Westeros

Well, this was big, surprising news. The Hollywood Reporter‘s James Hibberd has reported that after three, exhausting years working on bringing the first season of House of the Dragon to the screen Miguel Sapochnik is leaving the show and Ryan Condal will be the sole show runner. However, the very experienced director Alan Taylor—who played a key role in directing a number of early episodes of Game of Thrones—has come on board as an executive producer and director instead.

The article lists Taylor’s extensive credits with HBO, which should satisfy those concerned about trying to fill Sapochnik’s shoes. Given Sapochnik’s stated reluctance to initially get on board, it’s perhaps not a surprise that with the show a success and the first season wrapping post-production that it’s a good time for him to step back and pursue other projects. It appears he’s signed a first look deal with HBO regarding future projects, which bodes well for fans of his work.