Life is a waiting game for Game of Thrones fans. The show’s long-awaited final season debuted after a 20-month hiatus, and as shocking as that was then, it set the tone for its spin-offs. The latest season of House of the Dragon came after a two-year wait, and it’s safe to assume that Season 3 will follow a similar production timeline. It’s a little frustrating, especially given the show’s love of cliffhanger endings, but it’s not the only Game of Thrones story on HBO’s slate.
According to Warner Bros, the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight is set to premiere next year. The studio recently announced release windows for some of HBO’s most anticipated releases, including the new Thrones spin-off. True to form, though, it may be a bit later than anyone expects.
Per Variety, Thrones fans will get to return to Westeros next year. Warner is reportedly eyeing “a late 2025 launch” for The Hedge Knight, and if Variety’s intel is accurate, that means the series has been pushed back from its initial summer release window. The late fall/winter season is an unlikely window for a franchise as high profile as Game of Thrones, but HBO has found success with late-year releases recently.
The Penguin premiered in late September, and quickly cut through the noise to emerge as one of the year’s best shows. The Hedge Knight could follow suit next year, and if nothing else, it could make the wait for a new House of the Dragon season that much easier. It might also push the franchise in a new direction, as the series will reportedly take on a slightly episodic bent.
Not unlike The Mandalorian on Disney+, the book that inspired The Hedge Knight follows the adventures of a wandering knight, Ser Duncan the Tall. George R. R. Martin penned three relatively light-hearted novellas about Ser Duncan and his squire, who just so happens to be a future Targaryen king. There’s no telling how HBO will actually adapt the books, but The Hedge Knight could give fans a break from the serious, serialized storytelling of House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. Either way, the show looks promising... even if we have to wait a bit longer for it to arrive.
