leslie, on the set of the show. They have two children.

Rose Leslie (left) plays Ygritte and Kit Harington is Jon Snow in “Game of Thrones.”Photo byHBO

“[But] it was also working against what I’m trying to do, which is separate myself from [the show],” he added. “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.”

Harington, who now stars in the HBO series “Industry,” also admitted that he was completely over “Game of Thrones” by the last season, which had a finale that was panned by critics and fans.

“I think if there was any fault with the end of ‘Thrones,’ is that we were all so f – – king tired, we couldn’t have gone on longer,” said Harington, who starred on the series with Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Lena Headey and more.

Kit Harington stars in “Game of Thrones.”Photo byHBO

“And so I understand some people thought it was rushed and I might agree with them,” he shared. “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.”

As for the backlash towards the series finale, Harington said, “Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I think there were mistakes made, story-wise, towards the end maybe. I think there were some interesting choices that didn’t quite work.”

Kit Harington attends the “Industry” premiere in NYC on Aug. 5, 2024.Photo byEvan Agostini/Invision/AP

Harington shared the devastating announcement that the Jon Snow spinoff series was put on hold in April.

“I didn’t want it leaked out that it was being developed, and I didn’t want the thing to happen where people kind of start theorizing, getting either excited about it or hating the idea of it, when it may never happen,” he told Screen Rant.

“Currently, it’s off the table, because we all couldn’t find the right story to tell that we were all excited about enough,” the British actor added. “So, we decided to lay down tools with it for the time being.”