HBO seems to be serious about developing the Game of Thrones universe. Not only has House of the Dragon season 2 has just premiered on Max, but filming has begun on a series about the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg.
The show, titled A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, will be set between the events of House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. The plot will focus on the adventures of the knight errant and his squire instead of the history of wars and conflicts between great houses.
Here is everything we already know about the new series from George R.R. Martin’s universe.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release date
Filming of the new show has started in June 2024. According to David Zaslav, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, The Hedge Knight will debut on Max in late 2025.
On the service, you can already watch House of the Dragon. Accounts on Max start at $9.99 per month for ad-supported viewing.
In the UK, the story of the Targaryen Civil War is available on Sky Atlantic for Sky TV customers and on the Now streaming service, where packages start at £9.99 per month for Entertainment Membership. Right now, you can sign up for £6.99 per month if you lock in for a longer contract.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms plot
The new Game of Thrones prequel will be based on Tales of Dunk and Egg, a series of three stories by George Martin. It will cover the travels and adventures of the knight Ser Duncan the Tall (known as the Dunk) and his young squire, Egg (later King Aegon V Targaryen).
The events will occur 72 years after the House of the Dragon and 90 years before Game of Thrones. The Tales include three stories so far, and the first season is expected to focus on the first of them, titled The Hedge Knight. It covers the meeting of the Dunk and Egg and the knight’s conflict with prince Aerion Targaryen.
The official description of the series reads:
A century before the events of Game of Thrones, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros … a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.
George Martin himself has stated that The Hedge Knight reminds him of Game of Thrones:
The Dunk & Egg novellas are fully-fleshed narratives more like the novels of A Song of Fire & Ice than the imaginary history of Fire & Blood. The stories are right there on the page, and our goal is to produce faithful adaptations of those tales for the screen.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms cast and crew
The executive producers of the show are George R.R. Martin, Ira Parker (who wrote for House of the Dragon season 1) and Ryan Condal (House of the Dragon’s showrunner). Martin and Parker are also writers for the show.
Three of the six episodes of the series will be directed by Sarah Adina Smith.
HBO has also announced some actors who will appear in the series.
Ser Duncan the Tall will be portrayed by Peter Claffey (Vikings: Valhalla), while Egg will be played by Dexter Sol Ansell (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes).
Other cast members include:
- Bertie Carvel – Baelor Targaryen, known as the Breakspear, Hand of the King and heir to the Iron Throne
- Sam Spruell – Maekar Targaryen, Baelor’s younger brother
- Finn Bennett – Aerion Targaryen, known as the Brightflame, second son of Maekar
- Tanzyn Crawford – Tanselle, a Dornish puppeteer
- Daniel Ings – Ser Lyonel Baratheon, known as the Laughing Storm, the head of House Baratheon
What are the other Game of Thrones prequels?
The most essential Game of Thrones prequel is House of the Dragon – the second season of which is rolling out now.
In addition to The Hedge Knight, HBO wants to create a series about the so-called Aegon Conquest, which took place 300 years before Game of Thrones. The show will cover the arrival to Westeros of Aegon Targaryen, his sister wives Rhaenys and Visenya and their dragons.
Lord Corlys Velaryon, one of the major characters of the House of the Dragon, will also get his own series titled Nine Voyages, telling about his risky travels to the world’s most mysterious places.
The prequel titled 10,000 Ships will cover the adventures of Princess Nymeria, who lived 1,000 years before the events of Game of Thrones. After the Valyrian conquest of her kingdom, called Rhoyne, Nymeria gathered a great fleet and sailed across the sea to Dorne, where she married a lord of House Martell.
HBO is also planning an animation set in Yi Ti, a jungle-covered country in Essos, which, according to George Martin, is the fantasy equivalent of medieval China.
