George R.R. Martin Plots Dozens of Dunk & Egg Novellas

George R.R. Martin’s relationship with adaptations of his work has been, at times, a bit fraught. He’s not been shy about voicing his reservations over certain creative choices—his recent comments on House of the Dragon’s second series spring to mind. Yet, when it comes to the forthcoming A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Martin’s enthusiasm appears undimmed. Showrunner Ira Parker, reflecting on the process, described Martin as an “absolutely brilliant partner.”

Parker recounted,

“George has been such a wonderful partner in this,”

during a roundtable chat. He spent a week in Santa Fe, joined by Martin and a handful of the author’s preferred collaborators, brainstorming and shaping the direction for the show’s inaugural run. The sessions, Parker noted, yielded a fair few unexpected turns—fresh concepts and narrative threads that Martin himself found particularly appealing.

From Page to Screen: Dunk, Egg, and New Faces

The series draws its inspiration from The Hedge Knight, Martin’s novella chronicling the exploits of Dunk, a newly minted hedge knight, and his would-be squire, Egg. Peter Claffey steps into Dunk’s boots, while Dexter Sol Ansell takes on the role of Egg. The story follows Dunk as he attempts to carve out a reputation for himself in the wake of his mentor’s passing, leading him to a tournament and, inevitably, into the orbit of some rather colourful characters.

Parker highlighted one particular element that caught Martin’s imagination:

“I think he really loved the idea of the Baratheon tent and meeting Lyonel Baratheon in that capacity, which was wonderful,”

he said, referencing the introduction of the bold Lord of Storm’s End. The creative team’s approach to puppetry also emerged from these discussions, with Parker noting,

“I think something really cool with the design of our puppetry came out of those meetings, you know, this big, sort of, almost like War Horse-style puppetry, rather than the smaller hand puppets in the novella.”

Martin’s Creative Imprint

Martin’s involvement, Parker suggested, has been nothing short of invaluable. The author’s willingness to be drawn away from his other projects for these sessions was, in Parker’s words, a “rich creative experience.” The collaboration, he said, was marked by a genuine sense of camaraderie and mutual respect, with Martin’s input only ever serving to enhance the production.

With the premiere set for 18 January, anticipation is building. For those keen to keep abreast of developments, there’s the release schedule to follow, and, for the especially eager, a look ahead at the other Thrones-related projects currently in the pipeline.