MOVIE NEWS – The upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, may not be what fans expect…
When it was announced that the Game of Thrones spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, was coming to Max, fans were excited to spend more time in Westeros and delve deeper into George R.R. Martin’s story. For those unfamiliar with the story, the story takes place a century before the events of Game of Thrones and follows the adventures of Ser Duncan the High and his squire, Egg, as well as their unlikely friendship. With the Targaryens still in possession of the Iron Throne, the duo travel to Westeros and become embroiled in exciting adventures and dangerous political intrigues…
With the success of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, loyal fans have come to expect the same level of storytelling and scale as their predecessors. However, they will be disappointed to learn that this spinoff series will not live up to those expectations. The author himself admits this. Martin explained what fans can expect:
“KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS is a smaller show than either GAME OF THRONES or HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, with a much smaller budget, but I really want it to be great. Ninety percent of the story is set in a field, surrounded by tents, we wouldn’t need the huge sets the other shows had featured, but it couldn’t look fake or cheap either, and the costumes and the heraldry and the fights all had to be splendid, and… I was so, so happy when I got there, and saw what Ira and his team had built.”
The epic scale of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon matches the scale of the plot, which includes wars for the Iron Throne, or battles between dragons. Martin revealed that this story is much more isolated and personal, and a smaller production is needed to be able to translate that feeling to the screen.
Many aspects of the story can be lost if the adaptation is too large.
This story focuses more on the characters and allows the audience to connect with them in a different way than the characters in Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. Martin assured fans that danger and death will not disappear, even though the series will retain the comic tone of the novels, as opposed to the grimness of House of the Dragon.
Where are the dragons in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?
If there’s one thing fans of the franchise love more than the turbulent politics of Westeros, it’s the power behind the Targaryen dynasty… dragons. But in this case, we’ll have to do without them. As mentioned, the story takes place about a century before the events of Game of Thrones, when dragons have already died out on the continent.
Ser Duncan and Egg’s adventures will be much more down-to-earth than the grand spectacles seen in the previous series. Their journey will continue to be filled with political backstabbing and dangerous enemies, indicating that the spirit of Martin’s original work will be felt throughout the season. This will once again allow viewers to get to know and understand the characters in Martin’s world in a way they never have before. The challenge for the show’s creators is to write characters that the show can rely on to keep viewers engaged.
Are there any other character-centric spinoffs coming?!
By joining the Game of Thrones franchise, Max has the opportunity to tell other stories beyond the Targaryens in this fantasy world that still have the power to captivate viewers. New characters can be introduced, and the storytelling can evolve from the war-centric storyline that audiences have seen so far.
A well-developed story and well-developed characters can keep viewers engaged. The impression from the networks is that audiences crave grandeur, but grandeur can’t compensate for poorly written characters and poorly crafted plots. They should focus on getting back to basics and engaging audiences with characters and messages that resonate with them. This series has the potential to do that. If the series is successful, it could pave the way for productions like the planned Jon Snow series. Or one that follows Arya’s adventures after the events of GoT.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight will premiere on Max on June 15, 2025.
Source: Not A Blog
