House of the Dragon co-showrunner and former Game of Thrones director Miguel Sapochnik exits the new series. Although only two episodes have aired of the ten-episode first season, it's no surprise that the Game of Thrones prequel has proved to be a massive hit for HBO. The Targaryen-centric show's first episode had the largest viewership of any HBO premiere with 10 million viewers, and already House of the Dragon has been renewed for a second season. After Game of Thrones season 8 was lambasted by fans, series author George R.R. Martin took a more hands-on approach with the prequel, acting as a co-creator with Ryan J. Condal.
Condal also serves as a co-showrunner. For his part, Sapochnik was initially hesitant to return to the Game of Thrones universe until he saw how fervent the fanbase was first-hand at a Game of Thrones Experience concert in Los Angeles with a crowd of 17,000 others. He spent months afterwards developing House of the Dragon with Condal, and two years filming and working on post-production for the series. A veteran director of TV and film since the late '90s, he's worked on shows as varied as Fringe and House. Where Sapochnik really made his name, though, was on directing some of Game of Thrones' most intense and beloved episodes, such as the historically-based "Battle of the Bastards," "Hardhome," and "The Winds of Winter." In addition to directing House of the Dragon's pilot, he also directed episodes 6 and 7.
Now, Sapochnik will leave his showrunner duties behind before House of the Dragon season 1 has even finished airing. News of the shake-up comes from The Hollywood Reporter, which also details how production has hired another Thrones veteran, Alan Taylor, to serve as an executive producer and director for a number of episodes in season 2. The departure seems entirely amicable and based mostly on Sapochnik's desire to branch out. Check out his statement below:
"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. I am so proud of what we accomplished with season 1 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 2 and beyond.”
House of the Dragon season 1 took over ten months to film and nine and a half to work on post-production and VFX. With all that falling on top of Sapochnik's initial hesitance to join the series, it actually isn't too surprising that he is departing now. Sapochnik has been instrumental in establishing the look and feel of House of the Dragon, and while his leaving is rather sudden, the addition of Taylor seems like a strong one. Besides The Sopranos and Rome, Taylor has directed seven episodes of Game of Thrones, including the final two episodes of season 1 that contained such pivotal moments as the beheading of Ned Stark and the birth of Daenerys' dragons.
It remains to be seen whether Sapochnik's departure will have any long-lasting effects on House of the Dragon, but it seems doubtful. He will continue to serve as an executive producer, and alongside the guidance of Martin, Condal, and Taylor, HBO is bound to make sure their biggest property doesn't stray the course, lest they raise the ire of legions of fans again. Regardless, Sapochnik will be just fine, as he has a first-look deal with HBO to develop new projects. Things seem to be going well so far for House of the Dragon; its viewership not only stayed strong from its record-breaking premiere, but the number of viewers for the second episode increased. For now, the house of "fire and blood" is here to stay.
House of the Dragon releases new episodes Sundays on HBO.
Source: THR