A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner, Ira Parker, revealed that the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel may feature the return of Walder Frey (played by Harry Potter franchise alum David Bradley in the original HBO show), one of Westeros’ most notorious villains. According to Parker, a “baby Walder Frey” is one of the many potential cameos under consideration for the series. The showrunner shared that he already has a plan for the future traitor’s reintroduction and hinted that he wants the scene to include Frey being rescued from a “runaway horse cart” by Peter Claffey’s Ser Duncan the Tall or Dunk
Parker said in a recent interview with Polygon that the honorable Dunk unknowingly saving a man destined for treachery would be the perfect twist of irony. However, he added that he does not want to make a big deal out of it. “It just happens, and we’re on with the story,” Parker explained. Even if Frey’s cameo fails to materialize on screen, the showrunner has shared that the prequel will feature several Easter eggs and nods to Game of Thrones. He noted that a notable sequence will show Dunk on the same road that Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) and Podrick Payne (Daniel Portman) travel when they head off from King’s Landing.
The Game of Thrones Sequel, set 89 years before the original and 77 years after House of the Dragon, adapts George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas and explores the depths of Westerosi history. The series, which wrapped production in September 2024, was filmed in Belfast, where parts of Game of Thrones were also shot. The upcoming prequel even reuses certain locations from the 2011 HBO series to connect all these stories with one another.
‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Shows the Most Grounded Version of Westeros Yet
In a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly, Parker shared that unlike the previous shows in the franchise, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will unfold entirely from the perspective of its leads. The upcoming prequel is a character-driven saga rooted in the lives of the wandering knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his eager young squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). Parker describes the prequel as a completely different version of Westeros. In the showrunner’s exact words: “We are ground up in this series, we are starting right at the bottom. We’re not with the lords and ladies, the kings and queens.” Parker compared the series’ setting to 14th-century Britain and noted that Dunk exists in a Westeros that feels gritty and cold.
This shift in focus extends to the show’s creative choices, too. Parker revealed that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will not feature the elaborate opening sequences of its predecessors. Instead, it will feature a simple title card with medieval typography. The showrunner explained that every aspect of the series channels the type of person Dunk is. “He’s plain and he’s simple and he’s to-the-point,” added Parker while describing the lead character.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres on HBO on January 18, 2026.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms
Release Date
January 18, 2026
Network
HBO
Directors
Owen Harris
Writers
George R. R. Martin, Ira Parker
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Peter Claffey
Ser Duncan ‘Dunk’ the Tall
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Finn Bennett
Aerion Targaryen
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Bertie Carvel
Baelor Targaryen
