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Game Of Thrones' The Hedge Knight: George RR Martin Opens Up on New Casting of Spin-off Series Amid Jon Snow's Canceled Venture
Martin talked about the characteristics of the two central actors, Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell who will play Dunk and Egg respectively.
A lot is happening in the Game of Thrones universe. While one prequel series just got canceled another is pacing up with its casting. Recently it was revealed that the Jon Snow spinoff series of Game of Thrones was no longer in active development. However, A Song of Ice and Fire author, George R. R. Martin expressed his satisfaction with the assigned cast of the new prequel series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight.
Martin talked about the characteristics of the two central actors, Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell who will play Dunk and Egg respectively. With the author serving as the executive producer, The Hedge Knight will soon kick off its production with an anticipated release in 2025.
George R. R. Martin reflects on The Hedge Knight's casting
The 75-year-old author penned down his thoughts about the lead actors in a Not A Blog post on Tuesday. Martin reflected in brief notes stating how Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell are perfectly fit for the characters. Claffey, 27, a former pro rugby player turned actor was cast to play Ser Duncan Tall a.k.a Dunk. Ansell, 9, will star alongside Claffey as King Aegon V Targaryen a.k.a Egg. 
The Hedge Knight will be based on Martin’s novella series, the Tales of Dunk and Egg, set in an era ninety years before Game of Thrones. Speaking of Claffey, Martin said, “Peter Claffey will play Dunk. He’s a former professional rugby player turned actor. And he’s tall. Ok, maybe not quite as tall as Ser Duncan the Tall, but still plenty tall, and with the magic of television … His readings were terrific. I think you’re going to love him.” Claffey is 6 feet 5 inches whereas Ser Duncan is an inch short of 7 feet, per the books.
As for the child actor Ansell, Martin was all praise. “As Egg, we’ve cast Dexter Sol Ansell. Most recently seen in the HUNGER GAMES prequel, but he’s got an amazing amount of experience for his age. I am told he cannot wait to shave his head. (Love that sort of commitment). His auditions were wonderful as well,” the notable author added.
Martin concluded, “Peter and Dexter. They should make one hell of a pair.” His involvement in the prequel series has instilled hope in fans that it will fare better than the fate of the controversial Game of Thrones ending.
Why was Jon Snow’s spinoff show canceled?
Earlier this week, Game of Thrones star Kit Harrington confirmed that the Jon Snow spinoff has wrapped up mid-development. While other spinoff series like House of the Dragon and The Hedge Knight are making their way to the silver screen, the potential Jon Snow script has been trashed due to plot reasons.
Harrington confirmed that the show was in development but it is now “off the table.” The English actor told ScreenRant that he “didn’t want it leaked out that it was being developed” and thus, hadn’t spoken about it anywhere.
However, the creators were unable to “find the right story to tell” and the show has been pulled out of development. “So, we decided to lay down tools with it for the time being. There may be a time in the future where we return to it, but at the moment, no. It's firmly on the shelf,” Harrington added. Jon Snow fans might be disappointed, but plenty is coming up in the Game of Thrones multiverse.
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