It’s a busy week in the GTU (Game of Thrones Universe). Those Aegon the Conqueror rumors keep swirling. House of the Dragon finally began filming for season 2 (about time, right?) And today, during HBO Max’s wild news conference of ups and downs and name drops (more on that below), we got the craziest news of all. Dunk & Egg are officially making the jump from page to screen in the next iteration of the live-action GOT incarnations. How do you feel about all this info?!
Dunk & Egg are only 3 novellas deep, but apparently HBO (details below) thinks that’s more than enough for a series. I might remind them that each novella is no more than 70-100 pages, but who am I to tell Warner Brothers, famous makers of 3 three hour plus Hobbit-sized epics based on one itty-bitty short children’s novel that there’s not enough source material to adapt? Ha! The nerve of me.
Anyhoo, Dunk & Egg have been beloved by many readers for decades, and their escapades that take place roughly 100 years or so pre-GOT time is sure to excite the base, and titillate the Internet. Besides, if ratings count for anything, HBO (dammit!) is sure to have another massive hit on their hands, if HOTD’s runaway successes are any indication.
According to HBO‘s press release, here is the logline:
A century before the events of “Game of Thrones,” two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros…a young naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await those improbable and incomparable friends.
It will be written and executive produced by George R. R. Martin (!) and Ira Parker, with Vince Gerardis and Ryan Condal (HOTD showrunner) are executive producers. Wow. That’s a lot of news to take in…
“Hey David, why do you keep crossing out HBO,” you ask? “Because,” I say, “HBO is making the inexplicably stupid and dumbfounding decision to drop the name HBO and rebrand the streaming service simply “MAX.” You’ve heard that right. What has been the household brand name for the most prestigious and critically acclaimed TV series this side of the planet for decades (or, well, 1999 really, when The Sopranos crashed the network TV party), is officially being rebranded from “It’s not TV, it’s HBO” to “Just Max.” I personally believe this is one of the dumbest decisions they could possibly make. Thank the old gods that it’s the only questionable announcement they made at this press conference!
Your Hogwarts letter is here.
Max has ordered the first ever #HarryPotter scripted television series, a faithful adaptation of the iconic books. #StreamOnMax pic.twitter.com/3CgEHLYhch
— HBO Max (@hbomax) April 12, 2023
….I stand corrected.
