WBD CEO David Zaslav recently gave an update on the studio's intentions for some of its key IPs at the company's Q4 2023 Earnings Call for Investors.
Zaslav said that the planned spin-off of Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, will debut in late-2025. He further stated that pre-production on the program is currently underway.
Based on George R.R. Martin's epic novellas Dunk & Egg, the spin-off was originally approved in April 2023. In addition to writing some of the episode scripts, Martin will also co-executive produce the show alongside with Ira Parker (House of the Dragon, The Last Ship).
Three novellas focusing on Dunk & Egg have been published to date- The Hedge Knight (1998), The Sworn Sword (2003), and The Mystery Knight (2010). A collection of all 3 novellas was bundled together in 2015 and released under the title, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
Martin has stated that he has more Dunk & Egg novellas to write but it's anyone guess as to when he'll actually complete another entry.
During the earnings call, Zaslav went on to state, "We have these great brands- Game of Thrones. We have these great brands that people everywhere in the world know, love and will leave a dinner to come run and see."
The news should please WBD investors as the addition of another Game of Thrones spin-off will likely bolster the company's Max subscriptions.
The official logline for the series reads, "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."
Filming is currently slated to begin this Spring.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms will be the second spin-off to follow after the main show's conclusion. House of the Dragon premiered in August 2022. Its second season is rumored for a similar August release, later this year.
In addition to these two series, an adult animated series, tentatively titled The Golden Empire is also in development, along with a Jon Snow-centered continuation and another prequel series that follows the story of Aegon Targaryen's rise to power in Westeros.
However, speaking earlier this year to The Wrap, HBO CEO Casey Bloys cautioned, "I think with a show like [Game of Thrones], when somebody reads that something is in development, there becomes an expectation that that is being shot, which is not the case. So right now the only two things that are greenlit are House of the Dragon, obviously, and The Hedge Knight. There are a lot of other projects in development but I don’t have anything imminent to report."