House of the Dragon season 2: About that shocking exit…

As we prepare for House of the Dragon season 2 to arrive on HBO at some point next year, there’s one notable change we know about already. Miguel Sapochnik, the prominent director and co-showrunner behind the first season (who was also responsible for several Game of Thrones episodes), has stepped down from his post. It’s a bit of a shocking move given his creative involvement in all aspects of the show; also, we know how much he cares about the property.

Well, this week there’s a new bit of information out there about what really went down behind the scenes, and it is a bit more shocking than we would have ever imagined.

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In a new version of his Puck newsletter, Matthew Belloni notes that Sapochnik’s exit was reportedly due in part to his desire that his wife Alexis Raben, who was a producer on season 1 and played the role of Talya, be elevated to a higher position. HBO supposedly balked at the idea, citing a lack experience. A mediator at one point attempted to intervene but in the end, Sapochnik chose to step away from the project altogether.

HBO has not commented on this situation but if true, it absolutely paints a complicated picture. Producers do often get elevated at certain points of a series’ run, but the network may have deemed it too early. Or, they wanted more experienced producers for top positions on a show with this scale and magnitude. Granted, you can also argue that Sapochnik would know Raben’s capabilities behind the scenes better than anyone.

Moving forward, Ryan Condal (who was co-showrunner for season 1) will take on the position solely; meanwhile, Game of Thrones veteran Alan Taylor is returning to the franchise and will direct several episodes.

Related – Be sure to see some other news when it comes to House of the Dragon season 2

What do you make of this unusual House of the Dragon story?

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This article was written by Jessica BunBun. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.