{"id":69983,"date":"2025-10-12T14:29:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T14:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/69983\/"},"modified":"2025-10-12T14:29:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T14:29:09","slug":"a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-team-talk-game-of-thrones-spinoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/69983\/","title":{"rendered":"A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Team Talk Game Of Thrones Spinoff"},"content":{"rendered":"

The world of Game of Thrones is continuing to grow with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms<\/a>, whose creator and stars say will feel more in line with the original show’s first season. Since launching with the acclaimed HBO series, the fantasy franchise based on George R.R. Martin’s <\/a>Song of Ice and Fire<\/a> universe previously expanded with the prequel spinoff House of the Dragon, which is planned to run for four seasons.<\/p>\n

Much like its predecessor, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms serves as a prequel to the Game of Thrones timeline, being set roughly 90 years before the series. Adapting Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, the series focuses on Ser Duncan the Tall, a hedge knight from the slums of King’s Landing who takes the small “Egg” under his wing as his squire. The two embark on a journey wandering Westeros, which is still under the rule of House Targaryen, albeit without dragons to empower them.<\/p>\n

Rugby-player-turned-actor Peter Claffey is leading the Knight of the Seven Kingdoms cast<\/a> as Dunk, alongside Robin and the Hoods’ Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg, Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon, Bertie Carvel, Danny Webb and Sam Spruell, among others. Ira Parker, who previously penned an episode of House of the Dragon season 1, has co-created the series with Martin and is serving as showrunner for the six-episode project. <\/p>\n

In honor of the show’s New York Comic Con 2025 presence, ScreenRant hosted Ira Parker, Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell in our media suite to discuss A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The stars discussed building a bond with one another in a similar vein to their characters, as well as how the former’s rugby history benefited his physical scenes in the show, while the co-creator\/showrunner discussed staying true to Martin’s novellas and bringing the Game of Thrones franchise back to basics with a grounded look at Westeros. <\/p>\n

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Will “Flip The Whole Script” Of Game Of Thrones<\/p>\n

Across the eight seasons of the mainline series, and two-released seasons of the first spinoff, both Game of Thrones and <\/a>House of the Dragon<\/a> have taken a very royalty-first approach to their narratives. While some non-royalty figures make up both shows’ supporting casts, Martin and the writers of each certainly dedicated more time to those in power scheming to attain more or to retain the power they have. <\/p>\n

\"Peter
\n Peter Claffey’s Ser Duncan atop a horse in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms<\/p>\n

As such, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms aims to be a far different take on the world of Westeros<\/a>, with Parker expressing his excitement to “flip the whole script” for the franchise as we see the show largely through Dunk’s lens, who looks up to them. For Claffey, he also felt shooting the series in a chronological order made the more grounded beats of the spinoff feel more impactful and “emotional”, particularly in the build up to his relationship with Egg.<\/p>\n

“They don’t start to have a proper relationship for a little while,” Claffey explained. “And when I got through that, it only got easier, because I had Dexter to rely on, I think, 85% of the time. It was Dexter, leading me through scenes. So yeah, I think the chronological aspect of it, the way we shot it, really helped with that. There’s a beautiful silence that you start with in the show, and you get a lens of Dunk’s personality from the off, chatting to his horses and things like that.”<\/p>\n

Claffey also teases that the show will go back to the feeling of Game of Thrones season 1<\/a>, beginning by offering a “quiet, sort of tranquil view of Westeros” before getting into the action. Comparing the first few episodes to audiences’ introduction to Kit Harrington’s Jon Snow and his brothers in Winterfell, where they are “finding dire wolves” and spending time with one another, the Seven Kingdoms star says there is “something organic” to when the show builds towards something bigger.<\/p>\n

“And it’s the first time there’s a character that you’re following that doesn’t want the moon and the stars,” Claffey explained. “He just wants to survive in a very scary world. He kind of doesn’t really know what he wants, it’s kind of refreshing.”<\/p>\n

House Targaryen Has An Interesting Role To Play In The Series<\/p>\n

\"A
\n A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms knight imageImage via Max<\/p>\n

With A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms being set nearly a century before Game of Thrones, the series will see House Targaryen still in power<\/a>. The showrunner began by recalling his joys of working on House of the Dragon season 1, where they got to “explore in depth” the Targaryen family, who he feels are “one of the most interesting, misunderstood families” in all of fantasy.<\/p>\n

Coming into the development of his series, Parker recognized the importance of having the family involved in some capacity, even if just in “the background of this show”, as it gave him and his writers room “faith” that they didn’t have to pull too many strings that could impact the larger timeline. At the same time, having their presence made it so that when they arrived, they were a “very powerful force”, particularly when “seen through Dunk’s lens”. <\/p>\n

“We want him to feel the way that we would feel,” Parker explained. “The royal family coming into town, coming in and making their presence known, and Dunk just being this lowly, absolute bottom-of-the-barrel character. We get to see what it is like to come in and to get to meet your heroes, which is sort of what it was for me coming in for the first season of House of the Dragon. Getting to see how an HBO show was made, and delivering that up and that whole experience for Dunk as a character, you could transfer a lot into writing.”<\/p>\n

Obviously, it doesn’t come to a big head until much later, which is much closer to when the original series started.<\/p>\n

Properly diving into the royal family’s place in the show’s timeline, Parker explains that the Targaryens are a “house on the decline” in Westeros. Without having the power of dragons to back them up, the family find themselves needing to go to more things they wouldn’t have done in the past now that “people are starting to question why the Targaryens are still in charge”. <\/p>\n

\"Finn
\n Finn Bennett’s Prince Aerion Targaryen looking dismissively atop a horse in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms<\/p>\n

The showrunner would go on to explain that the Targaryens “actually have to be real leaders now” in the timeline of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms<\/a>, which includes showing up to jousting tournaments in Ashford and the like to “make friends with as many people as they can”. But it doesn’t entirely instill confidence in the people, as it will come off “a little desperate” both for the public and audiences \u2014 many of whom are likely already rooting against them. <\/p>\n

“It’s nice coming to see these people that we’ve seen at the very top 1760279347 on the slide [toward the very bottom],” Parker expressed. “Obviously, things don’t go very well for them. They come, they try to do these things, and one of their sons, one of their fighters in the joust, doesn’t represent the family very well, as things tend to happen, and it goes even worse for them. It, I suppose, ultimately helps Dunk out, so as one family falls, maybe another rises.”<\/p>\n

While fans of the novellas know what other faces may appear in the series, Parker cautions that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms won’t race to include other familiar Game of Thrones characters, instead only referring to them by name. Pointing out that it’s meant to be about Dunk and Egg’s relationship, and their individual stories, the showrunner does tease that “there are plans” for a potential season 2 to include major book characters. <\/p>\n

“We’re very ground up in this show, so it’s not so much about the lords and the ladies, the kings and the queens,” Parker noted. “We’re just about what it’s like to be a working guy trying to make it in the world.”<\/p>\n

Everything Else We Learned About A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms From Parker, Claffey & Ansell<\/p>\n

ScreenRant: You said it’s pretty close to the source material we’re adapting here for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and you’re working with much shorter compared to A Song of Ice and Fire and Fire & Blood. Is that part of the reason for the six episodes?<\/p>\n

Ira Parker: Yes, absolutely. We wanted to be as faithful as we could to the story and to the tone of these books, because we love these books. I think a lot of people out there love these books. It’s a different side to Westeros, while still feeling firmly in that world. Six episodes, 30 minutes is exactly right. I think we get to expand a little bit on what is there, but mostly that came from a place of character and world building, spending a little bit more time if George had written each of those novellas as an actual novel, what scenes would have been in there. What characters do we get to explore a little bit more? Lyonel Baratheon, we get to see a little bit more of, which is fun. We get to see probably a little bit more of the Targaryens, and hopefully some good fighting, as well.<\/p>\n

ScreenRant: Peter, you’re a former rugby player. Did that help influence at all the physicality brought to this role?<\/p>\n

Peter Claffey: Yeah, I suppose. I spent 15 years playing rugby at a young age, and was lucky enough to represent the country, and stuff like that. I suppose it was a lot of physical training and preparation that went through those years of my life that I suppose lent itself to things like combat skills, maybe horse riding, and things like that. It did help massively, for sure. And I think even things like wearing armor and wearing heavier things on set probably contributed towards that part of it.<\/p>\n

ScreenRant: And the familiarity continued with where you shot this? Because I know Belfast is a little bit further away from where you’re from, in Galway, but still, your home country of Ireland. Did it feel good to be home?<\/p>\n

Peter Claffey: Oh, it’s great. I’ve been lucky enough, since I sort of began my journey in acting, most of the time I’ve worked [in Ireland]. We did two seasons of a show called Wreck. It was like a horror-comedy thing, which I’m so proud of, and it was my first time moving away, and my first time being away from home for the actual job. It was up in Belfast, and I just fell in love with that city. I really, really adore that place. And then, like, once you leave the city and go to places like the Mournes, it’s this unreal experience of landscape and things where you really do feel like you’re in Westeros. Those scenes really contributed to helping portray those different scenes and bring them to life.<\/p>\n

ScreenRant: Dexter, you’re one of the youngest members of the Game of Thrones family. Congratulations on taking on the role of Egg. Are you too young for Game of Thrones? What was your experience with this series before you got cast?<\/p>\n

Dexter Sol Ansell: So, I’ve never watched any of the Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon. But the funny thing is, way before I even heard about this audition, my mum and I were out, because I did another job, and there was this big throne, and we didn’t realize, but it was the Game of Thrones throne, and I sat on it. And then, later on, we get the audition, but years later, and we look back, because we’re trying to find a script or whatever, and we see that photo, and we’re like, “OMG, I can’t believe we took that photo when I was so young,” and then I ended up being on it.<\/p>\n

ScreenRant: Can we talk about that relationship? It feels like you guys have worked together for years, and obviously this is your first time working together, hopefully the first of many seasons. Can you talk about developing that dynamic between Dunk and Egg and making this feel like such a lived-in relationship, like the start of something very special?<\/p>\n

Dexter Sol Ansell: It literally has been years. I filmed it when I was nine, and I’m 11 now. We built such a bond in this show, mainly in the arcades. Arcades are our thing. At the start, we weren’t too close, and it was still good, and then later on, we built the relationship, and now we’re like, best buddies, for sure.<\/p>\n

Peter Claffey: Where we shot it, around the studios in Belfast, there’s a huge, massive arcade.<\/p>\n

Dexter Sol Ansell: And then we kept our tickets, so now we’ve got like 100,000 tickets.<\/p>\n

Peter Claffey: We were thinking about saving for a PS5 or something like that, because the more tickets you get, there are some unbelievable prizes.<\/p>\n

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres on HBO Max on January 18, 2026.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Release Date<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 18, 2026<\/p>\n

Network<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHBO<\/p>\n

Directors<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOwen Harris<\/p>\n

\"Cast<\/p>\n

Peter Claffey<\/p>\n

\n Ser Duncan ‘Dunk’ the Tall\n <\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Finn Bennett<\/p>\n

\n Aerion Targaryen\n <\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Bertie Carvel<\/p>\n

\n Baelor Targaryen\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The world of Game of Thrones is continuing to grow with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, whose…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":69984,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[146,85,46,411],"class_list":["post-69983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69983"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69983\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}