George R.R. Martin has seen all six episodes of HBO's upcoming prequel series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and has given it his seal of approval. In a blog post, the author wrote: 'I've seen all six episodes now (the last two in rough cuts, admittedly), and I loved them. Dunk and Egg have always been favourites of mine, and the actors we found to portray them are just incredible.'
Set a century before the events of Game of Thrones, the series follows two unlikely heroes: Ser Duncan the Tall, a young and naïve but courageous knight, and his diminutive squire, Egg. The logline describes a time when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the memory of the last dragon has not yet faded. Chronologically, it takes place about 72 years after House of the Dragon and roughly 100 years before Game of Thrones.
The series is based on Martin's novellas, beginning with The Hedge Knight. Martin confirmed that the tone will be 'much shorter' than its predecessors, 'with a much different tone', but added: 'It's still Westeros, so no one is truly safe.'
Cast members include Finn Bennett as Aerion Targaryen, Bertie Carvel as Baelor Targaryen, Tanzyn Crawford as Tanselle, Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon, and Sam Spruell as Maekar Targaryen. Additional cast announced in early August includes Edward Ashley, Henry Ashton, Youssef Kerkour, Daniel Monks, Shaun Thomas, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, and Danny Webb.
Martin is writing and executive producing the series, alongside Ira Parker, who wrote the pilot script and previously worked on House of the Dragon. Ryan Condal, showrunner of House of the Dragon, also serves as an executive producer. HBO ordered the series in April 2023.
