“House of the Dragon” co-showrunner and director Miguel Sapochnik is leaving the HBO series ahead of its second season, international media has confirmed.
According to Variety, Miguel Sapochnik will continue to be credited as an executive producer on the hit prequel series, but his fellow co-showrunner Ryan Condal will now be the sole showrunner.
Meanwhile, the writer, director and producer has entered a first-look deal with HBO to develop new projects and will remain an executive producer for the duration of the show’s run.
“It was incredibly tough to decide to move on, but I know that it is the right choice for me, personally and professionally,” Sapochnik said in a statement.
Sapochnik added, “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.”
Sapochnik directed multiple acclaimed episodes of “Game of Thrones” prior to joining “House of the Dragon,” including “Hardhome” and “The Battle of the Bastards,” before helping to develop the prequel series.
Ryan Condal will transition from co-showrunner to sole showrunner. In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery is bringing in Alan Taylor as a director and executive producer for the second season of “House of the Dragon.” Taylor directed seven episodes of “Game of Thrones” and was nominated for two Emmys for his work on the show.
“House of the Dragon” is off to a strong start for HBO, becoming the biggest series premiere in its history following the debut two weeks ago with nearly 10 million viewers.
The series was renewed ahead of the launch of the second episode, which amassed 10.2 million views on Sunday night. The first season will have 10 episodes.
