TheGame of Thronesfranchise will once again be expanding in an exciting way later this year, but comments from George R.R. Martin highlight one concern I have for the next spinoff. That’s despite the fact that, so far, HBO’s attempts at building this out into a true franchise have been rather successful, even after the backlash toGame of Thrones' ending. There’s onlyHouse of the Dragonthat exists as a proof of concept right now but, while it has faced its own criticisms, it’s been a major hit in terms of ratings.
That is very likely to continue withHouse of the Dragonseason 3, which is expected to release on HBO and Max sometime in 2026. Before then, though, there’s therelease ofA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on George R.R. Martin’sThe Tales of Dunk and Eggnovellas. Slated to hit HBO and Max in late 2025 (though no firm date has been announced), the prequel follows Ser Duncan the Tall, a hedge knight, and his squire, Egg, on their journeys around Westeros. Though it’s the same franchise and even has Targaryens, it’ll be a unique experience.
How Game Of Thrones' Next Spinoff Will Be Very Different
This Won’t Be The Same As GOT Or House Of The Dragon
WhileGame of ThronesandHouse of the Dragonhave their differences, especially once you dig into the specifics, they share many surface-level similarities and carry the same broad appeal. They’re stories that focus on the high lords and ladies of Westeros, and the political machinations and familial rivalries that come with that.They’re huge in scale, with multiple locations, big action set pieces, and even bigger stakes: the rule of the entire realm inHouse of the Dragon; the looming destruction of it inGame of Thrones.
Every Targaryen In A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Explained
The Targaryen dynasty was in full swing by the time of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and the upcoming Game of Throne spin-off will have plenty.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdomsis much smaller. At its heart, this is a story about what it means to be a knight and, because of that, what it means to be a hero, or simply a good person, in a world where that’s often complicated and without reward. It has strong themes underpinning it and certainly shouldn’t be dismissed as lesser, but it’s also a much lighter, breezier story (The Hedge Knight, the first novella, isn’t even 1/4 the length ofA Game of Thrones, the first book inA Song of Ice and Fire).
While it has some great supporting characters, the story is very much centered on Dunk and Egg themselves.
Similarly, while it has some great supporting characters, the story is very much centered onDunk and Eggthemselves. Although each book moves around, it won’t be spanning multiple locations per season: season 1 will almost entirely be set during the tourney at Ashford, for example. Martin himself is aware of these differences, and in a recent interview withCollider, he said:
“I’ve seen Dunk and Egg, the first season, and it’s great, and now they’re working on the second season. Those are two characters were really special to me, and they’re unusual, those characters. They’re not what most people would expect in a fantasy story. It’s a little softer. It’s a little more humorous. I hope the audience will be open to that kind of change.”
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Will Probably Have A Smaller Audience
It’ll Be Hard To Recapture The Same Hype As Game Of Thrones
Martin’s comments highlight the biggest possible barrier toA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' success: whether audiences will be open to it or not. The franchise has 10 seasons that show its blend of politics, sex, and dragons works wonders, and it being sold as truly epic event television has been a key part of drawing audiences in. The new spinoff - and, to be clear, I really enjoy the novellas and everything about the show sounds great, so this is not a quality concern -won’thave that.
Every Upcoming Game Of Thrones Spinoff Explained
Game of Thrones ended, but audiences returned to Westeros for House of the Dragon - and HBO has even more Game of Thrones spinoffs in development.
I think an apt comparison here might actually beAndor. Not in terms of tone or story, but what they are to their franchise.Andorhas a strong case for being the bestStar WarsTV show, and it comes from being different to so much of the franchise: no Jedi, no Sith, but a more grounded, human story. At the same time,Andorwas one of the least-watchedStar Warsshows on Disney+, with a much lower audience despite its high quality, because it wasn’t as obviously, overtly “Star Wars” and lacked the most recognizable franchise elements.
House of the Dragonseason 2, episode 8’s ratingsreportedly made it the biggest streaming day ever for Max, with 8.9m viewers across platforms.
That’s the same positionA Knight of the Seven Kingdomscould find itself in. That’s not to say people won’t watch it, but it’s going to have to fight to come close to matchingHouse of the Dragon’s audience share, simply because it’s not what people will expect, and perhaps not what they want (see:HOTDreceiving complaints for being too boring, nothing happening, and lacking action).
The quality of the nextGame of Thronesspinoff sounds incredibly high and all the noise about it is exciting, but I just really hope that translates to people tuning in. It sounds like it’ll deserve it and, whileA Knight of the Seven Kingdomsseason 2seems a given, it’d be great for the show to get several more years beyond that (if, somewhat optimistically perhaps, Martin writes more novellas too).
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight
Cast
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight is set in a time when the Targaryen dynasty rules Westeros.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is a multimedia franchise created by George R.R. Martin. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is the basis for the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones, which lasted for eight seasons. After the incredibly divisive final season of Game of Thrones, the series was followed up by the prequel series House of the Dragon, which also received critical acclaim.
