Showrunner of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms shares George R.R. Martin’s favorite adaptations from the novella: “It was an incredibly rich creative experience.”

George R.R. Martin has had mixed feelings about adaptations of his works, but he’s been very supportive of the upcoming spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Showrunner Ira Parker shared insights during a recent roundtable discussion, highlighting Martin’s collaborative spirit.

“George has been an incredible partner throughout this process,” Parker noted. “I spent a week in Santa Fe with him and some of his favorite writers, brainstorming ideas and developing stories for the first season. We uncovered a lot of surprises and some fantastic concepts that George really connected with.”

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms draws from Martin’s novella The Hedge Knight, which tells the story of Dunk (Peter Claffey), a hedge knight striving to establish his reputation after his master’s death. He enters a tournament and teams up with an eager young squire named Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).

Parker mentioned, “He was particularly excited about the Baratheon tent and the introduction of Lyonel Baratheon, which was a great moment.”

He also discussed the creative evolution of the show, saying, “We developed some impressive puppetry designs during those meetings, opting for a grand, almost War Horse-style approach instead of the smaller hand puppets featured in the novella. Collaborating with George is always a rich creative experience, and he’s been a tremendous asset to the show.”

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set to premiere on January 18.