Following the success of HBO’s Game of Thrones, various adaptations of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire universe have been rumoured to be in the works. The first prequel series, House of the Dragon, premiered in August of 2022. In 2025, there will be a new series ready to stream.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on a trilogy of novellas affectionately referred to as the Dunk and Egg stories by fans. The Dunk and Egg books follow hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his peculiar child squire, Egg.
Martin stated that his favourite stories to write in his A Song of Ice and Fire universe are the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms novellas. The stories are reminiscent of a buddy-cop storyline with Martin’s usual A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy elements and complex storylines. There are three novellas: “The Hedge Knight”, “The Sworn Sword” and “The Mystery Knight.” The series is set to adapt one novella per season. Chronologically, the events of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms take place about 70 years after the events of House of the Dragon and a century before Game of Thrones. Even if you haven’t seen Game of Thrones, binge-watching House of the Dragon is an easy and fun way to catch up on the political history of Westeros.
If you are a superfan of Martin, you will probably know that he got his start in the film industry as a writer and producer. He has even been credited as an executive screenwriter and producer on Game of Thrones, though he has made it known that he had practically no involvement in the later seasons. Regardless, this makes him a knowledgeable source to critique the screen adaptations of his work. While Martin seemed to tolerate Game of Thrones, he made it clear that there are many aspects of House of the Dragon that he would change. Fans are growing frustrated as Martin appears to be fixated on nitpicking House of the Dragon. Recently, Martin has ranted on his blog that the show inaccurately portrays House Targaryen’s “Team Black” sigil. In the show, Team Black’s sigil shows a dragon with six legs instead of two. It is the common consensus among fans that Martin should be spending his energy finishing the books rather than blogging about smaller errors. But things have been looking upwards for defenders of Martin, as he has blogged that the new Dunk and Egg adaptation is “as faithful an adaptation as a reasonable man could hope for.”
The first season is set to air with six episodes and will focus on the events of “The Hedge Knight”. At the start of the first story, the young squire, Duncan, grapples with the loss of a mentor and the only father figure he has ever known, Ser Arlan. Aimless and out of options, Duncan travels to Ashford to compete in a tourney as a hedge knight. On his travels, he meets Egg – a strange, bald, young boy who he eventually takes on as his squire. After a serious incident, Duncan has no choice but to participate in a trial by combat.
Compared to other A Song of Ice and Fire adaptations, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has a significantly more modest budget. Game of Thrones had a roughly $50 to $60 million budget for their first season, while this number for House of the Dragon was significantly higher at $200 million. This was likely due to the extensive computer-generated imagery (CGI) used for the dragons. Before you start to worry about the quality of this new adaptation, remember that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms focuses mainly on adventures, political schemes and tourney dramas.
Starring as Dunk and Egg respectively are Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell. Claffey is best known for his role as Dunstan in Netflix’s popular Vikings: Valhalla and has even had a part in Small Things Like These (2024) starring Cillian Murphy. Ansell, at only 10 years old, has appeared in projects like The Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023) as a young Coriolanus Snow and The Midwich Cuckoos, a John Wyndham adaptation.
Fresh off the popularity of My Lady Jane (previously endorsed by George R. R. Martin himself) and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is Henry Ashton, playing the current reigning monarch during the first novella, King Daeron II Targaryen. Ashton has a range that translates from comic relief to twisted villain, which makes his upcoming portrayal of King Daeron a performance to look forward to.
You can stream A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on HBO later this year. In the meantime, get ready for the series release by reading the book and catching up on both seasons of House of the Dragon.
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