Kit Harington Reacts to Game of Thrones Petition

Seven years after the controversial finale of Game of Thrones, actor Kit Harington has revealed his anger regarding a viral petition that demanded HBO remake the final season. The petition, which garnered nearly two million signatures, criticized showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, labeling them 'woefully incompetent' without the source books.

In a recent New York Times profile, Harington described his reaction as 'genuinely angered,' calling the petition a level of 'idiocy' born from social media. He defended the writers' hard work and expressed frustration at the public backlash. Beyond the petition, Harington discussed his personal struggles following the show's conclusion, including time spent in rehab and his difficulty escaping the shadow of his character, Jon Snow.

He also addressed the status of a potential Jon Snow spin-off, confirming that the project is currently 'on the shelf' because the team could not find the right story to tell. Despite previous plans, Harington indicated he is done playing the role for the foreseeable future.

In 2019, following the release of Game of Thrones Season 8, a fan-made petition went viral on Change.org. The petition secured nearly 2 million signatures and called for HBO to remake the final season with 'competent writers.' The text of the petition specifically targeted the show's leadership, stating, 'David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have proven themselves to be woefully incompetent writers when they have no source material (i.e. the books) to fall back on.'

Seven years later, Kit Harington addressed this campaign in a profile published by the New York Times. Harington admitted that he was 'shocked' by the negative response to the final season. He expressed strong disapproval of the petition, stating that the writers had put in significant effort on the show.

Harington's specific reaction to the petition was one of indignation. He was quoted saying, "That genuinely angered me... Like, how dare you? Sorry, that’s just how I feel." He further elaborated on the nature of the backlash, attributing it to the negative environment of social media.

According to the profile, Harington viewed the campaign as a "level of idiocy that can only come about through social media." His defense of Benioff and Weiss highlighted his loyalty to the production team after a decade of working on the series.

The New York Times profile revealed that Kit Harington faced significant personal challenges after wrapping up work on Game of Thrones. The actor reportedly became a "dry drunk" and subsequently spent time in rehab. Upon emerging from treatment, he found it difficult to escape the identity of his character, Jon Snow.

Harington took a year off to prepare for a return to acting, but his plans were disrupted by the pandemic. When work opportunities resumed, he requested a "no swords" rule for vetting potential jobs. Despite this, he accepted the role of Black Knight in the 2021 Marvel film The Eternals, which was released in November of that year.

Following the disappointing box office performance of The Eternals, Harington reportedly 'toyed' with the idea of returning to the Game of Thrones universe. However, he eventually decided against it. Last month, he indicated he was finished playing Jon Snow for good, even regarding an audiobook version of the story.

When asked about reprising his role for an audio adaptation, Harington stated, "No, god no... I don't wanna go anywhere near it. I spent 10 years doing that. Thanks, I'm alright." Despite recently recording the role of Gilderoy Lockhart for an Audible Harry Potter adaptation, he remains firm on leaving Westeros behind.

Following the dramatic conclusion of Game of Thrones in 2019, HBO confirmed plans for a Jon Snow spin-off series with the working title "Snow." Author George R.R. Martin previously confirmed that Kit Harington was developing the series with his own team. The show was intended to explore the character's life after the events of the finale, specifically his exile beyond the Wall.

At a fan convention in 2022, Harington hinted at the thematic direction of the potential series. He noted that the show would focus on Jon Snow's struggle to overcome past traumas. Harington explained that the character would have to live out his life thinking about killing Daenerys, the death of Ygritte, and hanging Olly.

However, in 2024, Harington revealed that the project is no longer moving forward. He explained that despite lengthy conversations regarding the show's direction, the creative team could not agree on a narrative path. Harington stated, "Currently, it's off the table, because we all couldn't find the right story to tell that we were all excited about enough."

He concluded that the team decided to "lay down tools with it for the time being." While he did not rule out a return to the idea in the future, he confirmed that the project is "firmly on the shelf" at the moment.