George R.R. Martin Gives Update on 'Game of Thrones' Spinoff 'Dunk and Egg'

Martin shared good news about the next TV show - and promised that he's still working on the next book as well.

By Michael Hein

Author George R.R. Martin made a triumphant blog post on Tuesday, updating fans on the Game of Thrones spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, as well as his next book, The Winds of Winter. Martin included a viral video of The Hedge Knight star Dexter Sol Ansell on the set of the show where he recently got a drastic haircut. That indicates that filming has begun or will begin soon, though he wrote that casting is still in progress too.

It's notable that Martin did not use the series' full name in his blog post, and also referred to it by its unofficial title within the fandom, "Dunk & Egg." He wrote that "things are moving along nicely" with the show, adding: "Most of the auditions – not all, but most – are done, and we should be able to announce some more cast members shortly." He listed some of the characters that have already been cast for fans who know the book, and wrote that the primary set piece of the story is under construction.

Martin doesn't seem to be on set right now, as he wrote: "I am told [the cast] just had the first table read, and that it went great." Martin is an executive producer on the series, which stars Ansell as Aegon "Egg" Targaryen and Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall, a.k.a. "Dunk." No other cast members have been announced yet, but the crew is taking shape. Martin is writing one episode while Ira Parker and Martin Parker are also credited as writers and executive producers on the show, and House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal an EP as well.

"The Hedge Knight will be a lot shorter than Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon, with a much different tone," Martin wrote. "But it's still Westeros, so no one is truly safe. Ira Parker and his team are doing a great job." Further down, Martin announced that director Owen Harris has signed onto the series as well. The Hedge Knight has a six-episode order, and Harris will direct three episodes himself. Martin noted that he is already a big fan of Harris for the Black Mirror episode "San Junipero."

This show is based on an ongoing series of novellas written by Martin following an impoverished knight and his earnest squire as they travel the Seven Kingdoms looking for work that won't compromise their morals. The stories are shorter and simpler than A Song of Ice and Fire, but Martin has hinted that their ending will reveal some secrets important to the main series. He has mentioned plans to write up to nine more installments of this series.

That's notable since Martin discussed his writing progress and his plans for the future in this post. He wrote: "I hope to visit the shoot come July, when I swing by Belfast on my way to the WorldCon in Glasgow. The show will make its debut next year... and if it does well, The Sworn Sword and The Mystery Knight will follow. By which time I hope to have finished some more Dunk & Egg stories (yes, after I finish The Winds of Winter.)"

For those unaware, the three novellas in this series are titled The Hedge Knight, The Sworn Sword and The Mystery Knight. They were collected into one book called A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is where this TV adaptation's titling format seems to come from. However, fans and Martin have often referred to the novellas in general as "The Tales of Dunk & Egg," and many feel that the current title is too wordy for a TV series. Martin didn't type it out in its entirety once in his blog post, which some commenters joked about.

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For die-hard fans, the most important update in this book is Martin's simple acknowledgement that he is still working on The Winds of Winter. The author has said he has made great progress on the long-awaited sixth installment in A Song of Ice and Fire since the COVID-19 pandemic began. So far there's no projected release date for the volume, but Martin clearly intends to finish it before working on more novellas.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight premieres sometime in 2025 on HBO. House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres on Sunday, June 16 on HBO and Max. Martin's books are available now in print, digital and audiobook formats.

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