What is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?
This is an upcoming American fantasy drama TV series. It is a prequel to Game of Thrones, based on George R. R. Martin’s novellas Tales of Dunk & Egg. It is set roughly a hundred years before Game of Thrones.
Season 1 adapts the first novella The Hedge Knight.
When & Where
- Premiere: early 2026 (winter 2026) on HBO and streaming via Max in the US.
- Originally it was expected late 2025 but was delayed to early 2026.
- There will be six episodes in Season 1.
Cast & Characters
Here are the main cast and supporting cast with their roles:
Role | Actor | Character |
Ser Duncan the Tall (Dunk) | Peter Claffey | The hedge knight, main character. |
Egg / Prince Aegon Targaryen | Dexter Sol Ansell | Dunk squire, a young prince. |
Prince Aerion Brightflame Targaryen | Finn Bennett | Eggs older brother. |
Prince Baelor Breakspearâ Targaryen | Bertie Carvel | Heir to the Iron Throne, Hand of the King. |
Prince Maekar Targaryen | Sam Spruell | Egg’s father. |
Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Laughing Storm) | Daniel Ings | A knight and heir of House Baratheon. |
Tanselle | Tanzyn Crawford | A Dornish puppeteer. |
Additional/guest cast:
- Ross Anderson as Ser Humfrey Hardyng
- Edward Ashley as Ser Steffon Fossoway
- Henry Ashton as Daeron “The Drunken” Targaryen
- Youssef Kerkour as Steely Pate
- Daniel Monks as Ser Manfred Dondarrion
- Shaun Thomas as Raymun Fossoway
- Tom Vaughan-Lawlor as Plummer
- Steve Wall as Lord Leo “Longthorn” Tyrell
- Danny Webb as Ser Arlan of Pennytree
Crew and Production
- Creators / Executive Producers: George R. R. Martin, Ira Parker, Ryan Condal, Vince Gerardis, Sarah Bradshaw.
- Directors: Owen Harris (episodes 1-3), Sarah Adina Smith (episodes 4-6).
- Writers: Ira Parker, Aziza Barnes, George R. R. Martin, Hiram Martinez, Annie Julia Wyman.
- Filming location: Belfast, Northern Ireland.
- Filming schedule: began June 14, 2024; wrapped September 2024.
Budget
- The budget is reported to be under US$10 million per episode.
- This is less than many episodes of Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon, but HBO’s executives have said the action and visual scale still aims high.
What to Expect (Plot, Tone, Themes)
- The story will be more personal & character-driven than large scale political warfare. It focuses on Dunk (a knight without great wealth) and Egg, his squire who is secretly a prince.
- Knights, tournaments, noble houses, dragons being recent memory — so the magical or legendary elements are still strong in the background.
- Since it’s only 6 episodes, the season will be compact; likely each episode has high production value but careful pacing.
