Game of Thrones author George RR Martin has teased a "much different tone" to upcoming spinoff show The Hedge Knight.
HBO's third visit to Martin's seven kingdoms of Westeros - after Thrones and House of the Dragon - will chart the adventures of "unlikely heroes" Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg.
Posting an update on the Not a Blog blog this week, the writer began by revealing that "most of the auditions" are in the bag, with characters such as Tanselle, Steely Pate, Baelor Breakspear, The Laughing Storm, Aerion Brightflame and Prince Maekar all cast.
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"The Hedge Knight will be a lot shorter than Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon, with a much different tone... but it's still Westeros, so no one is truly safe," added Martin.
"The show will make its debut next year... and if it does well, The Sworn Sword and The Mystery Knight will follow. By which time I hope to have finished some more Dunk & Egg stories (yes, after I finish The Winds of Winter)."
Currently, three tales make up his Dunk and Egg series: 'The Hedge Knight' (published in 1998), 'The Sworn Sword' (2003) and 'The Mystery Knight' (2010).
Martin also confirmed that Black Mirror director Owen Harris ('San Junipero') will be calling the shots on half of the Hedge Knight episodes.
Related: Game of Thrones prequel reveals release window and plot details
Elsewhere on the Westeros front is an imminent second season of House of the Dragon, which dropped not one but two fiery trailers back in March.
The opening episode of the new season of House of the Dragon premieres on June 17.
Game of Thrones seasons 1-8 are available on DVD and Blu-ray. House of the Dragon airs on HBO in the US, and on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.
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Dan is a freelance entertainment journalist. Beginning his writing career in 2014, Dan's work first graced the pages of cult publications Starburst magazine and Little White Lies before moving onto Total Film, Digital Spy, NME and Yahoo Entertainment.
In the film and TV universe, he kneels at the altar of Jim Carrey, Daniel Plainview, Mike Ehrmantraut and Paulie Walnuts.
