“House Of The Dragon,” HBO‘s prequel to their biggest TV series, “Game Of Thrones,” is off to a stellar start. The series premiere brought in 10 million viewers across all platforms. Then episode two accomplished the rare feat of gaining more viewers instead of declining, with 10.2 million watching. And with the series already renewed for a second season, it’s bright days for “Game Of Thrones” fans again.
READ MORE: ‘House Of The Dragon’: HBO Renews ‘Game Of Thrones’ Prequel For A Second Season
But showrunner Miguel Sapochnik won’t be back for more of HBO’s new fantasy drama. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Sapochnik will exit the show after three years. With Sapochnik exiting, series co-creator Ryan Condal will serve as the lone showrunner for season two, working closely with co-creator and “Game Of Thrones” book scribe George R.R. Martin. To help levy Sapochnik’s absence, Alan Taylor, another “Game Of Thrones” veteran, will join “House Of The Dragon” as an executive producer and direct multiple episodes in season two.
So, why is Sapochnik leaving, especially when “House Of The Dragon” is off to such a strong start? In a word, burnout. After “Game Of Thrones” ended in 2019, Sapochnik vowed never to return to the franchise, citing the punishing toll that the show’s demands took on his personal life and health. However, Condal and Martin eventually convinced the reluctant Sapochnik to help develop the new series. Outside of development, Sapochnik also directs the series premiere of “House Of The Dragon,” as well as episodes six and seven of Season One.
Sapochnik released this statement in the wake of his exit from “House Of The Dragon”: “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. As I do so, though, I am deeply comforted to know that Alan will be joining the series. He’s someone I’ve known and respected for a long time, and I believe this precious series could not be in safer hands. 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.”
As Sapochnik leaves the show, his relationship with HBO continues. He now enters a first-look deal with the network to develop new projects and remains an executive producer for the duration of “House Of The Dragon.” So, will that mean Sapochnik may one day be involved in one of the several other “Game Of Thrones” spin-offs HBO has in development? Never say never, especially given the viewership numbers of the first two episodes of “Dragon.” But Sapochnik may also be exhausted of any “Game Of Thrones”-related content at this point. Exiting a show many predict to become a bigger sensation than the original HBO series indicates Sapochnik wants to move on to the next stage of his career.