MOVIE NEWS – HBO is developing several Game of Thrones prequel series, but a possible new project could continue beyond the final season, starring Kit Harington.

HBO will take viewers back to Westeros in August with House of Dragons, a prequel series to the hit fantasy epic Game of Thrones. The channel is currently developing several different spin-offs that will take place before the events of Game of Thrones, but a new report suggests that one of the projects in the pipeline will take place after the final season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a Game of Thrones sequel series is in development that will focus on none other than Jon Snow. Kit Harington will return to the role, for which he received two Emmy nominations, and will follow Jon Snow’s exile North of the Wall in the series finale of Game of Thrones.

Since the conclusion of Game of Thrones, Harington has joined the Marvel Universe as Dane Whitman in 2021’s The Eternals. The film’s final, post-credits scene sets up the character’s future as the Black Knight, and even hints at a team-up with Blade, played by Mahershala Ali. It’s unclear when Whitman will reappear in the MCU, though the upcoming Blade movie seems likely, but the Daywalker movie is still in development and there is no release date. In the meantime, Harington seems content to return to the character that made him famous and continue Jon Snow’s adventures in a new and exciting way.

Game of Thrones was one of the most successful original HBO series of all time, so it’s no surprise that network executives want to reach back into the well for future projects. Disney has been able to leverage both Marvel and Star Wars to create a number of different spin-off series, which in turn has helped build its Disney+ library. Now that HBO is getting in on the streaming wars through HBO Max, adding a new series based on a popular series like Game of Thrones is a great way to keep subscribers on the service for the long haul.

In addition to the upcoming House of Dragons prequel series and Jon Snow sequel, 10,000 Ships, 9 Voyages and Dunk and Egg are also in the works. All of these projects are in various stages of development, but HBO is clearly looking to create ongoing Game of Thrones series for the foreseeable future. A world as big as Westeros offers almost endless storytelling possibilities, but what’s interesting about a Jon Snow series is that it would be after everything that happened in season eight. The introduction of some of the characters who were still alive at the time would only add to the excitement of seeing Harington back on screen as Jon Snow.

As mentioned above, the series is reportedly not very far into development, so it could be a while before Jon Snow’s big return happens. If there’s a strong demand for the concept from audiences, HBO may decide to accelerate the project to capitalize on the enthusiasm for a continuation of the Game of Thrones storyline. In the meantime, House of Dragons should be enough for Game of Thrones fans eager to return to Westeros. House of Dragons premieres on 21 August.