There’s been a bit of a House of the Dragon shake-up over the last few days. As reported by THR, co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik leaves his role going forward with House of the Dragon. Fellow co-Showrunner Ryan Condal will remain as a sole showrunner moving forward. This is not some kind of internal disagreement between the pair. Instead it seems as though Sapochnik just needed more time to work on other projects. Sapochnik will remain an exec producer on House of the Dragon. Game of Thrones veteran director Alan Taylor will also come in as an exec producer and Season 2 (episodic) director. It’s also thought that Sapochnik may still direct episodes of the series as it moves forward.
“Working within the Thrones universe for the past few years has been an honor and a privilege, especially spending the last two with the amazing cast and crew of House of the Dragon,” Sapochnik said in a statement. “I am so proud of what we accomplished with season one and overjoyed by the enthusiastic reaction of our viewers. It was incredibly tough to decide to move on, but I know that it is the right choice for me, personally and professionally.”
“As I do so, though, I am deeply comforted to know that Alan will be joining the series. He’s someone I’ve known and respected for a long time, and I believe this precious series could not be in safer hands. I am so glad to remain a part of the HBO and House of the Dragon family and, of course, I wish Ryan and his team success and all the best with season two and beyond.”
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Said Taylor: “It’s a pleasure and an honor to be back at HBO, immersing myself in the world of the Targaryens. I look forward to working closely with Ryan as House of the Dragon grows into its second season. Ryan, Miguel and George have launched an extraordinary story, in a rich and fascinating world. Returning to Westeros will be a huge undertaking and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Added HBO: “Miguel Sapochnik has done amazing work on the first season of House of the Dragon, establishing its signature look and feel. This series simply could not have come together the way it did without him. While we would have loved to have Miguel continue in the same role, we are thrilled to have his ongoing collaboration in this new creative capacity. Looking forward, we’ve had a decades-long relationship with Alan Taylor. We are delighted to have him join Ryan and rest the talented team.”
In all honesty this is just the film and TV business at work. Sapochnik has a first look deal with HBO and therefore perhaps has his own ideas he wants to push forward. This will allow Sapochnik to stay involved in HotD. However, not quite in the same time consuming role he had in Season 1. Alan Taylor, like Condal and Sapochnik is well experienced in the Westeros world of Thrones. I’m sure this won’t affect the quality on show, which has been top notch thus far in Season 1.
What do you think of this House of the Dragon shake-up as Miguel Sapochnik leaves his role as co-showrunner? As always, let us know below.