AsHouse of the Dragoncontinues to make waves, a shake-up in the production of the series has been announced. According toThe Hollywood Reporter, co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik has elected to step down from his role.
Sapochnik has served as showrunner alongside Ryan Condal for season one ofHouse of the Dragon;the duo also worked together in order to develop the spin-off from the get-go. The series was recentlyrenewed for a second season, and as of the end of season one, Sapochnik will no longer be a showrunner alongside Condal.
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Sapochnik will, however, stay on as an executive producer on the show. Ithad previously been reportedthat Sapochnik was reluctant to sign on toHouse of the Dragon,but was convinced by George RR Martin to join the production. Sapochnik, however, is not parting on bad terms with the show, saying in a statement that the decision was “incredibly tough” to make. He further stated that he was “deeply comforted” to know that he was leaving the series in highly capable hands - such as Alan Taylor’s, who will be replacing Sapochnik as co-showrunner.
Taylor previously worked onGame of Thronesand seemed enthusiastic to be a part of the franchise once again. Taylor praised the world constructed by Condal, Sapochnik,and Martin inHouse of the Dragon, saying, “It’s a pleasure and an honor to be back at HBO, immersing myself in the world of the Targaryens.” In addition to working on shows such asThe SopranosandMad Men,Taylor directed seven episodes ofGame of Thronesthroughout its run - the latest of which was season 7’s “Beyond the Wall”, the episode in which Jon Snow leads an expedition beyond the wall to capture a wight.
While the move to replace Sapochnik could be seen as potentially worrying for the future of the show, it appears that Sapochnik stepped down of his own accord. It’s understandable that Sapochnik would step down when he was hesitant to return to the franchise in the first place -some of the episodes he directed forGame of Throneswere known to have had the particularly grueling production cycles. Among these episodes is “The Long Night”, which filmed over 55 night shoots in 11 weeks. Running a show as monumental asHouse of the Dragonis likely very time-consuming, and as he’s stepped down as co-showrunner, HBO has offered him a first-look deal to develop new projects for the network and allowed him to stay on as an executive producer on the show. It’s an attractive deal, and one Sapochnik seemed keen to take.
House of the Dragonairs Sundays on HBO.
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