The world of Recreation of Thrones is constant to develop with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, whose creator and stars say will really feel extra in keeping with the unique present’s first season. Since launching with the acclaimed HBO collection, the fantasy franchise primarily based on George R.R. Martin’s Tune of Ice and Fireplace universe beforehand expanded with the prequel spinoff Home of the Dragon, which is deliberate to run for 4 seasons.
Very like its predecessor, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms serves as a prequel to the Recreation of Thrones timeline, being set roughly 90 years earlier than the collection. Adapting Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, the collection focuses on Ser Duncan the Tall, a hedge knight from the slums of King’s Touchdown who takes the small “Egg” below his wing as his squire. The 2 embark on a journey wandering Westeros, which remains to be below the rule of Home Targaryen, albeit with out dragons to empower them.
Rugby-player-turned-actor Peter Claffey is main the Knight of the Seven Kingdoms forged as Dunk, alongside Robin and the Hoods‘ Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg, Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon, Bertie Carvel, Danny Webb and Sam Spruell, amongst others. Ira Parker, who beforehand penned an episode of Home of the Dragon season 1, has co-created the collection with Martin and is serving as showrunner for the six-episode venture.
In honor of the present’s New York Comedian Con 2025 presence, ScreenRant hosted Ira Parker, Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell in our media suite to debate A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The celebrities mentioned constructing a bond with each other in the same vein to their characters, in addition to how the previous’s rugby historical past benefited his bodily scenes within the present, whereas the co-creator/showrunner mentioned staying true to Martin’s novellas and bringing the Recreation of Thrones franchise again to fundamentals with a grounded have a look at Westeros.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Will “Flip The Entire Script” Of Recreation Of Thrones
Throughout the eight seasons of the mainline collection, and two-released seasons of the primary spinoff, each Recreation of Thrones and Home of the Dragon have taken a really royalty-first strategy to their narratives. Whereas some non-royalty figures make up each reveals’ supporting casts, Martin and the writers of every definitely devoted extra time to these in energy scheming to realize extra or to retain the ability they’ve.
As such, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms goals to be a far completely different tackle the world of Westeros, with Parker expressing his pleasure to “flip the entire script” for the franchise as we see the present largely by Dunk’s lens, who seems to be as much as them. For Claffey, he additionally felt taking pictures the collection in a chronological order made the extra grounded beats of the spinoff really feel extra impactful and “emotional“, notably within the construct as much as his relationship with Egg.
“They do not begin to have a correct relationship for a short time,” Claffey defined. “And once I obtained by that, it solely obtained simpler, as a result of I had Dexter to depend on, I believe, 85% of the time. It was Dexter, main me by scenes. So yeah, I believe the chronological side of it, the best way we shot it, actually helped with that. There’s a fantastic silence that you just begin with within the present, and also you get a lens of Dunk’s character from the off, chatting to his horses and issues like that.“
Claffey additionally teases that the present will return to the sensation of Recreation of Thrones season 1, starting by providing a “quiet, kind of tranquil view of Westeros” earlier than moving into the motion. Evaluating the primary few episodes to audiences’ introduction to Package Harrington’s Jon Snow and his brothers in Winterfell, the place they’re “discovering dire wolves” and spending time with each other, the Seven Kingdoms star says there’s “one thing natural” to when the present builds in direction of one thing greater.
“And it is the primary time there is a character that you just’re following that does not need the moon and the celebs,” Claffey defined. “He simply needs to outlive in a really scary world. He sort of does not actually know what he needs, it is sort of refreshing.“
Home Targaryen Has An Attention-grabbing Function To Play In The Collection
With A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms being set almost a century earlier than Recreation of Thrones, the collection will see Home Targaryen nonetheless in energy. The showrunner started by recalling his joys of engaged on Home of the Dragon season 1, the place they obtained to “discover in depth” the Targaryen household, who he feels are “one of the vital attention-grabbing, misunderstood households” in all of fantasy.
Coming into the event of his collection, Parker acknowledged the significance of getting the household concerned in some capability, even when simply in “the background of this present“, because it gave him and his writers room “religion” that they did not have to tug too many strings that would influence the bigger timeline. On the similar time, having their presence made it in order that once they arrived, they have been a “very highly effective power“, notably when “seen by Dunk’s lens“.
“We would like him to really feel the best way that we’d really feel,” Parker defined. “The royal household coming into city, coming in and making their presence identified, and Dunk simply being this lowly, absolute bottom-of-the-barrel character. We get to see what it’s like to come back in and to get to fulfill your heroes, which is kind of what it was for me coming in for the primary season of Home of the Dragon. Attending to see how an HBO present was made, and delivering that up and that complete expertise for Dunk as a personality, you possibly can switch lots into writing.“
Clearly, it does not come to a giant head till a lot later, which is way nearer to when the unique collection began.
Correctly diving into the royal household’s place within the present’s timeline, Parker explains that the Targaryens are a “home on the decline“ in Westeros. With out having the ability of dragons to again them up, the household discover themselves needing to go to extra issues they would not have completed previously now that “individuals are beginning to query why the Targaryens are nonetheless in cost“.
The showrunner would go on to elucidate that the Targaryens “truly must be actual leaders now” within the timeline of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which incorporates displaying as much as jousting tournaments in Ashford and the prefer to “make buddies with as many individuals as they’ll“. However it does not solely instill confidence within the folks, as it is going to come off “a bit determined” each for the general public and audiences — lots of whom are possible already rooting towards them.
“It is good coming to see these folks that we have seen on the very prime 1760221618 on the slide [toward the very bottom],” Parker expressed. “Clearly, issues do not go very properly for them. They arrive, they attempt to do this stuff, and one in all their sons, one in all their fighters within the joust, does not symbolize the household very properly, as issues are inclined to occur, and it goes even worse for them. It, I suppose, in the end helps Dunk out, in order one household falls, possibly one other rises.“
Whereas followers of the novellas know what different faces might seem within the collection, Parker cautions that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will not race to incorporate different acquainted Recreation of Thrones characters, as a substitute solely referring to them by identify. Declaring that it is meant to be about Dunk and Egg’s relationship, and their particular person tales, the showrunner does tease that “there are plans” for a possible season 2 to incorporate main e book characters.
“We’re very floor up on this present, so it is not a lot concerning the lords and the women, the kings and the queens,” Parker famous. “We’re nearly what it is prefer to be a working man attempting to make it on the planet.“
Every thing Else We Realized About A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms From Parker, Claffey & Ansell
ScreenRant: You stated it is fairly near the supply materials we’re adapting right here for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and also you’re working with a lot shorter in comparison with A Tune of Ice and Fireplace and Fireplace & Blood. Is that a part of the explanation for the six episodes?
Ira Parker: Sure, completely. We needed to be as trustworthy as we may to the story and to the tone of those books, as a result of we love these books. I believe lots of people on the market love these books. It is a completely different aspect to Westeros, whereas nonetheless feeling firmly in that world. Six episodes, half-hour is precisely proper. I believe we get to broaden a bit bit on what’s there, however principally that got here from a spot of character and world constructing, spending a bit bit extra time if George had written every of these novellas as an precise novel, what scenes would have been in there. What characters can we get to discover a bit bit extra? Lyonel Baratheon, we get to see a bit bit extra of, which is enjoyable. We get to see most likely a bit bit extra of the Targaryens, and hopefully some good preventing, as properly.
ScreenRant: Peter, you are a former rugby participant. Did that assist affect in any respect the physicality dropped at this function?
Peter Claffey: Yeah, I suppose. I spent 15 years taking part in rugby at a younger age, and was fortunate sufficient to symbolize the nation, and stuff like that. I suppose it was loads of bodily coaching and preparation that went by these years of my life that I suppose lent itself to issues like fight expertise, possibly horse driving, and issues like that. It did assist massively, for certain. And I believe even issues like carrying armor and carrying heavier issues on set most likely contributed in direction of that a part of it.
ScreenRant: And the familiarity continued with the place you shot this? As a result of I do know Belfast is a bit bit additional away from the place you are from, in Galway, however nonetheless, your private home nation of Eire. Did it really feel good to be house?
Peter Claffey: Oh, it is nice. I have been fortunate sufficient, since I kind of started my journey in performing, more often than not I’ve labored [in Ireland]. We did two seasons of a present known as Wreck. It was like a horror-comedy factor, which I am so pleased with, and it was my first time shifting away, and my first time being away from house for the precise job. It was up in Belfast, and I simply fell in love with that metropolis. I actually, actually adore that place. After which, like, as soon as you permit town and go to locations just like the Mournes, it is this unreal expertise of panorama and issues the place you actually do really feel such as you’re in Westeros. These scenes actually contributed to serving to painting these completely different scenes and produce them to life.
ScreenRant: Dexter, you are one of many youngest members of the Recreation of Thrones household. Congratulations on taking up the function of Egg. Are you too younger for Recreation of Thrones? What was your expertise with this collection earlier than you bought forged?
Dexter Sol Ansell: So, I’ve by no means watched any of the Recreation of Thrones or Home of the Dragon. However the humorous factor is, means earlier than I even heard about this audition, my mum and I have been out, as a result of I did one other job, and there was this massive throne, and we did not notice, nevertheless it was the Recreation of Thrones throne, and I sat on it. After which, afterward, we get the audition, however years later, and we glance again, as a result of we’re looking for a script or no matter, and we see that picture, and we’re like, “OMG, I can not imagine we took that picture once I was so younger,” after which I ended up being on it.
ScreenRant: Can we discuss that relationship? It feels such as you guys have labored collectively for years, and clearly that is your first time working collectively, hopefully the primary of many seasons. Are you able to discuss creating that dynamic between Dunk and Egg and making this really feel like such a lived-in relationship, like the beginning of one thing very particular?
Dexter Sol Ansell: It actually has been years. I filmed it once I was 9, and I am 11 now. We constructed such a bond on this present, primarily within the arcades. Arcades are our factor. In the beginning, we weren’t too shut, and it was nonetheless good, after which afterward, we constructed the connection, and now we’re like, finest buddies, for certain.
Peter Claffey: The place we shot it, across the studios in Belfast, there’s an enormous, huge arcade.
Dexter Sol Ansell: After which we saved our tickets, so now we have like 100,000 tickets.
Peter Claffey: We have been excited about saving for a PS5 or one thing like that, as a result of the extra tickets you get, there are some unbelievable prizes.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres on HBO Max on January 18, 2026.
- Launch Date
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January 18, 2026
- Community
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HBO
- Administrators
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Owen Harris
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Peter Claffey
Ser Duncan ‘Dunk’ the Tall
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Finn Bennett
Aerion Targaryen
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Bertie Carvel
Baelor Targaryen