HBO Greenlights “Game of Thrones” Prequel

The “Game of Thrones” prequel based on George R.R. Martin’s “Dunk and Egg” novels has officially been greenlit by HBO.

During the Warner Bros. Discovery presentation on April 12, it was announced that the new combined HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming service would be called Max. This news comes just over two years after Variety reported that the series was in the works.

The show, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight,” is adapted from Martin’s series of fantasy novellas. The story follows the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall (Dunk) and a young Aegon V Targaryen (Egg) 90 years before the events of “A Song of Ice and Fire.”

The official logline reads, “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.”

George R.R. Martin will serve as writer and executive producer alongside Ira Parker, a co-executive producer on Season 1 of “House of the Dragon.” Executive producers will include “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon” veterans Ryan Condal and Vince Gerardis.

So far, Martin has published three novellas in the “Tales of Dunk and Egg” series: “The Hedge Knight” (1998), “The Sworn Sword” (2003), and “The Mystery Knight” (2010). These novellas were collected and released as “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” in 2015.

This is the latest Westeros-focused project at HBO. Following the global success of “Game of Thrones,” the network sought to create multiple series set in Martin’s world. Apart from “House of the Dragon,” which premiered its first season in August 2022 and was swiftly renewed for a second season, this is the only other project to advance. Variety also reported that HBO is considering a series set during Aegon’s Conquest.