In a recent interview with British GQ, Kit Harington reflected on the possibility of continuing “Game of Thrones” beyond its eight seasons, stating that the cast was “all so fucking tired.” The HBO series concluded with a shortened final season of six episodes instead of the usual ten, which sparked widespread criticism for its rushed pacing. Harington, who portrayed Jon Snow, acknowledged that while he doesn’t entirely disagree with the critiques, he also recognized that there was no way he could have endured more “Thrones.”
“I think if there was any fault with the end of ‘Thrones,’ is that we were all so fucking tired, we couldn’t have gone on longer,” Harington admitted. “And so I understand some people thought it was rushed and I might agree with them. But I’m not sure there was any alternative. I look at pictures of me in that final season and I look exhausted. I look spent. I didn’t have another season in me.”
Regarding the divisive finale, Harington added that “everyone is entitled to their opinion” and noted: “I think there were mistakes made, story-wise, toward the end maybe. I think there were some interesting choices that didn’t quite work.”
Jon Snow survived the events of “Thrones,” though his fate was left uncertain as he was last seen heading into the Haunted Forest with his direwolf Ghost and the Wildlings. Harington once considered returning to the “Thrones” universe with a Jon Snow sequel series, but earlier this year, he confirmed that the project is no longer in development.
“What I can tell you is it was HBO that came to me and said, ‘Would you consider this?’ My first reaction was no,” Harington revealed to British GQ about the potential spinoff. “And then I thought there could be an interesting and important story about the soldier after the war. I felt that there might be something left to say and a story left to tell in a pretty limited way.”
“We spent a couple of years back and forth developing it,” he continued. “And it just didn’t … nothing got us excited enough. 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.’”
The “Thrones” universe continues with the success of the prequel series “House of the Dragon,” which recently concluded its second season and has been renewed for a third, with plans for a fourth and final season. Another “Thrones” prequel, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” is also in the works. However, Harington recently told the Associated Press that he’s not watching “House of the Dragon.”
“I just can’t watch it,” he said. “I think for me it’s just I’ve spent too long there. And I wish them all the best. I hear it’s wonderful and going really well. But I don’t think I’ll ever watch that show, and I don’t think I’ll watch ‘Game of Thrones’ again for a few years.”
Harington is currently featured on HBO as a supporting actor in the third season of “Industry,” which airs new episodes Sunday nights on HBO and Max.