House of the Dragon has been a huge success for HBO, but the production was not without some hitches. According to some sources, showrunner Miguel Sapochnik departed the series over a production credit dispute.
House of the Dragon was an absolute phenomenon when it aired last year. The series' first season featured two showrunners: Ryan Condal and Sapochnik. Sapochnik had previously been a director on some of the biggest episodes of Game of Thrones, including "Hardhome," "Battle of the Bastards," "The Winds of Winter," and "The Long Night." When it was announced that Sapochnik was stepping down as House of the Dragon showrunner ahead of season 2, it came as a shock.
According to a report by Puck, Sapochnik allegedly decided to depart House of the Dragon after requesting his wife, Alexis Raben, be made a producer on the series' second season. Raben had previously been credited as a producer on one episode of the show. She also portrayed the character of Talya, a handmaiden for Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and spy for Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), in House of the Dragon season 1.
The report alleges that HBO declined to bring on Raben as a producer, citing her inexperience. Sapochnik reportedly exited the House of the Dragon after that, which leaves Condal to hold down the fort on his own. Neither Condal nor Sapochnik has commented on this report.
Sapochnik was a well-regarded figure among Game of Thrones fans. His episodes were famous for featuring some action-packed battles, and his episodes were regarded as some of the best in the series. He also brought Game of Thrones' Night King (Vladimir Furdik) to life, and the ending to "Hardhome" energized the fanbase, though many felt that hype fizzled out by the end of the show.
The report is quite a shock if it is accurate. With nepotism being in the cultural limelight, many are wondering if this report is accurate, and if it is, many fans question if Sapochnik made the right move. In the meantime, it doesn't appear that the show is going through a difficult transition period. Condal has already promised more war and humor in House of the Dragon season 2, and the Dance of the Dragons promises to bring plenty more drama and intrigue to viewers' screens.
House of the Dragon season 1 is available on HBO Max.
Source: Puck