The Jon Snow Sequel: What Happened To HBO’s Game Of Thrones Spinoff?
A Jon Snow sequel in the Game of Thrones universe has been discussed, but there is no official release date for the series.
It sure looks like a Jon Snow sequel is on the way, but there could still be some time to wait. Based on the novel series by George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones became a global sensation when it was adapted for television and released on HBO by creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
Many of the characters in the series that ran on cable television from 2011 to 2019 entered the popular lexicon and status of pop culture.
Some of these characters and their prequel ancestral timelines have so far been depicted in the series House of the Dragon, but not all stories can be told in one television show.
Characters like Ned Stark, Jon Snow, and Daenerys Targaryen are still well-regarded within the Game of Thrones universe, and HBO has remarked that a Jon Snow sequel is on the way. Actor Kit Harington, who embodied Jon Snow and earned praise for his take on the role, has been tapped to reprise the part in the sequel.
However, constant changes at HBO’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, might put the sequel’s production in doubt. Let’s take a look at everything we currently know about the proposed Jon Snow sequel.
THE JON SNOW SEQUEL SERIES HAS BEEN CANCELED
Though we were excited about a Jon Snow sequel series following his adventures in Game of Thrones, it looks like it is not to be. The show has been scrapped at HBO and won’t be going forward anytime in the near (or any) future.
Kit Harrington had commented that the show just couldn’t find the right story to tell. And ultimately while Jon’s time back at The Wall would have intrigued fans, they just could dial in just how to make a series out of it all.
Harrington even went so far as to say a prequel would be more in line with a story, though clearly he wouldn’t be involved in such a series.
He also mentioned in his conversation with Collider, that bringing back any returning cast is always an issue as well because many of the talents have moved on to other projects. So from a story and logistical standpoint, it was just going to be too heavy a lift.
Before this unfortunate canceling news, let’s take a look at how the Jon Snow sequel series was taking shape.
A JON SNOW SEQUEL WAS ANNOUNCED IN 2022
In the summer of 2022, HBO noted that a Jon Snow sequel was in development, an announcement also confirmed by George R. R. Martin. According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, Kit Harington was in talks to reprise his role as Jon Snow in the sequel, which will take place after the events of season eight of Game of Thrones.
With this news and the promotion for House of the Dragon, HBO confirmed that they were planning to expand the Game of Thrones franchise and move it in a different direction than what the original series laid out.
In the last season of Game of Thrones, Jon Snow is revealed to be Aegon Targaryen and possibly the true heir to the Iron Throne. Unfortunately for Snow, he ended up being exiled from Westeros in the series finale and joined the Wildlings towards North of the Wall.
The potential Jon Snow sequel would pick up where Game of Thrones left off, and audiences would get a chance to see Harington play the character again.
While House of the Dragon is a prequel to Game of Thrones, the Jon Snow sequel would be the first in the franchise to reflect events after the original series ended. The character of Jon Snow was English actor Kit Harington’s first television role, and the one he is most identified with to date.
THE TITLE IS SNOW, BUT IT WAS NOT OFFICIALLY GREENLIT BY HBO
The current working title for the Jon Snow sequel was SNOW, although that could have changed once the series is in post-production. The sequel was not greenlit by HBO. However, it was still rumored to be in development alongside other Game of Thrones successor series options.
HBO was focused on House of the Dragon season two for the time being, so word about spin-offs and sequels joining the Game of Thrones franchise were few and far between.
Only Kit Harington’s name had been floated as part of the cast in the Jon Snow sequel. Many Game of Thrones fans might wanted a resolution to Snow’s character, which will most likely would have been fleshed out throughout the first season of the sequel series.
Fan-favorite Emilia Clarke probably wouldn’t be in the show, as her character Daenerys Targaryen died at the end of Game of Thrones. However, flashbacks featuring the character are always a possibility.
Since the Jon Snow sequel would likely begin where Game of Thrones ended, other characters from the universe could have shown up in the show’s first season. This could include Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright), who presides over Westeros as King of the Six Kingdoms, and Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), Queen in the North.
THE WARNER BROS. SHAKEUP IMPACTED THE JON SNOW SEQUEL
Warner Bros. Discovery had been on a tear in 2023 as the company attempted to pay off its debts and shore up resources to plan for future content. This has affected the DC Universe, HBO, the Discovery network, and all related streaming platforms under the Warner umbrella. HBO Max and Discovery+ will merge into one streaming platform later this year, and content from both streamers has slowly been removed, like Looney Tunes, Minx, and Westworld.
George R. R. Martin reported on his blog that no Game of Thrones-related shows had been greenlit except for House of the Dragon, but that moves are being made behind the scenes to further develop spin-offs and sequel series. He noteed in a blog that “Some of those are moving faster than others, as is always the case with development.” Martin went on to say, “All the changes at HBO Max have impacted us, certainly.”
With continuous changes coming to HBO from Warner Bros. Discovery, the Jon Snow sequel was not guaranteed.
JON SNOW IS “NOT OKAY” LEADING INTO THE SEQUEL
Kit Harington received overwhelming critical acclaim when he first burst onto the scene as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, and that praise will likely continue once the sequel is viewed by critics and audiences alike.
Harington dove head first into a character with a traumatic past and uncertain future, which makes Jon Snow appealing to fans in a standalone sequel series. The UK native was nominated twice for the Primetime Emmy Award for Game of Thrones and appeared in almost every episode of the television show.
But Jon Snow is a complicated character, and in Harington’s own words, reported by Entertainment Weekly, the actor quipped that Snow is “not okay.”
In discussing the series finale at the official Game of Thrones Convention last month, Harington confirmed that Snow wanted to be beheaded but felt the character got off lightly in the end. He stated, “The fact he goes to the Wall is the greatest gift and also the greatest curse.”
The upcoming Jon Snow sequel will most likely give depth to a character who has lived a hard life in the shadow of giants. Snow killed his incestual love interest Daenerys Targaryen and must deal with the juxtaposition of emotions he feels for her and the fact that Ygritte died in his arms. Ygritte was shot in the chest by an arrow during the attack on Castle Black, and the death resonated with Snow afterward.
The onslaught of trauma Jon Snow encounters during the last moments of Game of Thrones will surely set up a season’s worth of storylines the character will contend with in the sequel.
KIT HARINGTON JOINED THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE AFTER GAME OF THRONES
While Kit Harington doesn’t seem too interested in divulging to the media any further details about the potential Jon Snow sequel at HBO at the moment, the actor has been quietly busy making a name for himself in movies and other projects.
Harington joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as part of the ensemble cast of Eternals in 2021, playing Dane Whitman, aka Black Knight. Released at the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic, Eternals was a moderate box office success, grossing $402 million against a budget of $200 million.
In 2022, Harington enjoyed a run on the London stage, playing the titular character of William Shakespeare’s Henry V. Debuting at the Donmar Warehouse, Harington was able to continue his work in the theater that he started with the West End production of War Horse early in his career. A trained stage actor, Kit Harington has costarred in a number of productions, including The Children’s Monologues and True West.
In addition to continuing to develop the Jon Snow sequel, Kit Harington will be starring in Extrapolations, a new series for AppleTV+. Extrapolations is created by Contagion writer Scott Z. Burns and is an anthology drama series that shows the effects of climate change via various points of view and interconnected storylines. The new show will costar Meryl Streep, Matthew Rhys, Gemma Chan, Marion Cotillard, Tobey Maguire, Heather Graham, and a large ensemble cast.
Kit Harington is married to actor Rose Leslie, who played the aforementioned Ygritte on Game of Thrones. The two met while costarring in the original series and have a son together. Because the two are involved on a romantic level, Leslie might appear in the Jon Snow sequel if Harington and HBO believe her character could be incorporated into the series despite her death in the Game of Thrones finale.
THERE IS NO OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE FOR THE JON SNOW SEQUEL
Again, the Jon Snow sequel series has been scrapped and canceled at HBO. It’s a shame, but it doesn’t mean the end of Game of Thrones content.
