HBO has confirmed that production has now commenced on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the latest Game of Thrones spin-off. A first-look image was also released, which you can see above.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is shooting in Belfast, Ireland with five new actors joining the cast, including Finn Bennett (True Detective: Night Country) as Aerion Targaryen, Bertie Cavel (The Crown) as Baelor Targaryen, Tanzyn Crawford (Tiny Beautiful Things) as Tanselle, Daniel Ings (Sex Education) as Ser Lyonel Baratheon, and Sam Spruell (Small Axe: Mangrove) as Maekar Targaryen.

The official logline for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: “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.” Peter Claffey (Vikings: Valhalla) and Dexter Sol Ansell (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) are set to star in the series as Dunk and Egg.

Owen Harris, who directed the San Junipero episode of Black Mirror, will helm three of the six episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, with Sarah Adina Smith (Lessons in Chemistry) directing the remaining three episodes. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is written and executive produced by George R.R. Martin and Ira Parker, with Ryan Condal, Vince Gerardis, Owen Harris, and Sarah Bradshaw also executive producing. The series is based on three novellas published by Martin — The Hedge Knight (1998), The Sworn Sword (2003), and The Mystery Knight (2010). All three stories were then collected and published together as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms in 2015.

Martin has previously teased that the new series will have a much different tone than Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon. “The Hedge Knight will be a lot shorter than Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon, with a much different tone… but it’s still Westeros, so no one is truly safe,” Martin wrote in his blog. “I hope to visit the shoot come July, when I swing by Belfast on my way to the worldcon in Glasgow. The show will make its debut next year… and if it does well, The Sworn Sword and The Mystery Knight will follow.  By which time I hope to have finished some more Dunk & Egg stories (yes, after I finish The Winds of Winter).“

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is expected to launch in late 2025, but if you’re hungry for more from the realm of Westeros, the second season of House of the Dragon recently premiered, and you can check out a review from our own Alex Maidy right here.

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