House of the Dragon co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik is stepping down. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sapochnik, the co-creator and director of the first HBO Game of Thrones prequel series, is exiting the show. Starting with House of the Dragon Season 2, Sapochnik will be credited as executive producer, with fellow showrunner Ryan J. Kondal will be the sole ruler of the House of the Dragon. After working hard for three years on House of the Dragon, Sapochnik has also struck a first-look deal with HBO to create new projects.
“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. prepared statement, “I am very proud of what we have achieved with season one and am very happy with the enthusiastic response from our audience. Deciding to move on was incredibly difficult, but I know it’s the right choice for me personally and professionally. However, as I do so, I find it very comforting to know that Alan will be joining the series. ,
Alan Taylor – known for his work on Game of Thrones and Thor: The Dark World – will join Kondall to direct House of the Dragon, Season 2. The filmmaker maintains a decades-long relationship with HBO and Warner Bros., most recently directing The Manny Saints of Newark, a spin-off sequel to the critically acclaimed The Sopranos TV series, available on Disney+ Hotstar.
“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 begins an extraordinary story in a rich and fascinating world,” said Taylor. He previously helmed some early episodes in the Game of Thrones TV series, including Season 1’s “Baylor” and “Fire and Blood”.
The move comes in the wake of House of the Dragon premiere receiving 25 million views within the first week of its release, setting an HBO record for a series opener. Last week, the Game of Thrones prequel received an early renewal for Season 2.
As previously stated, Sapochnik has struck a new deal with the studio and will focus on new projects for the premium US cable TV network. He is best known for directing the fan-favorite GoT episodes in Season 5’s “Hardhome” and Season 6’s “The Battle of the Bastards”. Going forward, Condall and Taylor will be working closely with author George R.R. Martin.
Earlier this week, HBO released an Episode 3 preview for House of the Dragon. As you’d expect, it features another time jump with newlywed King Viserys (Paddy Considine) and Aegon, child of Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey). The House of the Dragon Episode 3 trailer also introduced Crabfeeder (Daniel Scott-Smith), a prince admiral notorious for hitting his enemies with spikes and feeding them crabs.
New House of the Dragon episodes airs every Monday on Disney+ Hotstar in India at 6:30 a.m. ET, and Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO Max wherever available. Season one consists of 10 episodes.
