HBO announced that it was developing a new television prequel series to Game of Thrones in January 2021. The series follows the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and a young Aegon V Targaryen, nicknamed Egg, and is based on the novellas by George R. R. Martin that constitute the Tales of Dunk and Egg, taking place 90 years before A Song of Ice and Fire.[1] There were reports that Steven Conrad was hired to write for the series in November 2021.[2] The series received an official order from HBO in April 2023.[3] By then, Martin had already written the script for a pilot episode.[4] Casting began in October 2023 with plans to begin filming in 2024.[5] By February 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav confirmed that the series had begun pre-production and that Martin was serving as creator and executive producer.[6]
In May, Owen Harris was hired to direct the first three episodes of the series and serve as an executive producer, setting the tone for the series.[7] That June, Sarah Adina Smith was announced to direct three of the six episodes of the first season.[8][9]
Casting
In April 2023, the lead roles were cast with Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall and Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg.[10] In June, it was announced that Finn Bennett, Bertie Carvel, Tanzyn Crawford, Daniel Ings, and Sam Spruell had joined the cast as Prince Aerion Targaryen, Prince Baelor Targaryen, Tanselle, Ser Lyonel Baratheon, and Prince Maekar Targaryen, respectively.[8][9]