A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight — Everything you need to know about the latest Game of Thrones prequel

Along with the news of HBO Max becoming just Max, also comes the official announcement of another Game of Thrones spin-off. After being in development for about two years, Warner Bros. Discovery announced to the press and investors that The Tales of Dunk and Egg live-action adaptation is green-lit. Named ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight‘ after the first book in the series by George R.R. Martin, the show is set 90 years before the events of Game of  Thrones.

The official description states, “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.”

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

Who is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight about? Dunk and Egg explained

Credits: Ted Nasmith

Dunk or Ser Duncan the Tall was a hedge knight who traveled the Seven Kingdoms. He was described as an inch shy of seven feet in height and having a humble but naive personality. He grew up in Fleabottom and never knew his parents. As a young boy, he squired for a knight named Arlan of Pennytree.

After Arlan’s death, he met a young, bald Aegon V Targaryen who does not reveal his real identity to Dunk. Identifying as Egg, the young prince begged Ser Duncan to take him in as his squire. After Egg’s relentless pursuit, Duncan sympathized with him and lets the young boy be his squire, under the impression that he was also an orphan.

Unlike House of the Dragon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will make us meet a character from Game of Thrones. Aegon’s eldest brother is none other than Maester Aemon of the Night’s Watch. He takes on the role of an advisor and guides Jon Snow; unbeknownst to him, they are related. Aemon was also considered one of the oldest living men in Westeros.

George R.R. Martin has also hinted that we may have already met a descendant of Ser Duncan in the original series. He stated that he has given a strong hint in his book, A Feast for Crows. In this book, Brienne of Tarth recalls finding a shield with Dunk’s sigil in the armories of Tarth. In 2016, Martin confirmed Brienne’s relation to Ser Duncan.

Read More: All Game of Thrones spinoffs — Everything you need to know about the prequel and sequel shows

What can viewers expect from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight?

A spread from the graphic novels (Credit: Jet City Comics)

The first book follows them on their way to compete in the Ashford Tourney and how that plays out. In the second book, we see them travel to Dorne and more escapades follow. The third book has them in a sticky situation surrounding Blackfyre Rebellion.

The show is expected to follow the book’s compelling storyline with engaging characters who struggle with moral dilemmas and political struggles. If so, it will also explore the complex relationship between the commoners and nobles in Westeros as Ser Duncan attempts to uphold his knightly vows against the darker side of politicking.

Aegon eventually becomes the King of the Seven Kingdoms, and Ser Duncan becomes a member of his Kingsguard and makes his way to the Lord Commander title. Overall, the plot and storyline of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms offer an exciting new perspective on the world of Westeros and add a captivating new layer to the legendary adventures of knights and dragons.

We can expect grisly fights and deathly near-misses but not too much of dragons since there are none left (except for the ones in the wild). This series will give us a chance to move slightly away from royals and their politics and shift focus to people who don’t have a chance of sitting on the Iron Throne. We will also see newer and less frequented cities since Dunk and Egg were almost always on the road.

When will A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms be released?

There is no confirmed release date for now, but we can expect it to take a year to hear something concrete. Author George R.R. Martin himself is on board as the writer and executive producer, along with Ira Parker, the co-executive producer on House of the Dragon. Ryan Condal, who has directed several Game of Thrones episodes and is House of the Dragon’s showrunner, will also serve as executive producer along with Vince Gerardis.

There is also a high chance that we’ll also catch House of the Dragon as it airs in the same year as the release of this show. It will mark the first time two spin-offs of the Game of Thrones Universe air parallelly.

Out of the several Game of Thrones spin-off news that has come out in recent years, this series is the only one after House of the Dragon to have made it this far. Although HBO executives have reassured us that the other confirmed spin-offs are still in development, we know from past instances that they can be canceled anytime.

Three novellas have been published in this series, and the author plans to release somewhere around six to twelve novellas. There is currently no update about how many seasons this show will have. But seeing as the title is the same as the first book, we can hope for multiple seasons following each titular book.

George R. R. Martin has confirmed that this series will debut with a six-episode structure, so you can expect more compact storytelling for this show, compared to Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.

Read More: The 10 most hated Game of Thrones characters — Why fans can’t stand them

Who will play Ser Duncan the Tall?

Ser Duncan the tall fighting Lyonel Baratheon official artwork by Chase Stone

As of now, there is no official news of the cast, but fans have started wondering who would be best as Dunk since someone tall is needed for the role. Fans wished GoT alum Tom Hopper, who played Dickon Tarly, could play Ser Duncan, seeing he stands tall at 6 feet 5 inches. Other fan favorites are Jacob Elordi, of Euphoria fame, and Joonas Suotamo, who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Suotamo shares the same height as Dunk, an impressive 6 feet 11 inches.

This guy shouldnt be in GOT and dead. He couldve been Ser Duncan the Tall. #aknightofthesevenkingdoms pic.twitter.com/4WMwCCTRI2

— Kia (@endgamefond) April 12, 2023

Who will play Egg?

Several talented children can play Egg, with the top fan choice being Jacob Tremblay. He won several accolades at the young age of 16. Although he is older than the actual age of Aegon in the books, casting older actors or aging up characters is nothing new in the Game of Thrones world. Another splendid actor is Iain Armitage, who has played a young Sheldon Cooper in the spin-off of the hit series The Big Bang Theory.

Are you excited to see The Tales of Dunk and Egg in live-action? Who do you think should play Dunk and Egg? Let us know on our discord server.

Read Next: Game of Thrones’ Aegon’s Conquest prequel reignites popular demand of casting Henry Cavill as the Conqueror

 

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