Kit Harington has expressed anger toward fans who petitioned for a remake of Game of Thrones' final season. In a recent New York Times interview, the actor who played Jon Snow criticized the online backlash against showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. He highlighted the intense effort put into Season 8 amid his own personal struggles at the time.
Kit Harington, known for portraying Jon Snow in HBO's Game of Thrones, voiced strong disapproval of a fan petition demanding a redo of the show's eighth and final season. The petition, which garnered over a million signatures, called for the season to be remade "with competent writers." Harington addressed this in an interview with the New York Times, stating, "That genuinely angered me," because he witnessed the dedication of showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss firsthand. He added, "Like, how dare you? Sorry, that's just how I feel. I think it was a level of idiocy that can only come about through social media."
The series finale aired in May 2019, but Harington was unable to follow the immediate fan reaction. He was checked into a rehab facility for stress and exhaustion during that period and later learned of the backlash, which shocked him. HBO executive Casey Bloys received the petition but dismissed any possibility of a remake, noting, "The petition shows a lot of enthusiasm and passion for the show, but it wasn't something we seriously considered."
Following the show's eight-season run, Harington initially explored a Jon Snow spin-off. George R.R. Martin revealed in 2022 that Harington was interested, but by 2024, the actor confirmed the project was "firmly on the shelf." Harington explained, "nothing got us excited enough" and that he backed out to avoid producing something subpar: "In the end, I kind of backed out and said, 'I think if we push this any further and keep developing it, we could end up with something that's not good. And that's the last thing we all want.'"
Despite swearing off swords after Game of Thrones, Harington has returned to HBO in the role of tech CEO Henry Muck on the finance drama Industry, with Season 4 airing Sundays at 9 p.m.
