George R.R. Martin, the mastermind behind the epic saga "A Song of Ice and Fire," has given his seal of approval to the upcoming Game of Thrones spin-off, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." In his latest blog post, Martin expressed his excitement, revealing that the six-episode series has concluded filming at HBO and is slated for a release later this year, possibly in the fall. Unlike some previous spin-offs, Martin is a vocal supporter of this adaptation, having seen all six episodes and praising the performances and fidelity to his original work.
"I’ve seen all six episodes now (the last two in rough cuts, admittedly), and I loved them," Martin enthused. "Dunk and Egg have always been favorites of mine, and the actors we found to portray them are just incredible. The rest of the cast are terrific as well. Wait until you guys meet the Laughing Storm and Tanselle Too-Tall." He further emphasized that "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" is a faithful adaptation of "The Hedge Knight," the first novella in the Dunk and Egg series, adding, "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, Martin cautioned fans expecting intense action, stating, "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."
The series stars Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall and Dexter Sol Ansell as Prince Aegon Targaryen, better known as Dunk and Egg. Although the show is still months away from its premiere, HBO has released some images and a teaser trailer to whet fans' appetites.
Martin also touched on future plans, hinting at adaptations of the subsequent novellas, "The Sworn Sword" and "The Village Hero," while acknowledging the long-awaited "The Winds of Winter": "Meanwhile, we’ll be moving on to 'The Sworn Sword,' the second tale of Dunk & Egg. And once I finish The Winds of Winter, I will need to get hopping on 'The Village Hero,' and all the other tales that await the lads. Don’t worry, I am sure you folks will remind me."
