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Game of Thrones prequel gets episode count and new, better title

"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight" is now just "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," thank heavens. The six-episode first season is expected next year.

By Dan Selcke

(L to R) Kristofer Hivju as Tormund, Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth, Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth, Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister – Photo: Courtesy of HBO
(L to R) Kristofer Hivju as Tormund, Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth, Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth, Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister – Photo: Courtesy of HBO /
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The Game of Thrones universe is all atwitter lately. The second season of House of the Dragon, the prequel show about rival branches of the Targaryen dynasty tearing each other apart, premieres on Sunday, June 16. Beyond that, HBO is readying another prequel called A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, based on George R.R. Martin's Dunk and Egg novellas. This one is set decades after House of the Dragon but decades before Game of Thrones. It's a lighter story about a knight and his squire — Dunk and Egg, played by Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell — wandering Westeros and having adventures.

Now, The Hollywood Reporter has some new information on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight. Although THR cautions us that this could change again, it reports that the title has been cut down to just A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is the name of the book that collects the first three of Martin's Dunk & Egg novellas. The Hedge Knight is the first of those novellas, and will form the basis for the first season.

Thank the gods for this. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight is a long, unwieldy name; it drives me crazy that the word "knight" is repeated. It makes me think of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, another pointlessly long and needlessly complicated title. I'd have preferred that HBO shorten the title to The Hedge Knight, but at least they shortened it.

THR also reports that the first season will be six episodes long. The Dunk & Egg novellas are not sprawling epics like Martin's Song of Ice and Fire novels. They're much shorter and more relaxed, so I never expected seasons of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to run 10 or even eight episodes. Honestly, they might have to work to stretch the story across six, but I'm willing to trust them for now.

Director Owen Harris, most famous for directing Black Mirror episodes like "Be Right Back" and “San Junipero,” will direct the first three episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The first season is set to go into production soon and is expected to air on HBO and Max in late 2025. This could help bridge the gap between new seasons of House of the Dragon. Effectively, HBO seems to want a Game of Thrones thing on the air every year, which I think is about the right amount to keep people interested without overloading them with content.

dark. Next. George R.R. Martin responds to critics who call his Song of Ice and Fire books 'gratuitous'. George R.R. Martin responds to critics who call his Song of Ice and Fire books 'gratuitous'

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