‘Game of Thrones’ Dunk and Egg Prequel Officially Ordered to Series

The Game of Thrones empire is expanding once again: The network’s streaming service — now called Max — has officially ordered to series a new prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight.

The title is based on George R.R. Martin’s popular trio of Dunk and Egg novellas, which chronicle the story of “Dunk” (the future Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Duncan the Tall) and “Egg” (the future king Aegon V Targaryen) as they wander Westeros having adventures roughly 100 years before the events of the novels. The project is the second prequel to officially get ordered to series, following House of the Dragon.

The description: “A century before the events of Game of Thrones, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros … a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.”

Martin himself will be writing on the show, with the author billed as an executive producer and writer alongside Dragon producer Ira Parker. Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal will executive produce, along with Martin’s longtime business manger Vince Gerardis.

The project represents a different kind of Westeros tale than Thrones (pictured above) or Dragon. The other shows are sweeping war epics with sprawling ensemble casts that take place in multiple locations. The Dunk and Egg stories are more intimate two-handers with a bit of a lighter tone. The title also suggests another series in the “Wolf and Cub” genre of a protector and ward wandering a dangerous landscape in the wake of HBO’s success with The Last of Us and Disney+’s The Mandalorian.

The Hedge Knight project was one of several put into development in hopes of adding to the company’s post-GoT arsenal. HBO/Max chief Casey Bloys told reporters that others are still in active development.

The move follows the hugely successful launch of Dragon last year, which generated 29 million viewers per episode, according to HBO.