George R.R. Martin has nothing but praise for the upcoming Game of Thrones spin-off series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, saying that book readers will love it. Martin is the author behind the seminal A Song of Ice & Fire series, as well as several spin-off books, including Fire & Blood (which was adapted into House of the Dragon) and more. The next Game of Thrones spin-off series in the pipeline is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is based on a series of novellas written by Martin, following Dunk and Egg (that’s their real names). House of the Dragon’s second season received heavy criticism from fans for making several changes to the events of the novel, but Martin assures his readers that they will be pleased with the latest spin-off show.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, George R.R. Martin addressed the latest spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which slots right between HBO’s two current adaptations. Set 89 years before Game of Thrones, and 77 years after House of the Dragon Season 2, Seven Kingdoms follows Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), who travels with his young squire Egg to the tourney at Ashford Meadow. “I visited the set in Northern Ireland in July and loved what I saw,” Martin said. During his visit, he was introduced to Peter Claffey, and couldn’t believe how well showrunner Ira Parker had adapted his novellas.

“Great cast. [The lead characters] Dunk and Egg look as if they walked out of the pages of my book. My readers are going to love them. I certainly do. [Showrunner Ira Parker] is doing a great job.”

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will be released on HBO and Max in late 2025. Alongside Claffey, the cast includes Dexter Sol Ansell, Finn Bennett, Daniel Ings, Sam Spruell, Tanzyn Crawford, and Bertie Carvel.

Upcoming Game of Thrones Spin-Offs

HBO’s Game of Thrones was a pop-culture sensation during its run on the network. Anyone who watched the series live remembers how obsessed the world became with Westeros, and the show dominated the now-extinct “water-cooler talk.” After the original show’s dreadful final season, the franchise needed something big to breathe new life into HBO’s adapted universe. Thankfully, House of the Dragon delivered, and its success has set up several more spin-offs, which are currently in production.

As well as two more seasons of House of the Dragon, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, HBO has its hands full with several more spin-offs. Aegon’s Conquest, tells the story of Aegon the Conqueror, the first King of Westeros. The Batman co-writer, Mattson Tomlin, is currently writing the script for the new prequel series, set centuries before House of the Dragon. The Sea Snake, following Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint in House of the Dragon) is also in the works. The series focuses on the character’s earlier life, and his adventurous ‘Nine Voyages.’

Sadly, not every Game of Thrones spin-off will make it through development to become a completed series. Earlier this year, it was announced that the long-planned Jon Snow series has officially been shelved by HBO. According to Kit Harrington, the series never made it past the early development stage.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
releases on HBO and Max in late 2025.