HBO surely fretted over whether Game of Thrones‘ bonkers series finale had soured the audience to Westeros-related TV programming. Yet House of the Dragon launched as an instant juggernaut and is preparing for second-season debut time on June 16. That series is currently mapped out for four seasons, but HBO isn’t waiting for this show to run its course before heading into more George R.R. Martin source material.
A handful of other spinoffs are being batted around with an Aegon the Conqueror (with his two sister-wives) show in early stages. First, however, a House of the Dragon sequel (which will also double as a Game of Thrones prequel) will arrive. That would be A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight. That title remains subject to change, but let’s investigate the latest tidbits in this series, including some concrete casting news.
Plot
Perhaps the most important detail to know is that HBO has had enough confidence to give a straight-to-series order to this show rather than a mere pilot (as with the failed Bloodmoon, which reportedly cost $30 million to make before being scrapped) or nothing, period (as with the reported Jon Snow series, which will not materialize, according to Kit Harington).
Instead, there are big plans for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, which begins 100 years prior to GoT and will bridge the time gap between the end of HotD (which in turn begins 300 years prior to A Song of Fire and Ice). The story of what has become known as the Dunk and Egg trilogy of novellas comprises A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms with The Hedge Knight being the first entry that introduces the main characters, Ser Duncan the Tall, a knight for hire, and his squire, “Egg,” who happens to secretly be…
[SPOILER ALERT]
…
…
…
…
…
…
[WAIT FOR IT]
… Aegon V Targaryen, which means that he’s a descendant of the famous Aegons including Aegon the Conqueror and Aegon II, the latter of whom is currently causing a throne-stealing ruckus in House of the Dragon prior to the second season. When Dunk and Egg hook up, the Targaryens are kind-of still ruling Westeros but barely doing so, since they lost their dragons in the Civil War. Of course, dragons come back into being when Daenerys hangs out in that funeral pyre fire, thereby hatching that crop of eggs.
With that said, Ser Duncan the Tall is a stand-up dude, and his dynamic with Egg has been likened to that of Tyrion Lannister and Podrick Payne. HBO has supplied a series description, too:
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.
Additionally, the upcoming Sea Snake show is still in the works (as an animated series) and a Nyemeria show might be on the way, and as mentioned above, Aegon the Conqueror’s time is in the works as well.
Cast
Physicality is important when it comes to the two led roles of Dunk and Egg. In the case of Ser Duncan, he approaches seven feet tall in the source material, and Alan Ritchson is already otherwise occupied. However, the casting gods did smile on this production, and according to Variety, ex-rugby player Peter Claffey (Bad Sisters) has been cast as Dunk. Claffey stands at a reported six feet and five inches, so at least he has the height going for him.
As for Egg? That would be Dexter Sol Ansell, who was recently seen in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes as the young Coriolanus Snow. He already has the Targaryen blond locks, but those had to come off since Egg is an alias. To prepare for filming, Dexter went fully bald:
Keep your eyes open for other casting to be announced.
Release Date
HBO has this series on the calendar for a loose 2025 release date. In other words, look for this show to air between the second and third House of the Dragon seasons. We are living in miraculous TV times.
Trailer
The wait for footage continues, but if you are already knee deep in the lore, here’s GRRM discussing a notorious battle from the Dunk and Egg books.