HBO reportedly turned down Miguel Sapochnik‘s request to hire his wife as a co-producer for the critically acclaimed series House of the Dragon. The conflict for succession within House Targaryen is the main topic of the series, which takes place about two centuries before the events of Game of Thrones. Season 1 of House of the Dragon ended in October, and season 2 is now being created. Before the freshman season of the show had even ended, word spread that Sapochnik, who shared showrunning duties with Ryan Condal, would be leaving House of the Dragon before season 2.
Sapochnik abruptly left House of the Dragon, per a story from Puck (via IndieWire), because of disagreements with HBO executives over his wife, Alexis Raben, who served as the show’s producer. He wanted Raben to stay on as a producer for season 2, but the network refused because of Raben’s inexperience. To defuse the conflict, a mediator was even called in. Later, Sapochnik left the show, sacked his WME representatives, and moved to CAA with his wife. Raben appeared in Season 1 of House of the Dragon as Talya, Queen Alicent’s lady-in-waiting.
What is thd fate of House of the Dragon Season 2?
Given that Sapochnik was a part of many of the most famous scenes from the original series, one wonders if his brief involvement contributed significantly to the success of season 1 of the Game of Thrones prequel series. Alan Taylor, a fellow member of the Game of Thrones cast, will now serve as the show’s producer and director. Many have started to make assumptions regarding the plot of season 2, even though House of the Dragon won’t return until at least 2024. As the Dance of the Dragons begins, it appears likely that well-known figures like Cregan Stark will be introduced if the series follows the lead of author George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood source book.
However, one of the most important unresolved plot lines is how Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) would respond to the murder of her son by Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell), Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault). The second season of House of the Dragon might begin shortly after Rhaenyra found out about his passing and heavily depict her first feelings.
Condal revealed that House of the Dragon will significantly slow down its timeline moving forward after the jarring time leaps of season 1, thus it appears likely that viewers will get to watch how Rhaenyra absorbs this most recent loss. There might not be much of a time jump if there is one. Whatever the situation, season 2 of House of the Dragon will undoubtedly proceed without one of its original creators. Although it’s unclear how Sapochnik’s departure will impact the series, Martin’s novel should provide a clear artistic direction going forward. After the second season of House of the Dragon airs, only time will tell.