George R.R. Martin praises what he has seen so far fromA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The upcoming HBO series, slated for release in 2025, isadapted from Martin’sTales of Dunk and Eggnovella trilogy, which tells the tale of the titular knight and squire, who go on to become prominent figures in Westeros.A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' castincludes Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall and Dexter Sol Ansell as Prince Aegon “Egg” Targaryen.
While speaking withThe Hollywood Reporter,Martin shared that he visitedA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' set and was impressed by what he saw. His praise comes in the aftermath of criticizing changes thatHouse of the Dragonseason 2 made fromFire & Blood. Martin only has positive things to say so far aboutA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, including the lead casting choices and the upcoming adaptation’s faithfulness to its source material. Check out Martin’s comments below:
I visited the set in Northern Ireland in July and loved what I saw. Great cast. [The lead characters] Dunk and Egg look as if they walked out of the pages of my book. My readers are going to love them. I certainly do. [Showrunner Ira Parker] is doing a great job.
What George R.R. Martin’s Comments Mean For A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms
It Is Poised To Be A Satisfying Adaptation
At a time whenHouse of the Dragonis criticized for deviations from Martin’s source material,his positive comments aboutA Knight of the Seven Kingdomscan go a long wayin assuring that the HBO spinoff will be a worthy adaptation. Unlike the expansive casts ofGame of ThronesandHouse of the Dragon,A Knight of the Seven Kingdomsprimarily focuses on Dunk and Egg. This makes it all the more important that, according to Martin, Claffey and Ansell look like they"walked out of the pages of my book,“along with assurances that readers will love them.
Even though a single episode has not been released yet,Parker already has a stamp of approval from Martin.
While Martin primarily focuses on the lead casting in his comments, his remarks about showrunner Ira Parker"doing a great job"also bode well. This is a stark contrast from Martin’s recent revelations about the disagreements he had withHouse of the Dragonshowrunner Ryan Condal about certain creative choices, including howBlood and Cheesewas handled. Even though a single episode has not been released yet,Parker already has a stamp of approval from Martin.
Our Take On GRRM’s Comments
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Is The Perfect Next Step For The Franchise
Martin’s comments make me even more excited aboutA Knight of the Seven Kingdom’s 2025 debut. The series can only work with two compelling leads, andit seems to have made the perfect casting choices with Claffey and Ansell, whose performances, along with Parker’s creative direction, are enabling the spinoff to be a faithful adaptation.
The Hedge Knighthas a graphic novel adaptation of the Dunk and Egg novellas, created by Dabel Brothers Productions with adaptation by Benjamin Avery and art by Mike S. Miller.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdomshas the potential to bea refreshing change of pace for the franchise, along with making the long wait forHouse of the Dragonseason 3more manageable.
The first season of the series is set to be released on HBO and Max in late 2025 and will have six episodes.
My one hesitation in my optimism towardsA Knight of the Seven Kingdomsis my love ofHouse of the Dragon. Coming after a disappointingGame of Thronesseason 8 ending,House of the Dragonwas in a position wherein it basically had to deliver.Either it was great and allowed the franchise to continue, or theGame of Thronesfranchise was doomed. Luckily, we could breathe a collective sigh of relief in 2022 when theHOTDpremiere was received well. The first season was met with universal praise, getting a 90% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes.
9.1
9.3
The Red Dragon and the Gold
9.5
On the one hand, the first two seasons ofHouse of the Dragonhave restored my faith inGame of Thronesadaptations. On the other hand,House of the Dragon’s greatness has put even more pressure onA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.The series now has a captive audience, but it has much further to fall should it not pan out to be as high-quality asHouse of the Dragon. That is, as much asA Knight of the Seven Kingdomscould do to broaden the franchise, it could also do a lot to disappoint.
Despite my fears surroundingA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,Martin’s praise of the series is still promising. In the past, theGame of Thronesfranchise has looked its worst when it has spun off too far from Martin’s vision. Such was the case in the later seasons ofGame of Thrones, when the series creators had surpassed the published book material. Thus,A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' alignment with Martin’s wants carries great weight, hopefully indicating success for the latestGame of Thronesprequel.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight
Cast
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight is set in a time when the Targaryen dynasty rules Westeros.
