The “Game of Thrones” spinoff titled “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight” is gearing up for a big release in 2025. This new series will get into the early adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg, set about a century before the events of “Game of Thrones”. It will explore their journey across Westeros during a time when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne. If the novels are anything to go by, fans may expect a more light-hearted sort of tale, though by no means bloodless.
IN SHORT:
- Casting for the roles of Dunk & Egg finished
- Black Mirror director Owen Harris taken on
- A look into the future of Dunk & Egg and Winds
- Impressive roster of new actors cast
Casting
Casting for the series has been announced, with Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell set to play the central characters of Dunk and Egg. The series has generated significant excitement, promising to bring to life the beloved “Dunk and Egg” novellas by George R.R. Martin, providing a deeper look into the history and lore of the Game of Thrones universe.
Filming for “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is expected to begin in early june 2024, following a delay brought on by the SAG-AFTRA strike. This project joins “House of the Dragon” as one of the few greenlit ASOIAF-related projects, with others still in development. HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery are highly optimistic about the potential success of this new addition to their lineup, hoping to capture the audience’s interest as they did with previous series.
George R. R. Martin Chimes in
On his Not A Blog website, Martin writes: “Things are moving along nicely with our Dunk & Egg spinoff, HBO’s adaptation of my novella THE HEDGE KNIGHT.” He goes on to declare: “Most of the auditions — not all, but most — are done, and we should be able to announce some more cast members shortly. We have our Tanselle, Steely Pate, Baelor Breakspear, the Laughing Storm, a couple of Fossoways, Aerion Brightflame (boo, hiss), Prince Maekar, and the rest,“
It would be interesting to see the casting revealed for Aerion Brightflame (update: Finn Bennett was cast for the role… if he matches even half Aerion’s assholery were fine) in particular. Given the guy’s an absolute dirtbag of the highest order, I’m sure they’ll find someone to do him justice as casting has been very much on point so far.
Furthermore Martin comments on the format and mentions his intentions to join the set in juli: “THE HEDGE KNIGHT will be a lot shorter than GAME OF THRONES or HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, with a much different tone… but it’s still Westeros, so no one is truly safe Ira Parker and his team are doing a great job. I hope to visit the shoot come July, when I swing by Belfast on my way to the worldcon in Glasgow.“
Director
Things are moving along nicely indeed, it seems, as a director has already been commissioned. On that, George writes: “Oh, and we have our director as well: Owen Harris, a terrific British director whose credits include helming “San Junipero,” my all time favorite episode of BLACK MIRROR. Owen will direct three of our six episodes.” Hearing that, I’d venture to say the property is probably in good hands.
Beyond the Hedge Knights & Winds Progress
Depending on its success (which, if the books are done justice, is pretty much guaranteed imho) the next two books are being tranlated to the screen as well: “The show will make its debut next year… and if it does well, THE SWORN SWORD and THE MYSTERY KNIGHT will follow. By which time I hope to have finished some more Dunk & Egg stories (yes, after I finish THE WINDS OF WINTER).“
Thus spake George. And so he will be continuing the Dunk and Egg saga as soon as he’s done with Winds of Winter, so I for one am stoked to see those hit the shelves sometime these next three decades (only kidding George, but hurry up though).
UPDATE
New Casting Announcements Just In
HBO continues to build excitement for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, the highly anticipated prequel series set in the world of Westeros. Following the earlier announcement of the series, additional casting details have been revealed, adding more depth to the growing ensemble.
New Cast Members Include:
- Finn Bennett (True Detective: Night Country) as Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen
- Bertie Carvel (Dalgliesh) as Baelor Targaryen
- Tanzyn Crawford (Tiny Beautiful Things) as Tanselle
- Daniel Ings (Freddy from The Gentlemen) as Ser Lyonel Baratheon
- Sam Spruell (Fargo) as Maekar Targaryen
One particular casting choice that stands out to me is Finn Bennett as Aerion Targaryen, the notoriously unhinged “Brightflame” of House Targaryen. Bennett’s performance in True Detective: Night Country demonstrated a layered intensity that I think has the capability to brilliantly transform into the fiery, dangerous, and frankly insane Aerion. And not to forget, probably one of the most cruel Targaryen princes out of the entire dynasty right up their with Maegor. This is a complex character to bring to life, but I’m intrigued and optimistic about Bennett’s ability to pull it off.
Behind the Scenes
The series is in the capable hands of Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, who serves as both writer and executive producer alongside House of the Dragon’s Ira Parker. Ryan Condal, Vince Gerardis, Owen Harris, and Sarah Bradshaw also join as executive producers, ensuring continuity in tone and vision for the world of Westeros. There was some pretty loud static between Martin and Condall and I hope things have been smoothened out to ultimately deliver the best product in the end lol.
Episode Count and Directors
The first season will consist of six episodes (at least for now). Direction duties are split between Sarah Adina Smith (Hanna, Lessons in Chemistry), who will helm three episodes, and Owen Harris (Black Mirror, Mrs. Davis), who will take on the remaining three. Harris is also serving as an executive producer for the series, promising a consistent creative vision across the episodes.
Where’s That Trailer Doggonit?
HBO has shared brief clips of the upcoming show, giving viewers a tantalizing glimpse of what’s to come. Unfortunately, fans eager for a closer look will have to wait for an official trailer.
Stay tuned for more updates as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight prepares to bring Martin’s richly detailed world back to our screens.
