Game of Thrones fans will be disappointed to know that the highly-anticipated Jon Snow spinoff has been shelved for the time being. During an interview with Screen Rant, Kit Harington revealed that he went into the project with guarded enthusiasm after Game of Thrones’ conclusion because he wasn’t sure if the new series would get the green light. Stating that the spinoff series succumbed to development hell, Harington was right to keep quiet about what would have been a continuation to the main series, which ended in 2019.

Harington Hasn’t Completely Given Up

Harington is holding out hope that one day the Jon Snow spinoff series will go back into active development, but he’s not holding his breath in the meantime. Though this may not be the news that die-hard Game of Thrones fans want to hear, it’s probably for the better because it’s been made apparent that the franchise truly thrives when it can remain somewhat faithful to the source material laid out by George R.R. Martin. The eighth and final season of the flagship series had a polarizing ending, resulting in a 55 percent critical score against an abysmal audience score of 30 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms

While the Game of Thrones franchise is still actively developing its prequel series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the Jon Snow spinoff has been put on the back-burner for good reason. Given how divisive Game of Thrones’ ending proved to be, writers would have to address the impending continuation without any source material to drive the story forward. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, on the other hand, will be an adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas.

House Of The Dragon

Though the lack of suitable source material for the Jon Snow spinoff certainly seems like a roadblock that will need to be circumvented at some point in order to expand the Game of Thrones franchise moving forward, not all hope is lost. House of the Dragon, the prequel series, is currently thriving on the streaming front, and will see a season 2 premiere on June 16. Based on Martin’s Fire & Blood novel, House of the Dragon will continue to highlight the events leading up to the events depicted in Game of Thrones.

A Sequel Series?

Looking forward, however, a compelling narrative without the aid of source material written by George R.R. Martin seems to have put a damper on things. Citing a lack of excitement over the proposed premises for the Jon Snow spinoff, Harington didn’t mince words when he stated that it was time to move on because there simply wasn’t a compelling enough story to tell. While a sequel series to Game of Thrones won’t be developed or fully realized for the foreseeable future, this shouldn’t be seen as the beginning of the end, but rather a smart decision that was made to ensure that the franchise as a whole remains intact.

It’s Probably For The Best

Though it’s an unfortunate reality that Game of Thrones fans won’t be seeing a sequel series any time soon, it’s probably for the best. Knowing that the writers are scrapping the concept suggests that the primary focus is quality over quantity, and having this mindset will allow the franchise to continue to grow in the right direction.