Get ready to see a lot more of Westeros and Hogwarts on HBO Max — or, as it's now known, Max.
Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed Wednesday its new streamer that combines HBO Max and Discovery+ will just be called Max, and the company revealed some major film and television projects that are headed to the service.
For one, HBO has given a series order to its second Game of Thrones prequel series: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, which will be based on author George R.R. Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas. Set a century before the events of Game of Thrones, it revolves around the "unlikely heroes" of the knight Ser Duncan the Tall and his "diminutive squire," Egg, who will eventually become King Aegon V Targaryen. Martin is on board to write and executive produce, and House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal will also serve as an executive producer. This is the second Thrones spinoff to receive a green light from HBO, though others have been in various stages of development.
"Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends," the logline for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms said.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery also confirmed rumors that a Harry Potter TV series is headed to Max, which will provide a "faithful adaptation" of J.K. Rowling's original seven novels in a "decade-long series" starring a new cast. "This new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years," said Casey Bloys, chair and CEO of HBO and Max content.
Rowling is on board as an executive producer, and she said the show "will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series." According to Variety, when Bloys was asked about Rowling's history of facing backlash for statements that have been condemned as transphobic, he described this as a "very online conversation," adding, "Our priority is what's on the screen."
