This is shocking news and could be a devastating blow to HOTD going forward. Co-showrunner and co-creator Miguel Sapochnik has left his role as showrunner on House of the Dragon, despite the overwhelming success and praise the show has received.
I still can’t believe that Miguel Sapochnik is leaving House of the Dragon as, along with Ryan Condal and George R.R. Martin, he’s been the key figure behind making and producing this show. It was his and Condal’s drive and determination that convinced HBO to pick their successor project over the other Game of Thrones related works (ex: The Long Night).
Simply put, without Miguel Sapochnick, there probably would not be a House of the Dragon show.
And that is what makes this news so shocking. He was so heavily involved in the show’s promotion, as he has appeared in numerous interviews, videos, and panels, and has consistently appeared in the post-episode videos (such as the Inside the Episode videos on the Game of Thrones YouTube channel).
It begs the question: why would a showrunner leave a project, one that he has put three years of his life into, after only the first season? To me, it really doesn’t make sense unless he was just burnt out or had an issue with someone on set.
If Sapochnik’s grievance was that he was not allowed to direct any of the episodes, I would understand why he would want to leave. He made his name in the entertainment world by directing some of the best episodes of Game of Thrones, such as Hardhome, Battle of the Bastards, Winds of Winter.
But he is credited with directing HOTD’s fantastic premier, Heirs of the Dragon, and is also credited with directing Episode 6: Princess and the Queen and Episode 7: Driftmark of HOTD. So, that’s clearly not that reason.
And if it was that he had a problem with Ryan Condal or the HBO hierarchy, he has decided to keep it behind closes doors as he said in a statement, “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.”
Unless he’s an expert liar and manipulator, he seems genuinely sad to leave as he seems to really care for the project and the people still involved with it.
(HBO-House of the Dragon-S1 Ep1: Inside the Episode)
With Sapochnik not giving a specific reason or grievance with the show, we’ll have to just have to keep speculating as to why the great director has decided to leave. Nevertheless, Sapochnik’s directorial talents have not been lost completely as he is still staying on as an executive producer, while GOT, The West Wing, and The Sopranos veteran director, Alan Taylor, has joined the House of the Dragon directorial team to replace Sapochnik’s director duties.
Hopefully we find out the real reason why Sapochnik has left House of the Dragon in the future, and that his departure does not hurt the show’s potential too much.
Images Source: Featured Image: (HBO) (S1 EP1: Inside the Episode | House of the Dragon (HBO) – YouTube)
In Text Image 1: (HBO) (S1 EP1: Inside the Episode | House of the Dragon (HBO) – YouTube)
