There have been murmurs of a Game of Thrones sequel for a few years now.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, even though George R.R. Martin has had reservations about creating a GoT sequel, in 2022, HBO revealed that it was developing one centered on Jon Snow (Kit Harington). The beloved character was the “safest,” per the outlet, since he was banished to north of the Wall in the last season, making for a tidy ending.
At the time, Harington was interested in unpacking Snow’s trajectory as “a broken man with PTSD,” THR writes, a story that paralleled Harington’s life. Following GoT’s end, the actor checked himself into a facility for stress and alcohol use.
“I went through some mental health difficulties after Thrones, and during the end of Thrones, to be honest,” Harington told The Jess Cagle Show in 2021. “I think it was directly due to the nature of the show and what I had been doing for years.”
After ditching the “broken Jon Snow” idea, which HBO called “too much of a bummer,” the streamer has since adopted a new framing for the sequel that revolves around Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) and is set in Essos, a place similar to the Mediterranean. Insiders say that HBO has also tapped a new writer, Quoc Dang Tran, to breathe life into the idea.
“We are very interested and excited by the prospect of a sequel, but also keenly aware of how high the bar of execution needs to be,” a source told THR.
No actors have been brought on for the project, and getting Harington won’t be easy. In December, Variety asked the 39-year-old if he would consider voicing Snow for a GoT audiobook, to which Harington said, “No, god no. I don’t wanna go anywhere near it. I spent 10 years doing that. Thanks, I’m alright.”
