A TALE 100 YEARS BEFORE GAME OF THRONES
HBO MAX returned to New York Comic Con with an exciting line-up featuring a fan experience and cast panels of the upcoming HBO® Original series IT: WELCOME TO DERRY, and exclusive panels of A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS, and ADVENTURE TIME: FIONNA AND CAKE.
On Thursday, the beloved medieval fantasy epic franchise made its return to New York Comic Con with an exciting first look at the upcoming Game of Thrones spin-off: ‘A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS‘, which Debuts In early 2026. HBO held a highly anticipated panel in the Javits Center’s Empire Stage, releasing the official trailer for the original half-hour drama series. The event gave fans an exclusive look and a deep dive into the series with the novelist mastermind and series creator George R. R. Martin.
The World of Game of Thrones continues to expand, with fans already immersed in continuing the franchise with the prequel series, ‘House of the Dragon.’ Now HBO is returning to the world of George R. R. Martin again with an entirely new story. This time, based on Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas, and it’s set between the events of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.
From the world of Westeros comes an endearing tale centered on the adventures of an unexpected duo, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg, a century before “Game of Thrones.” The six-episode season debuts SUNDAY, JANUARY 18 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. New episodes will debut on subsequent Sundays.
Co-creator and executive producer George R.R. Martin, co-creator/showrunner Ira Parker, and stars Peter Claffey (Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall) and Dexter Sol Ansell (Egg) introduced the new original series at the panel moderated by Brandon Davis, host of “Phase Hero: A Film & TV Podcast.” NYCC ‘Thrones’ fans were the first to see the world premiere of the trailer!
In addition to releasing the trailer and ‘knighting’ some audience members who recited the three-part oath, the panelists also revealed some intriguing details about what fans can expect from the prequel. Martin, a bit too excited, may have revealed a bit too much about some key plot twists, but we’ll stay clear of any spoilers here.
(L-R) Host Brandon Davis, co-creator/showrunner Ira Parker, stars Peter Claffey (Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall), Dexter Sol Ansell (Egg), and co-creator/executive producer George R.R. Martin
What we learned at the ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘
panel at NYCC
According to showrunner Ira Parker, it’s all about the time period it’s set in, and the story possibilities that setting opens up.
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.
This particular period of the fantasy universe distinguishes itself from the other two Game of Thrones series as a story that grounds itself in the lives of common people rather than the lords and royalty. Viewers will always stick with Dunk, Egg, and this lower rim of Westeros society.
The series introduces audiences to new knight Ser Duncan the Tall (Claffey), also known as “Dunk.” After the death of his former hedge knight master, he heads to a tournament at Ashford Meadow to earn some coin. Parker emphasized that it will never shift to a perspective of anyone in the upper class. Viewers will always stick with Dunk, Egg, and this lower rim of Westeros society: the armorers, the performers, the barmaids, the whores, and the like.
At this time period, “Nobody’s thinking about magic,” Ira Parker explains. “This could basically be 14th-century Britain. This is hard-nose, grind it out, gritty, medieval knights, cold with a really light, hopeful touch. It’s a wonderful place to be. We are ground up in this series; we are starting right at the bottom. We’re not with the lords and ladies, the kings and queens.”
Delivers the best jousting sequences ever put on film.
Jousting is among the challenges that Dunk will face at the commons for smallfolk – Ashford Meadow, and for Martin, those sequences were the most important to get right.
During the panel, Martin talked about spending some time in Belfast in Northern Ireland, and watching some shooting and how incredible the sets looked. “I set a challenge, which I think Ira and people have delivered,” and “I said, ‘Let’s do the best jousting sequences that have ever been put on film.’ A modest little challenge for Ira and this group.”
“They had a tug of war, and I got to meet the cast, not only these two, but the rest of the cast, too. It was pretty, pretty amazing. He goes on to say, “I mean, they had a whole somewhere north of Belfast in the wild of Northern Ireland. They had the whole Ashford turning ground laid out, wonderful grounds and tents and jousting, jousting pavilions and things like that.“
“It was, I felt like I was back there. And there’s nothing like that to see something that’s only existed in your head, something come to life. Those sets just look incredible.”
Martin also cited his previous favorite as Elizabeth Taylor’s and George Sanders’ “Ivanhoe” (1952) as the golden standard for jousting scenes, before telling the audience, “You guys can judge how well we did, but I think we did pretty well.” Parker added: “We also did something hopefully no one’s ever seen before, which is a tournament at night, which just looks badass.”
Ensures the tone and approach for the new series captures the “lovely and sweet” elements of the source material, while also maintaining the “brutal” and “unpredictable” nature of the Westeros world.
The showrunner stated, “I think the biggest thing about this show finding its place sandwiched between these two giants was just tone, tone, tone. These novellas are so lovely and sweet, and they have so much hope. But they also have just brutal elements of this world that I think we’ve all come to love in Westeros, where anything can happen. There is a level of unpredictability that resonates with people because that’s just how your life is.”
Parker also promised that the new series will have a “very grounded, gritty, Earthy, ground-up sort of feel. We’ve never had this perspective before of somebody who grew up in the slums of King’s Landing as an orphan, who came up in this world, didn’t have a name, didn’t have an inheritance, didn’t have any money, doesn’t have the best training in the world, and he’s just trying to make it. He’s trying to go out and do something hard that he’s never done before. He’s out of his comfort zone, and hopefully a lot of that will resonate with a lot of our audience.”
Collaborated closely with the stunt team and directors to create action sequences that immerse the audience in the gritty, ground-level experience of the characters.
Actors Peter and Dexter discussed their experiences, including horse riding training, casting, and the emotional impact of their roles. The conversation highlighted the challenges of adapting Martin’s detailed writing to screen, the importance of maintaining the story’s tone and character dynamics, and the unique aspects of the new series, such as the absence of dragons and the focus on Duncan and Egg’s perspectives.
When asked about becoming a knight and preparing for the role of Duncan, Peter said the first step was learning to ride a horse. He admitted he wasn’t an experienced rider, with only a small amount of previous experience from a brief role in Vikings. For this show, he trained extensively with The Devil’s Horsemen, a top horse supplier for films in Europe, and reached a strong level of horse-riding skill through that preparation.
Parker emphasizes that the show’s goal was to closely follow Duncan’s perspective, making the experience intimate, gritty, and immersive. Rather than using fast-cut action or epic, wide-angle shots like Game of Thrones, the focus was on capturing the raw, brutal reality Duncan faces. The team, including stunt coordinators and director Owen Harris, worked to make the fight scenes feel authentic—using mud, dirt, and even dealing with wasps on set to heighten discomfort.
The intention was for the audience to feel everything Duncan does: the pain, exhaustion, irritation, and the physical strain of battle, including the difficulty of breathing in a helmet. This version of the story aims to be a grounded, visceral portrayal of the world.
Logline: 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.
A tall tale that became legend. The new #GameOfThrones series, #AKnightoftheSevenKingdoms, premieres January 18 on HBO Max.
See More from New York Comic Con 2025!
Tags: #gameofthrones #aknightofthesevenkingdoms #newyorkcomiccon
@HBO@hbomax @reedpop
Leave a comment, like, share, and subscribe for more reviews and content.
Thank you for watching! If you liked the video, be sure to Like, Comment & Share!
Gotham Geek Girl 