House of the Dragon: Co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik steps down ahead of Season 2; details out

Miguel Sapochnik, the HBO series' co-showrunner, executive producer, and director, is leaving before the second season, Variety has reported. Shortly after its debut, the prequel to HBO's hugely popular Game of Thrones was given a Season 2 renewal.

In the popular prequel series, Sapochnik will still be listed as an executive producer, but Ryan Condal, another co-showrunner, will now take over as the sole showrunner. Additionally, Sapochnik and HBO have a first-look agreement in place to create new projects together.

Before joining House of the Dragon, Sapochnik directed several well-regarded Game of Thrones episodes, such as Hardhome and The Battle of the Bastards, before contributing to the creation of the prequel series. Alan Taylor, a fellow Game of Thrones alum, has joined House of the Dragon as executive producer and director for season two.

Sapochnik said in a statement that working in the Game of Thrones universe for the past four years has been an honour and a joy, particularly spending the last two with the great cast and crew of House of the Dragon.

He is pleased by the enthusiastic response of the viewers and is very proud of what they were able to accomplish with Season One. Moving on was tremendously difficult for him to decide, but he's confident that it was the best option for him both personally and professionally. But as he does, the knowledge that Alan will be joining the series gives him a great deal of comfort. Sapochnik has known and respected Taylor for a very long time, and he thinks he is the best person to handle this priceless series. The co-showrunner is so happy to be staying with HBO and the House of the Dragon family, and he naturally wishes Ryan and his team the best of luck for Season Two and beyond.

Just under 10 million people watched the HBO debut of House of the Dragon, making it the most watched premiere in the network's history. The episode was directed by Sapochnik. According to HBO, after being replayed for more than a week, that figure has increased to 25 million. With 10.2 viewers tuning in on Sunday night, episode two improved upon the opener.

According to a statement from HBO, Miguel Sapochnik has done fantastic work on the first season of House of the Dragon, developing its trademark look and feel. Without him, this series would not have been able to come together as it did. Even though they would have preferred for Miguel to stay in the same position, they are excited to have his continued cooperation in this new creative capacity. HBO has known Alan Taylor for many years, and they are thrilled to have him join Ryan and take a break from the outstanding staff.

In contrast, Game of Thrones episodes like the Season 1 finale and the Season 2 opener were directed by Taylor. His connections to HBO go back a long way, and he has directed episodes of popular shows like The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, Oz, Deadwood, Rome, Big Love, and Boardwalk Empire. He most recently oversaw the direction of The Many Saints of Newark, a Sopranos prequel.

Taylor commented that it's a delight and an honour to be back at HBO, immersing myself in the Targaryens. He's looking forward to collaborating closely with Ryan as House of the Dragon develops into its second season. A remarkable story has been started by Ryan, Miguel, and George in a full and intriguing environment. It will take a lot of work to go back to Westeros, but he welcomes the task.