With the success of House of the Dragon helping to waft away the stench left by Game of Thrones’ atrocious ending, it was inevitable the franchise would be milked for another offering. Up this time is George RR Martin’s short story collection A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, with the first story The Hedge Knight to be adapted as a six-episode mini-series.
Set well after House of the Dragon’s Dance of the Dragons (check out the trailer below), during the reign of King Daeron II, The Hedge Knight introduces us to the titular seven-foot hedge knight Duncan (the Tall) and details his chance encounter with eventual friend and squire, Egg.
Egg has a secret: he is Aegon, fourth Son of the fourth Son of the King—and younger Brother to Maester Aemon Targaryen from the Wall in Game of Thrones. Subsequent stories see Dunk and Egg wandering Westeros in search of work; a dynamic often likened to that of Tyrion and Podrick Payne from the original show.
This first season will also introduce us to a plethora of iconic never–before–seen on-screen Targaryens, such as the noble Baelor Breakspear, the misunderstood Maekar the Anvil, and the prickly Aerion Brightflame. All eyes are firmly on casting.
So far, three adventures have been published, giving HBO at least three seasons worth of material to adapt. The fourth short story The She-Wolves of Winterfell has been anticipated for years, with progress stalled for Martin to ‘finish’ The Winds of Winter, the next instalment in his main series of novels.
With George R. R. Martin aboard Knight of the Seven Kingdoms in a producing and writing capacity, the show might even overtake the books, a predicament which led to the downfall of Game of Thrones. Perhaps, with no end in sight for his novels, Martin has decided that TV might be the best place for him to finally reveal some of his secrets and endings. This time, he wants to do his work justice.
Words by Timothy Ovenden
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