A New Game Of Thrones Prequel Is Coming In January
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2 weeks ago
Here's everything we know so far about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
House of the Dragon shaped hole in your heart? It’s a while until Rhaenyra and co will return to fill it (find out more about season 3 here). Until then, HBO is serving up a new spin off in George R. R. Martin’s beloved Game of Thrones universe: A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms. Based on a series of short stories and with a trailer now available to watch, here’s everything you need to know, plus when we can expect to see it.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms: Plot, Cast, Release Date
In the works as early as 2021, A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms received an HBO direct-to-series order in April 2023, but work was a tad slow to get started. Scripts were crafted, casting took place, and filming finally commenced in June 2024, taking our new Westerosi characters – from a century before the events of Game of Thrones, and 72 years after the start of House of the Dragon – to the franchise’s classic stomping ground, Belfast.
Originally slated to land before the end of 2025, we had our first sneak peek at A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms as part of HBO’s 2025 slate, which also teased the likes of The Last of Us season 2 and The White Lotus season 3, both of which have, of course, aired. We haven’t been told what the delay is down to, but the six-part series is now set to launch in January 2026.
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What Will Happen?
Set 90 years before the events of Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms follows the adventures of hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall (aka Dunk; played by Peter Claffey) and his squire Prince Aegon Targaryen (aka Egg; played by Dexter Sol Ansell). Egg is the future king of Westeros, known in the history books as ‘Aegon the Unlikely’ thanks to his convoluted path to the throne as the fourth son of the fourth son.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set in an intriguing pocket of Westeros history: the Targaryens still sit atop the Iron Throne and rule the Seven Kingdoms, but the last dragon has perished. The series will follows the adventures of Dunk, a young and naive but courageous knight and his diminutive (yet secretly Princely) squire Egg as they pursue great destinies and dangerous exploits, toppling powerful foes and becoming improbable yet incomparable friends.
If that all sounds a bit wholesome for your liking, rest assured that plenty of battles and classic Westerosi politics are to follow.
Get a taste of the action in the trailer below.
What Is It Based On?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on a trilogy of short stories in George R. R. Martins’ A Song of Ice and Fire universe. They are: The Hedge Knight (where Dunk and Egg first meet), The Sworn Sword (set a few years later) and The Mystery Knight (set another year later).
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will squish the events of all three novellas into six episodes.
The Cast
Irish rugby player turned actor Peter Claffey has clinched the leading role as Dunk, aplty filling the role at 6 ft 5″. A relative newcomer, you might recognise the star, who hails from Galway, from the likes of Vikings: Valhalla and Bad Sisters season 2.
Claffey is joined at the fore by another fresh face: British child star Dexter Sol Ansell who has already snapped up roles across The Midwich Cuckoos, Hullraisers and in The Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes as a young Coriolanus Snow.
They’re joined by a cast of mainly British and Irish stars, many of whom you will recognise, including The Gentlemen‘s Daniel Ings. The full cast list is as follows:
- Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall, aka ‘Dunk’, a hedge knight
- Dexter Sol Ansell as Prince Aegon Targaryen, aka Egg, a prince of the Targaryen dynasty and Dunk’s squire
- Finn Bennett as Prince Aerion ‘Brightflame’ Targaryen, Egg’s older brother
- Bertie Carvel as Prince Baelor ‘Breakspear’ Targaryen, the heir to the Iron Throne and Hand of the King to Daeron II
- Tanzyn Crawford as Tanselle, a Dornish puppeteer
- Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon, a knight known as the ‘Laughing Storm’ and the heir to House Baratheon
- Sam Spruell as Prince Maekar Targaryen, Baelor’s younger brother and Egg’s father
- Ross Anderson as Ser Humfrey Hardyng, a knight of House Hardyng
- Edward Ashley as Ser Steffon Fossoway, a knight of House Fossoway of Cider Hall
- Henry Ashton as Daeron ‘The Drunken’ Targaryen, Egg and Aerion’s older brother
- Youssef Kerkour as Steely Pate, a blacksmith from the Reach
- Daniel Monks as Ser Manfred Dondarrion, a knight of House Dondarrion of Blackhaven
- Shaun Thomas as Raymun Fossoway, Steffon’s cousin and squire
- Tom Vaughan-Lawlor as Plummer, the steward of Ashford
- Steve Wall as Lord Leo ‘Longthorn’ Tyrell, the Lord of Highgarden
- Danny Webb as Ser Arlan of Pennytree, a hedge knight and Dunk’s mentor
Release Date
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms will launch in the US on Sunday 18 January 2026. That means here in the UK we will be able to stream it on NOW from the wee hours of Monday 19 January, and weekly from then until the finale lands on Monday 23 February 2026.
The first three episodes were directed by Owen Harris, and the last three by Sarah Adina Smith.
All episodes of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon are available to stream on Now.
