Game of Thrones for Kids? HBO Max Is Releasing a Family-Friendly Spin-off

Well, this is not what I expected from a Thrones prequel: HBO is making one you can actually watch with your kid. No, really.

What this new show is

'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' is HBO's next George R.R. Martin adaptation, based on his 'Tales of Dunk and Egg' novellas. It follows Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), a humble squire aiming to become a knight, who falls in with a bald kid named Egg. The two team up and hit the road for a series of adventures. If you know your Westeros lore, Egg is not just any kid, which is part of the fun.

So, is it actually kid-friendly?

That comes straight from one of the stars. Dexter Sol Ansell, who plays Egg, said at CCXP that he shot the series when he was nine, and the material felt appropriate for someone his age. He is 11 now and still stands by it:

'Kids like me can watch A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.'

That is a hard pivot from the TV-MA stamp on both 'Game of Thrones' and 'House of the Dragon'. This new one is being positioned as lighter, more character-driven, and far less interested in the graphic violence and nudity that defined the earlier shows.

The tonal shift (and why it matters)

On paper, making a gentler Westeros sounds odd. But these stories were always smaller-scale and warmer than the palace-intrigue bloodbaths we are used to. Expect something more adventurous and heartfelt than brutal and bleak. Same continent, very different vibe.

Where it sits on the timeline

We are roughly 100 years before the events of 'Game of Thrones' and about a century after 'House of the Dragon'. That puts Dunk and Egg in a sweet spot: far enough away from the Targaryen civil war to breathe, close enough to the main series to sprinkle in connective tissue for fans.

• Leads: Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall, Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg
• Also starring: Finn Bennett, Bertie Carvel, Tanzyn Crawford, Daniel Ings, Sam Spruell
• Source material: George R.R. Martin's 'Tales of Dunk and Egg' novellas
• Tone: Lighter and more character-centric; dialed back on graphic violence and nudity
• Previous shows: 'Game of Thrones' and 'House of the Dragon' were both TV-MA
• Setting: About 100 years pre-'Game of Thrones' and 100 years post-'House of the Dragon'
• Premiere: January 18, 2026 on HBO Max

Bottom line: Westeros is finally making room for younger viewers, and if they nail the adventurous tone these stories deserve, this could be a very welcome curveball.