Game of Thrones’ next spinoff will take the franchise in a very different direction - and it’s a shift in the landscape of fantasy TV as a whole too. HBO’s juggernaut had already changed TV in myriad ways, not least with its shocking deaths, but by the time ofGame of Thrones’ endingit was already clear that other networks and streamers were trying to cash-in on the fantasy TV boom, something that’s continued in the years since.
This ranges from things likeThe WitcherandHis Dark Materials- both of which debuted the same yearThroneswent out (in controversial fashion) - to Amazon’sThe Rings of Powerand HBO’s ownGame of ThronesspinoffslikeHouse of the Dragon. The stories and worlds have been varied, but there’s generally been a unifying sense of making them feel like epic, high fantasy and clearly targeting the same audienceThronesso perfectly captured. That’s understandable, but we’ve never actually seen it’s like again.
A Lot Of “Next Game Of Thrones” Shows Haven’t Quite Worked Out
Lots of TV shows have tried, very directly, to be thenextGame of Thrones. From HBO to Netflix and more, the last 5-10 years have been littered with fantasy series that, in part, exist because ofThrones. Just a few notable examples would include:
Renewed for season 3
Netflix
Ending with season 5
What’s notable is how many of those have ended, or face increasingly uncertain futures.The Wheel of Timehas 15 books, but made it just three seasons.The Rings of Powerwas a $1 billion bet for Amazonwhere completing its five-season plan isn’t even a guaranteed thing.
Shadow & BoneandCarnival Rowwere expensive gambits that didn’t pay off.The Witcherhas changed from a seven-season plan to five seasons, and still faces a challenge to get people to care about the remaining ones after Henry Cavill.
The TV landscape is filled withcanceled fantasy TV shows, typically major book adaptations.There are many more stuck in development hell or scrapped altogether-The Kingkiller Chronicles,Mistborn(both of which have been discussed as movies or shows), and more that simply won’t happen, suggesting epic fantasy may have had its moment for now.
Game of Thrones’ other spinoff is exciting because it runs counter to so much of what we’ve seen.
Epic or high fantasy books are difficult and expensive to adapt, so greater caution would be understandable. ButGame of Thrones’ other spinoff is exciting because it runs counter to so much of what we’ve seen.
Game Of Thrones' Next Spinoff Won’t Be An Epic Fantasy Series
The Next Series Will Have A Different Tone
A Knight of the Seven Kingdomsmay have theGame of Thronesfranchise tag, but it is not just “the next Game of Thrones.” Based on George R.R. Martin’sThe Tales of Dunk and Eggnovellas, for those unfamiliar,it tells the story of Dunk, a hedge knight, and a young boy who becomes his squire, Egg. Charting their journeys through Westeros - the first season will take place at a tourney - the series will be much smaller in scope, not to mention budget.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdomsis expected to release in early 2026 on HBO and HBO Max.
Not only will it have six episodes rather than the 8-10 customary for the franchise (and most fantasy shows), butit’s far lighter in tone and much less expansive in terms of its cast and setting. Compared toGame of Thronesor evenHouse of the Dragon, as well as things likeThe Rings of Power,The Wheel of Time,Shadow & Bone, and so on, this will be a very contained story, with smaller stakes.
It’s not about the Iron Throne, or the future of the realm against some great evil. And perhaps to some, that sounds less interesting, like it isn’t as important, but I thinkit’s the exact sort of fantasy show needed right now.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Will Be A Refreshing Change
It’s What The Franchise - And The Genre - Needs
A Knight of the Seven Kingdomsshould be a great new entry into the franchise and the genre. It still holds enough appeal for fans of both those things: there is action, there are Targaryens, there’s politics. But whereasHouse of the Dragonfeels like a natural extension of theGame of Thronesfranchise, this is more of a zag in another direction, and can prove there’s a lot of variety to this world and to the kinds of fantasy stories that can be told.
Not everything has to be anotherGame of Thrones, even when it’s in the same franchise. Oddly, I think the best comparison here may beAndor. That’s far weightier and darker than this, so I don’t mean they’re similar shows, but rather they could do similar things for their franchise.AndorprovedStar Warscould do something radically different to the norm, breaking away from Jedi and Sith, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. That’s what this could be forGOT.
It’s still fundamentally Martin, reckoning with the human condition and moral complications in a medieval world.
At its core,A Knight of the Seven Kingdomsis about what it means to be a knight, a hero, and a good person. It’s still fundamentally Martin, reckoning with the human condition and moral complications in a medieval world. There’ll still be violence, deaths, and twists.
But it’s very much about a character duo, and the lesser lords and smaller folk who don’t make as much of an impact in the grander, more epic stories. Stripping things back just that little bit, with something that doesn’t need to cost as much and this could, hopefully, be easier to produce.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdomswill, in an ideal world, attract an audience - maybe not as big asThronesorHOTD, but big enough - and help create a greater variety in the franchise, and fantasy TV as a whole.
