A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 2 Trimmed to 6 Episodes With an Even More Intimate Storyline

Alright, so we've got some early intel on season 2 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, courtesy of showrunner Ira Parker. If you were hoping for a bigger, flashier sophomore run, lower those expectations just a tad—it sounds like this next chapter won't be blowing up the scale (or the runtime). In fact, they might even be dialing things back a little.

The Plan for Season 2: Six Episodes, Tight Focus

Parker spilled the details to The Hollywood Reporter, saying the episode count is sticking to six. That's the same as season 1, and, if you ask me, not too surprising given these stories aren't exactly sprawling epics on the page. Actually, he thinks the scope might shrink even more this time around.

Now, there is a twist: the budget hasn't gone up, but, surprise, everything else has. According to Parker, prices are up thanks to inflation (shocking, right?). Add to that a logistical headache—a huge chunk of the next story happens during a drought. You can't exactly fake a drought in notoriously rainy Belfast, so they're having to pack up and shoot somewhere that looks sun-baked and bone-dry. Sounds easy, but apparently, it's a big expense season 1 didn't have to deal with.

'It’ll still be six episodes. I think the scope will be the same, maybe even smaller... The budget has stayed the same, but everything is more expensive due to inflation. Plus, book two takes place in a drought, so we can’t shoot exteriors in Belfast. We have to go to a sunny location with no water, which costs money – that’s a major expense that we did not have in season one. I’m having a lot of fun with season 2. It’s going to be a different season, and, I hope, for the better.'

What Exactly Are They Adapting?

If you didn't realize, each season of this show is tackling a different Dunk and Egg novella by George R.R. Martin. Season 1 was The Hedge Knight; season 2 is moving directly into The Sworn Sword. Both books are pretty trim—think 80 pages each—which kind of explains why they're not stretching things out to a blockbuster ten-episode order. Each episode runs 30-40 minutes, so there's not a lot of padding, which honestly should keep things pretty watchable.

What's New for Book Purists?

Here's something that might raise an eyebrow for the hardcore fans: Parker did add some fresh material, but it's not as wild as you might think. George R.R. Martin himself is apparently on board, and he especially liked one change—there's a new Baratheon tent scene where we meet Lyonel Baratheon in a way that's not from the original book.

Plus, there was a pretty specific note about puppetry. In the novella, the puppets are kind of your garden-variety hand puppets, but on the show, they've reimagined this part into something much bigger and more ambitious—a kind of 'War Horse'-style puppet, which means they went for full-on stagecraft instead of the cute stuff.

Quick Rundown: What This Show Actually Is

• It follows Dunk, a lowborn former squire trying to make it as a hedge knight (basically, a roaming swordsman-for-hire after his master's death)
• Egg is the sneaky young stable boy he meets—if you know your Westeros history, you'll know there's a big reveal there
• The first season covered their adventures at a tourney; season 2 adapts what comes next, so expect more dusty wandering and less jousting glamour

Release Details—When and Where

New episodes are rolling out weekly on HBO/HBO Max for the US folks and Sky Atlantic/NOW if you're in the UK. If you want the full schedule or an opinionated review, yeah, I've got those covered too.

Bottom line: Tight run, not a ton of bloat, and even Martin is cool with the tweaks. Here's hoping the budget-busting drought scenes are worth it.