The rumored spinoff has been addressed by the HBO fantasy show's creators. was a smash hit show based on the novels by George R. R. Martin, which lasted for eight seasons between 2011 and 2019. While the show featured a vast ensemble of characters, one of the most important was Kit Harington's Jon Snow, who was raised as a bastard son in the Stark family but was later revealed to be Aegon Targaryen, with a strong claim to the Iron Throne of Westeros.
recently sat down with co-creators and showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss. During their conversation, they addressed the possible , which was reportedly in development at HBO but has since been stalled.
When asked if they'd consider making the show, Benioff said "" and Weiss said that "," but suggested there are non- avenues for that. Read their full quotes below:
Benioff: I don’t know… Weiss: It would be so great; nothing would make us happier than to work with our people from that show. But there are a lot of other ways to make that happen that are fresh and exciting for everyone involved. Also, unless [Kit Harington] has been doing a lot of working out, that’s a really heavy cloak for a guy in his 40s to carry around — it’s like 60 pounds. Benioff: [Maybe if we waited longer,] like in [the belated Hustler sequel] The Color of Money — that was a good sequel.
Weiss: Maybe when we’re 80 and Kit’s approaching retirement, he can throw that cloak on again with real gray in his beard. Benioff: One last ride…
There are likely several reasons accounting for the delays in development on the spinoff. The first is that the is currently running, and the Dunk and Egg spinoff has already been ordered to series. If HBO mounts even more spinoffs at the same time, they run the risk of oversaturating the market and undervaluing the other entries in the franchise, failing to justify their lavish budgets.
is a novella series that takes place nearly a century before the events of .
The spinoff also depends on the availability of Kit Harington. The , who is now 37 years old, likely has a busy schedule as he has appeared in quite a few high-profile projects since the end of , including the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe installment . It is unknown if his character Dane Whitman will return in the franchise, but ' post-credits scene implied that he may appear in the MCU's upcoming movie and take on the mantle of Black Knight.
Weiss and Benioff's seeming disinclination to join the team does not mean that the show won't happen, however.
Neither creator is directly involved with or , so development may quietly be progressing without their knowledge. However, even if the show does come to fruition, the slow progress that spinoffs have exhibited thus far likely means that it will be at least a few years before it does so.
