Northern Ireland Economy Minister visits set of new Game of Thrones prequel

Game of Thrones filmed its eight seasons all over the world, but its home base was always Northern Ireland, namely at Titanic Studios and the surrounding countryside. Prequel series House of the Dragon moved house mostly to England, but the new new prequel series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms returned to Northern Ireland to adapt author George R.R. Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas to TV. The new series, which is set decades after the events of House of the Dragon but decades before Game of Thrones, will be along next year.

Filming on the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is based on Martin's novella "The Hedge Knight," has been done for a while. We've seen images of Martin himself on set with the cast. He's said he's "so so happy" with how the show is going, which lines up with what we've been hearing about it.

Also happy is David Sterling, the Chairman of Norther Ireland Screen. “We were thrilled to welcome HBO back to Northern Ireland for the production of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, this marks another exciting chapter in our long-standing relationship," he said in a statement. "Northern Ireland’s rich landscapes and skilled crews have long played a key role in bringing Westeros to life, and this return is a testament to the talent and creativity that our region continues to offer.”

While a movie or TV show being filmed in LA is no big deal to the folks in Hollywood, it can be a big boon for a place like Northern Ireland, and gets attention from government officials. Northern Ireland Screen estimates that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will generate around £30 million around $38 million) for the local economy. Given the importance of this kind of production, Economy Minister Conor Murphy visited the set:

“It was great to get an opportunity to visit the set of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to see firsthand the incredible opportunities being created here within the screen industry," Murphy said. “Productions like this not only showcase our stunning locations but they also invest in our local talent. Around 650 local crew are working on this series, with numerous trainee opportunities for those eager to forge careers in the industry. The commitment to sustainability on set also aligns with my vision for a greener, more responsible economy."

In terms of sustainability, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is doing things like using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) instead of diesel fuel to power the vehicles that transport equipment to and from set, which reportedly reduces carbon emissions by up to 90% without the need to build any additional infrastructure.

In general, it looks like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will be leaner than a lot of these big genre productions. The first season is only six episodes long, which sounds (and is) short, but it's also adapting a pretty short novellas, so anything longer would feel like they were stretching things out just for the hell of it. On top of that, the show takes place during a time in Westerosi history when dragons are extinct, so they won't be around to eat up money. Mostly it follows the stalwart knight Dunk (Peter Claffey) and his precocious squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) as they wander around Westeros doing good and having adventures. The smaller scale of the show could be just what the genre needs after series like House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power have competed with each for bigness and epicness.

But first things first: the series will premiere in the back half of 2025. We'll be keeping a close eye on it before, during and after.

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