‘A Knight of The Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight’: Everything HBO and George R. R. Martin Has Revealed About the ‘Game of Thrones’ Show

HBO is going all in on the world of Game of Thrones. In just the past few weeks, HBO has kicked off production on House of the Dragon Season 2, confirmed a quartet of new Hot D cast members, and announced a whole new George R. R. Martin-created series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight. This new prequel series, set about a century before Game of Thrones, will introduce fans to one of Martin’s most beloved and chivalrous heroes, Ser Duncan the Tall.

Even though HBO is still in the early days of developing A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, there’s already a ton we know about the second Game of Thrones spin-off. None other than George R. R. Martin himself has divulged all sorts of details from the first season’s episode count to the state of the writers’ room.

While we wait for casting news, production updates, and a first official teaser, here’s everything you need to know about HBO’s new Game of Thrones show, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight

What is the Game of Thrones Prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight?

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight is the working title for a new Game of Thrones spin-off that has been ordered to series at HBO. That means that HBO is officially committed to making a full first season of this Game of Thrones prequel. HBO head of programming Casey Bloys announced the series during a recent Warner Bros. Discovery investor presentation.

HBO’s official logline for the series is as follows: “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.”

If it’s not clear from that synopsis, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight will likely have a different tone from Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. The source material is slightly lighter than Martin’s other tomes, following an orphan-turned-knight and his sharp-tongued squire. It’s a little bit like A Knight’s Tale set in Westeros, with all the former film’s interest in chivalry and heroism, but no shortage of Targaryen drama and political intrigue.

As hinted by the working title, the first season of the series will adapt the very first “Dunk and Egg” novella George R. R. Martin wrote: The Hedge Knight. Of course, what’s less clear is if HBO will pick a shorter title than the mouthful that is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight…

Will HBO Eventually Retitle A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight? Maybe as… Dunk & Egg?

We still don’t know for sure what the second Game of Thrones prequel will officially be called, but we know it’s not going to be Dunk & Egg.

In case you have no idea what we’re talking about, the stories that will serve as the inspiration for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight are affectionately known as “Dunk and Egg” amongst George R. R. Martin fans. You know, because those are the names of the two main characters.

However, Martin has already explained on his personal blog that HBO will not be calling the show “Dunk & Egg.” He explains that if you don’t know the characters, that title makes the series sound like a sitcom. He then compared Dunk & Egg to the likes of Laverne & Shirley and Beavis & Butthead to drive home his point.

So it’s not going to be called Dunk & Egg, but who even are Dunk and…Egg?

Who Exactly Are Dunk and Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight?

Okay, here’s the one spot where we’re dealing with potential spoilers, so scroll down if you don’t want to learn why there’s a kid randomly named Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight. (No, it’s not because he likes eggs in the way Hot Pie liked eating, baking, and selling hot pies!)

Dunk is a super tall, super strong, and super sweet orphan boy from Flea Bottom in King’s Landing. As a boy, he is plucked from the streets by a hedge knight named Ser Arlan of Pennytree, who trains Dunk to be his squire. It is Ser Arlan who teaches Dunk the ways of chivalry. When Ser Arlan dies of a chill en route to the tourney at Ashford, Dunk takes his gear and adopts the name Ser Duncan the Tall.

While traveling to Ashford, Dunk meets a strange bald boy named Egg who is eager to become his squire. Dunk believes Egg is an innkeeper’s son and turns the kid down, but Egg doesn’t relent and he wears the hedge knight down. Dunk believes that Egg is a fellow orphan from Flea Bottom, but he is in fact Prince Aegon, the grandson of the current Targaryen king, Daeron II.

“Egg” is a nickname given to Aegon by his brother Aemon…whom you might know as Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughan) of the Night’s Watch. The old blind man who advised Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) at Castle Black.

Who is Making A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight for HBO?

So who is the mastermind behind A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight? Well, the show is being written and executive produced by none other than George R. R. Martin himself. House of the Dragon Season 1 writer Ira Parker is another writer, EP, and the series’s showrunner. House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal and Vince Gerardis will also EP.

Ira Parker was responsible for the fourth episode of House of the Dragon, aka the one where Daemon (Matt Smith) takes a teenaged Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) into the bowels of Flea Bottom and then Rhaenyra compromises Ser Criston Cole’s (Fabian Frankel) honor. You know, so he might have some opinions on the class divide in Westeros and the limits of chivalry.

Who is in the Cast of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight?

We don’t know yet! However, exceptionally tall, dark-haired British actors (or exceptionally tall, dark-haired English-speaking actors who can swing a British accent) should be harassing their agents. Dunk is known as Ser Duncan the Tall because he is very, very tall. No short kings should apply for this role.

When Will A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight Premiere on HBO?

We don’t know! As far as we know, there is no projected premiere date for the series, nor is there a production start date. Martin shared on his blog that Parker has assembled a small writing staff and they are in the throes of outlining and scripting the first season.

How Many Episodes Will Be in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight Season 1?

According, again, to Martin, the plan is for the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight to have six episodes. That might sound like not enough for a season of Game of Thrones, but again, the source material is not nearly as dense and is hyperfocused on the characters of Dunk and Egg.

When Does A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight Take Place, Compared to Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon?

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight will take place about a century before the events of Game of Thrones. That puts it smack in the middle, timeline-wise, between HBO’s two existing Westeros-set shows.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight will look at Westeros at a time when the dragons are dead, but the Targaryens have yet to fully lose their grasp on political power.

Can I Read the Book that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight is Based On?

You sure can! All three finished and published “Dunk and Egg” novellas are currently collected in paperback format under the title, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. It’s full of over 160 illustrations and comes in at a svelte 355 pages. That’s a breeze compared to the doorstop that is A Dance With Dragons!

Too many words and not enough pictures? There is also a graphic novel version of The Hedge Knight you can read!

Is There a Trailer for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight?

Sort of? After the show was announced, HBO Max released a very short video that superimposed the show’s working title over a map of Westeros. You can check it out below.

A century before @GameofThrones, there was Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg.

Executive produced by George R. R. Martin, Ira Parker, Ryan Condal, and Vince Gerardis, A Knight of the #SevenKingdoms: The Hedge Knight has received a straight to series order. #StreamOnMax pic.twitter.com/MRPUke5Upt

— HBO Max (@hbomax) April 12, 2023

Weirdly, the portion of the map that the video is zoomed in on is a fair bit north of where the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight should be taking place, at the Ashford Tourney. But I’m just being a nerd here!