'House of the Dragon' Co-Showrunner Miguel Sapochnik Exiting Series

Miguel Sapochnik, the co-showrunner and director of House of the Dragon, will be leaving the popular Game of Thrones prequel series.

According to reports, he is exiting the HBO show after spending "an exhausting three years of effort" on the show's developmentm but will stay on as executive producer. For the remainder of the first season, Ryan Condal will serve as House of the Dragon's sole showrunner but will still work with franchise creator George R.R. Martin. “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, who has signed a first-look deal with HBO for new projects, 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.”

“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," HBO added, noting that Alan Taylor — co-executive producer of Game of Thrones season two and director of several episodes — will be Sapochnik's replacement. "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, and we are delighted to have him join Ryan and rest the talented team.”

Taylor shared, “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.”

House of The Dragon recorded the biggest series premiere for an HBO show in history, garnering 9.986 million viewers across linear airings and HBO Max streams on opening night in the US alone. It was renewed for a second season less than week after its premiere.

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