There are still several Game of Thrones spin-off shows in various stages of development at HBO, but not all will see the light of day. One project that will reach our screens is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, and the series has now cast its leads.
According to EW, Peter Claffey (Bad Sisters) and Dexter Sol Ansell (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) will play Dunk and Egg, respectively.
Based on George R.R. Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, the story takes place about a century before the events of Game of Thrones and focuses on the adventures of "Dunk," a.k.a. the future Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Ser Duncan the Tall, and "Egg," the future King Aegon V Targaryen.
"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," the official series description reads.
Claffey, an Irish actor and former Connacht Rugby player, made his stage debut at Dublin's Abbey Theatre in A Whistle in the Dark by Tom Murphy. He went on to appear in 2022's Bad Sisters and Wreck, and has a role lined up opposite Cillian Murphy in Small Things Like These. 9-year-old Ansell began his acting career at the age of 4 on ITV's Emmerdale, and his other credits include Sky's thriller series The Midwich Cuckoos, and Netflix's comedy film Christmas on Mistletoe Farm. He will also appear in The Moor, Channel 4's Hullraisers, and Robin and The Hood.
Martin has previously confirmed that season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight will adapt the first of his three novellas, 1998's The Hedge Knight, with plans to focus on 2003's The Sworn Sword and 2010's The Mystery Knight in future seasons if the show continues.
Currently, The Batman co-writer Mattson Tomlin is working on an adaptation of Aegon’s Conquest, which charts the Targaryen’s bloody and brutal conquest of Westeros prior to the events of House of the Dragon. The story follows the invading Aegon Targaryen and his sister wives, Rhaenys and Visenya, who conquered Westeros with their mighty dragons. The trio successfully unified six of the Seven Kingdoms in just two years, with only Dorne managing to resist.
House of the Dragon returns for its second season on June 16. You can check out the most recent trailer below.