A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms' Showrunner Has A Solution To The Show's One Big Problem

• Television
• Fantasy Shows

The rough-and-tumble fantasy world of Westeros is full of many dangers, but even dragons pale in comparison to the biggest threat facing "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" — time. Time comes for us all, but it's coming a little faster for the likes of star Dexter Sol Ansell, who portrays young Targaryen princeling Egg in the HBO show. Currently only 11 years of age, his casting in Season 1 of the critically-acclaimed "Game of Thrones" prequel might as well have been ripped right out of the pages of author George R.R. Martin's "Tales of Dunk and Egg" novellas. But one thing those stories never had to contend with was the fact that kids tend to age in real life ... and rapidly, at that.

Considering that Season 2 is currently in production and the show's creatives hope to make another season after that (if not more), well, let's just say "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" faces a unique problem. Luckily, should showrunner Ira Parker be able to tell this story to completion, he has a potential solution. In an interview with Decider (via io9/Gizmodo), he revealed his hope to film five full seasons while Ansell remains his diminutive self: "What I would love to do: George has five stories of sort of Egg the boy, which is, I think, a nice thing to do right now while Dexter is still young and his voice is, you know, squeaky."

Of course, the ever-procrastinating Martin has only written three novellas for "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" to adapt, but Parker has mentioned that the author has told him his ideas for more. Apparently, that includes two additional ones about Dunk (Peter Claffey) and Egg's travels around Westeros. After that? Well, Parker has a plan for that as well.

The long-term plan for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms can be split into three distinct phases -- if HBO agrees

As of yet, all that's been officially confirmed is that HBO has greenlit "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" for a second season — but Ira Parker has his sights set much higher than that. The creator, writer, and showrunner has previously detailed his multi-season arc for the show (amounting to 12 total), but only time will tell if the network allows him to fulfill that dream. Until then, Parker at least knows where he wants to take things next in the journey of Ser Duncan the Tall and his loyal squire/secret prince Aegon "Egg" Targaryen. As he told Decider, "At the end of that fifth [season], [Egg] sort of becomes the prince again."

From there, we can expect the travelogue show to finally settle down in one or two locations as both characters grow and progress. As Parker explained:

"The next couple [seasons] would take place in a different [setting]. Not just on the road, but in a place like Summerhall or a place like King's Landing. That's the middle section of if. Of course, the last [section] is Egg the king."

Longtime book readers know that that last stage of Egg's life leads right up to the decades immediately prior to the events of "Game of Thrones" (which Dexter Sol Ansell memorably spoiled not too long ago), but we're a long way off from ever seeing that realized in live-action. Parker was quick to caution that, before anyone gets their hopes up, "None of this has been discussed with HBO." Additionally, well, this would require Ansell aging up to an adult, as Parker has no intentions of recasting. Hopefully, good things come to those who wait.