George R.R. Martin, the acclaimed author of "A Song of Ice and Fire," has expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming Game of Thrones spin-off, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." In his latest blog post, Martin revealed that the six-episode series has completed filming at HBO and is slated for a release later this year, possibly in the fall. He emphasized his admiration for the show, stating, "I’ve seen all six episodes now (the last two in rough cuts, admittedly), and I loved them." Martin praised the casting, particularly the actors portraying the beloved characters Dunk and Egg, Ser Duncan the Tall and Prince Aegon Targaryen, played by Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell, respectively.
Martin described "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" as a faithful adaptation of his novella "The Hedge Knight," the first in the Dunk and Egg series. He noted, "It’s as faithful an adaptation as a reasonable man could hope for (and you all know how incredibly reasonable I am on that particular subject)." However, he cautioned fans expecting intense action, saying, "There’s a huge fight scene here, as exciting as anyone could ask for, but there are no dragons this time around, no huge battles, no white walkers. This is a character piece, and its focus is on duty and honor, on chivalry and all it means."
While fans eagerly await the release of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," Martin also teased future projects, mentioning the adaptation of "The Sworn Sword," the second Dunk and Egg novella. He concluded with a nod to his long-awaited novel, "The Winds of Winter," promising to continue the tales of Dunk and Egg once that book is completed.
HBO has released some images and a brief teaser trailer for "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," building anticipation for what promises to be a compelling addition to the Game of Thrones universe.
