House of the Dragon co-showrunner leaves the show only three weeks into first series

Co-showrunner for Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon, has left the project

Only a few weeks after House of the Dragon released on HBO Max, co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik has left the show. The show, a prequel to the critically acclaimed Game of Thrones, saw massive success on release. The first episode was HBO’s biggest premiere of all time, with around 10 million viewers.

Despite this success Sapochnik, who has been working on the show for three years, is departing to develop other projects. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the co-showrunner has “entered into a first-look deal with HBO to develop new projects”. However, he will “remain an executive producer for the duration of the series”. What these new projects are remains to be seen. However, Sapochnik did comment on his decision to move away from Game of Thrones.

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 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.

Miguel Sapochnik, on leaving House of the Dragon

In Sapochnik’s stead, HBO have hired Alan Taylor onto the project as executive producer and director of multiple episodes in the show’s second season. Taylor has previously worked on Game of Thrones, as well as other critically acclaimed shows like Lost, The Sopranos, and Mad Men. Sapochnik also stated that he is “deeply comforted to know that Alan will be joining the series”.

Meanwhile, Taylor said “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.”

Have you been enjoying House of the Dragon? Do you think co-showrunner Sapochnik’s departure from the show will impact it? Let us know down in the comments below! You can also check out our reaction to the show’s trailer! And don’t forget to hop over to our Discord to chat with us about all things TV, film, and entertainment!