Legendary sci-fi and fantasy author George R.R. Martin always wanted his Game of Thrones world to expand into a generational franchise. Six years later, Martin has seen that dream come true. After HBO's Game of Thrones concluded in May 2019, HBO quickly announced the prequel series House of the Dragon, based on Martin's book Fire & Blood, later that year.

Two short years later, news of another prequel series set in the world of Westeros surfaced, and fans are now eagerly anticipating the premiere of the series that will bring Martin's "Tales of Dunk and Egg" novellas to life. HBO's newest Game of Thrones spinoff focuses on Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will premiere on Sunday, January 18, 2026, at 10 pm ET/PT on HBO.

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 Release Date and Time

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Episode 1 Release Date & Time

Get ready to experience a new tale of Westeros as Episode 1 of A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms gets closer to its release.

Posts

By Shivam Gulati

HBO's Game of Thrones Franchise Continues to Expand

2011 saw the premiere of HBO's Game of Thrones, and that's when Martin realized how much catching up he had to do. He wasn't done writing the series back in 2011 — he still needed to write The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring. It's 2026, and Martin still isn't finished writing The Winds of Winter.

Of course, HBO's adaptation of the series is long-concluded, and the divergence from Martin's books is old news at this point. But Martin is still working on his ending to the saga, and he recently shared what's been holding him back from finishing it with James Hibbard of The Hollywood Reporter.

George R.R. Martin's Many Projects Beyond The Winds of Winter

More Westeros adaptations are in development at HBO, and the London West End is even producing a stage play, The Iron Throne. Martin is highly creatively involved in it all, not to mention his other Santa Fe business ventures: a bar called Milk of the Poppy, the Beastly Books bookstore, and the Jean Cocteau Cinema movie theater. Martin also leads the creative team at Sky Railway, where visitors can go on themed railroad adventures — like riding in a train painted to look like a dragon.

Outside Martin's most popular franchise, he's also worked heavily on other big ventures. Fantasy fans likely already know how much of a hand he had in the hit soulsborne game Elden Ring, but Martin also executive produces AMC's Navajo Tribal Police drama Dark Winds.

Martin does a lot. He's 77, and while in great health, he's starting to feel his age. "I never thought I'd live to be 77," Martin told Hibbard. "I'm old, so I have some old-people stuff. My lower back hurts sometimes. I don't like to stand around. But I feel OK."

Why is The Winds of Winter Taking So Long?

Still, Martin's fans take to the internet to urge him to "finish the book, George!". At WorldCon 2025, Martin was on a panel taking audience questions. One fan rudely confronted Martin, asking if he would allow a different writer to finish The Winds of Winter because "you're not going to be around for much longer."

"I really didn't need that s***," Martin reflected to Hibbard. "Nobody needs that s***."

Martin fully intends on finishing The Winds of Winter himself, and there is no secret contingency plan if he is unable to. His work will remain unfinished. Balancing being a producer and celebrity with writing has been the enduring roadblock in finishing The Winds of Winter. At this point, Martin has around 1,100 pages for the manuscript, but that's been the number for a while.

Martin shared his writing routine with Hibbard:

"I will open the last chapter I was working on and I’ll say, ‘Oh f***, this is not very good.’ And I’ll go in and I’ll rewrite it. Or I’ll decide, ‘This Tyrion chapter is not coming along, let me write a Jon Snow chapter.’ If I’m not interrupted though, what happens — at least in the past — is sooner or later, I do get into it."

There's still a long way to go to get The Winds of Winter to a place where Martin is satisfied.