The next big series in the Game of Thrones world is coming, and it promises a brand new feeling. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set to premiere on January 18, 2026, on HBO and HBO Max. Based on George R.R. Martin’s beloved Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, the show will follow the adventures of a humble knight and his young squire roughly a century before the events of the original series. While the epic battles and royal betrayals that defined Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon will take a back seat, the show’s creator wants fans to know that Westeros is still a dangerous place.
Showrunner Ira Parker has set clear expectations for the show’s tone. “We take you in on a lighter, more friendly path to Westeros. You get to hang out and enjoy yourself for a bit and then it becomes Westeros and things are going to happen,” Parker told Deadline. This approach marks a significant shift for the franchise. The story focuses on Ser Duncan the Tall, a wandering “hedge knight” with simple dreams, played by Peter Claffey, and his mysterious squire Egg, played by Dexter Sol Ansell. Their journey is more about personal honor and survival than claiming the Iron Throne.
A Story from the Ground Up
The most important difference between this new series and its predecessors is its point of view. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a story told from the bottom looking up, not from the top of society looking down.
Parker explained this grounded philosophy, stating, “We are ground up in this series; we are starting right at the bottom. We’re not with the lords and ladies, the kings and queens”. He described the world of the show as one where “nobody’s thinking about magic,” comparing it more to gritty, 14th-century Britain than a high-fantasy realm. The struggles are immediate and personal—finding the next meal, securing shelter, and navigating the local politics of tournaments and roadside inns.
This focus extends to the very structure of the show. In a notable break from tradition, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will not have a grand opening title sequence like Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon. Instead, episodes will begin with a simple title card. Parker said this decision was a direct reflection of the main character, Dunk. “He’s plain and he’s simple and he’s to-the-point. He doesn’t have a lot of flash to him”.
A Visibly Brighter and More Colorful World
The change in tone will be visible on screen in a very literal way. Fans who remember struggling to see the darkly lit Battle of Winterfell in Game of Thrones will find a different visual style here.
Showrunner Ira Parker talked about intentionally using more color, inspired by the historical Middle Ages. “When you look at the 14th-century, they love their colors. This is a very, very colorful period,” he said at New York Comic Con. This will be especially true during the tournament sequences that are central to the plot. “It’s a tournament. It’s supposed to be fun and people showing off — we’re going to have a lot of color in that”.
However, Parker was careful to note that “bright” was not the goal. He wants to avoid the show feeling like a fairy tale. The plan is to reflect real life, where some days are colorful and bright, and others are dark and difficult. He revealed that the fourth episode of the season is particularly dark, as it takes place mostly at night.
The Heart of the Show: Dunk and Egg
The success of the series rests on the relationship between its two lead characters, and the production team is confident in their casting choices. Finding the right actors to play Ser Duncan the Tall and Egg was surprisingly straightforward for the creators.
“It was the least stressful decision we’ve ever had to make and hopefully we’ll ever have to make,” said showrunner Ira Parker about casting Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell.
Parker recounted that Ansell, who was nine years old during filming, was the first audition he saw for the role of Egg and was immediately perfect. Claffey, a former professional rugby player newer to acting, impressed the team with his rapid growth and authentic presence. The two actors developed a strong bond on set, playing Super Mario Kart between takes. Claffey even joked that his young co-star is “a 25-year-old in a nine-year-old’s body”.
The story adapts the first novella, The Hedge Knight. The official description sets the stage: “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”. While Egg presents himself as a common orphan, he is secretly Aegon V Targaryen, a prince of the ruling family. Their adventure begins as they travel to a large tournament where Dunk hopes to make his name, inevitably getting tangled in the schemes of powerful people, including members of Egg’s own family.
Also Read:
HBO’s Big Bet and the Future of Westeros
HBO has shown exceptional confidence in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by taking the unusual step of renewing the series for a second season months before the first season even premieres. The first season will consist of six episodes, and the second season is expected to follow in 2027. This early renewal signals a clear long-term plan, with the potential for at least three seasons, each adapting one of Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas.
This move is part of a larger strategy by HBO to keep the world of Westeros consistently on screen. The network has planned a schedule that will give fans a new season of a Game of Thrones show every year through at least 2028. Following the premiere of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms in January 2026, the third season of House of the Dragon is scheduled for that summer. This pattern will continue with the second season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms in 2027 and the fourth season of House of the Dragon in 2028.
George R.R. Martin, who serves as an executive producer, has expressed great enthusiasm for the adaptation. After viewing the episodes, he wrote on his blog, “I’ve seen all six episodes now… and I loved them.” He praised the cast and called it “as faithful an adaptation as a reasonable man could hope for”. However, he also offered a familiar warning to fans, noting, “It’s still Westeros, so no one is truly safe”.
The series aims to deliver on Martin’s specific vision for the tournament at its center. “I always love Medieval tournaments in other pictures,” Martin said. “I wanted to do something set during a tournament. I sent (the TV writers) a challenge: Let’s do the best jousting sequences that were ever done on film”. Parker confirmed that the show features a dramatic jousting scene at night.
The production built the entire town of Ashford for the tournament sequences in Northern Ireland. The actors faced the muddy, physical reality of their roles, with Claffey noting the hardest part was the horse riding. The authentic, gritty feel is intentional. “We kept flooding this field with mud and dirt… we’re going to feel every grit of that,” Parker said, emphasizing the desire to make the audience feel what Dunk feels.
Also Read: A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS, PETER CLAFFEY, DEXTER SOL ANSELL, IRA PARKER, GEORGE R R MARTIN
