House of the Dragon is coming back to HBO for its highly anticipated second season in the middle of 2024, but it isn’t the only Game of Thrones spinoff series that is making huge progress this year, as filming for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, is slated to start very soon.
When will A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight begin filming?
According to a new report by The Wrap in January 2024, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, which was officially greenlit into series by HBO in April 2023, could get off the ground sooner than later.
Citing comments from HBO Head of Programming Casey Bloys, the news outlet suggested that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight is set to begin filming at some point in 2024. The spinoff series was previously expected to begin filming in the spring of 2024, but Bloys noted that casting and writing on the series are both still ongoing.
“I think with a show like this, when somebody reads that something is in development, there becomes an expectation that that is being shot, which is not the case,” Bloys said. “So right now the only two things that are greenlit are House of the Dragon, obviously, and The Hedge Knight. There are a lot of other projects in development but I don’t have anything imminent to report.”
What is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight about?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight is a live-action adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s series of fantasy novellas Tales of Dunk and Egg set in the world of his A Song of Ice and Fire novels. Three novellas have been published so far: The Hedge Knight (1998), The Sworn Sword (2003), and The Mystery Knight (2010), with Martin being vocal about his intention to continue the series.
The Tales of Dunk and Egg novella series follows the adventures of “Dunk” (the future Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Duncan the Tall) and “Egg” (the future King Aegon V Targaryen), some 90 years before the events of A Song of Ice and Fire novels.
“The plan is more of a creative one in that much of the reasoning behind it is that it has a smaller canvas, that there’s an intimacy to the visual canvas that allows us to generate the show faster than say House of the Dragon might turn around because there’s so much VFX,” HBO Drama Chief Francesca Orsi said of the network’s plan for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight in May 2023. “You may know based on the novellas that dragons don’t exist so by virtue of that it will be a faster piece to turn around given that we don’t have all these visual effect assets needing to deliver.”
Orsi added: “[It would] ideally [be] year-to-year and arcing out a three-season series, which maps out the three novellas that George wrote. Of course, we’d like more beyond that, and George is continuing to think about the remaining novellas that he still wants to write but at this point, we have our eye on three seasons that would map out each book, each novella.”
Are there other Game of Thrones spinoff series in development?
Yes, there are several other Game of Thrones spinoff series in development, which may officially get greenlight like House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight. Here’s a quick rundown of the confirmed Game of Thrones spinoff series in development.
1. The Sea Snake
This series will focus on Corlys Velaryon, aka the Sea Snake, a famous Targaryen admiral who made legendary voyages across Essos. It’s based on Fire & Blood, George R.R. Martin’s history of the House Targaryen, and could potentially explore unexplored regions of the world.
2. 10,000 Ships
This series will tell the story of Princess Nymeria, the founder of Dorne, who led an exodus of 10,000 Rhoynish warriors across the sea to escape the Valyrian Freehold. It promises epic battles, complex political maneuvering, and a deeper dive into the rich history of Dorne.
3. Nine Voyages
This animated series will follow the adventures of Corlys Velaryon during his legendary nine voyages across the known world. It’s an opportunity to delve even deeper into the lore and geography of Essos, potentially introducing viewers to new cultures and creatures.
4. The Golden Empire
Another animated series, this one will focus on the Golden Empire of Yi Ti, a mysterious and powerful civilization located in the far east of Essos. It has the potential to be a completely new and different kind of Game of Thrones story, with its own unique mythology and culture.
5. Flea Bottom
This live-action series was in development but was unfortunately canceled in 2023. It would have been set in the poorest district of King’s Landing and focused on the lives of the common people, offering a very different perspective on the events of Game of Thrones.
6. A Jon Snow Sequel Series
This is still in the early stages of development, but it could potentially pick up Jon Snow’s (Kit Harington) story after the events of Game of Thrones, following him as he lives north of the Wall with the Wildlings.
These are just the confirmed spinoffs in development, and there are rumors of even more in the works! So, it’s safe to say that the world of Game of Thrones is far from over, and we can expect many more exciting stories to come in the years to come.