Ring the town bells, gentle up the beacons, and provides the closest dragon in your neighborhood a loving pat on the top (on second thought, possibly do not do this final one), as a result of the information followers have been ready for has lastly arrived. “Sport of Thrones” mastermind and “A Music of Ice and Hearth” novelist George R.R. Martin is formally confirmed to be within the midst of writing his subsequent e-book, which followers have been eagerly anticipating for years. However, as with every excellent news within the 12 months of our Lord 2026, there is a catch: It isn’t the long-delayed “The Winds of Winter,” apparently, however the subsequent novella in his “Tales of Dunk and Egg” collection.
Okay, in order that’s a little bit of a bummer for a traumatized fanbase that is almost given up on ever seeing the writer’s most well-known work come ever-so-closer to the end line. (Keep in mind, Martin nonetheless has one other e-book after this titled “A Dream of Spring” that is meant to carry this all to a grand conclusion.) However it’s good news for the remainder of us who’ve hoped that the acclaimed, Emmy-worthy launch of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” might have impressed him to overcome his author’s block by specializing in the a lot lower-stakes adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his loyal squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) as a substitute.
In line with showrunner Ira Parker, that is precisely what appears to be taking place. In a latest interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he revealed his hopes for the way forward for the prequel collection. Within the course of, he dropped fairly a shock on us:
“I might like to broaden [‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’] from three seasons to possibly 4 or 5. Guide 4, which George is engaged on, takes place in a really cool location.”
George R.R. Martin could also be avoiding a well-known Sport of Thrones drawback with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Say what?! Look, at this level, we’ll take George R.R. Martin e-book updates wherever we are able to get them — whilst an incredibly informal reveal in a bigger interview on “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.” Season 2 is at the moment filming in Spain with numerous new casting additions, however how lengthy can we anticipate the collection to go on? Martin famously wrote three novellas for these characters, with every season tentatively anticipated to adapt considered one of these comparatively transient tales. After that? Whereas creator Ira Parker has spoken of his formidable plan to go on for so long as doable, the truth is that this has at all times appeared doomed to the identical destiny as “Sport of Thrones” — an adaptation outpacing the supply materials and forcing its inventive staff to invent their very own ending altogether.
However maybe “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” may keep away from that destiny, or at the least delay it. Not like the drama between Martin and “Home of the Dragon” showrunner/co-creator Ryan Condal, Parker and Martin have loved a detailed working relationship on the HBO prequel collection. It totally passes the odor take a look at that the writer would’ve shared his writing progress with Parker. Extra encouragingly, this is able to assist the most recent addition to the franchise keep away from the identical destiny as “Sport of Thrones” and “A Music of Ice and Hearth.” Comparatively, extra installments of the “Tales of Dunk and Egg” novellas needs to be much less demanding to put in writing.
Whereas this shift in priorities might delay “The Winds of Winter” even longer (if it ever comes out within the first place), we would say it is value it simply to get any new tales set in Westeros in any respect.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms may have 5 seasons, however hopefully extra
So the place does that go away us with “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” you ask? The comfort-watch present strikes a markedly totally different tone from both “Sport of Thrones” or “Home of the Dragon,” and doubly so relating to the precise scale of this story. With solely two fundamental heroes to comply with all through their episodic journey by the wilds of Westeros, there isn’t any scarcity of tales that Ira Parker and George R.R. Martin may inform. In line with Parker, there is a “pure” place to take these protagonists within the years forward … and, optimistically, possibly even decide up as soon as once more later of their lives.
“[Book] 5 is the final story level of Egg as a boy. So it is a very pure ending place for us to take a break and are available again when Dexter is older,” Parker instructed THR. “So then we are able to do Egg the Prince, do some politics, do some enjoyable stuff in Summerhall and King’s Touchdown, and get a special vibe the place they don’t seem to be on the highway on a regular basis.” Season 1 of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” depicted Egg undercover as a Targaryen prince, which suggests Seasons 2 and three will be capable to totally embrace the dramatic pressure of retaining his secret identification underneath wraps. Past that? It appears future seasons would then discover Egg overtly strutting round as Aegon V Targaryen.
That is provided that HBO will get on board with that time-jump plan enjoying out in actual time, after all. What are the percentages of that? Parker himself admits that this pitch has earned him some “eye rolls, although not fully” from community executives. This is hoping they see the sunshine.
