A girl is getting her own spin-off. According to a profile with George R.R. Martin, HBO is in early development on a Game of Thrones sequel series centered on Arya Stark, potentially picking up years after the events of the divisive Season 8 finale and bringing back Maisie Williams to the iconic role. The project is still in its infancy, with no official greenlight or casting announcements, but sources suggest it would follow Arya’s travels beyond Westeros after she sailed west at the end of the original series. Notably absent from those plans, however, is Jon Snow.
While an Arya-focused sequel naturally raises questions about which legacy characters might appear, Kit Harington has already poured cold water on any hopes of Jon Snow riding back into the franchise. Speaking recently about the idea of revisiting the character, Harington was blunt:
“I don’t want to go anywhere near Jon Snow again.”
Why Does Kit Harington Not Want to Play Jon Snow Again?
That lines up with earlier reports that a Jon Snow sequel series — which Harington himself was previously involved in developing — stalled internally at HBO. The proposed project reportedly explored Jon living north of the Wall as a broken, isolated figure grappling with trauma and identity after the events of Thrones. Ultimately, the network decided not to move forward.
Harington has also previously acknowledged the toll the role took on him personally following the show’s conclusion.
“I went through some mental health difficulties after Thrones, and during the end of Thrones, to be honest. I think it was directly due to the nature of the show and what I had been doing for years. You don’t have to live in that intense place all the time. Why don’t you do something that takes the weight off? Why don’t you do something fun?”
For now, HBO is staying quiet because the Arya Stark sequel is still in early development, and like many Thrones spinoffs before it, it could evolve significantly — or never make it to screen at all. Neither would surprise us. What is clear is that if the series does move forward, it will do so without Jon Snow. As Harington has made abundantly clear, that chapter of his life — and of Game of Thrones — is one he’s not eager to reopen.
via Collider