Game of Thrones director Miguel Sapochnik steps down as House of the Dragon showrunner ahead of season 2

Sapochnik was known for directing fan-favourite episodes of ‘Game of Thrones’ such as ‘Battle of the Bastards’

House of the Dragon co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik has announced his departure from the series just over a week after it premiered.

The Game of Thrones prequel’s co-creator Ryan Condal will now serve as the show’s sole showrunner, it was reported Wednesday (31 August) night.

Sapochnik was known for directing fan-favourite episodes of Thrones such as “Battle of the Bastards” and “The Winds of Winter.

The production has hired fellow Thrones alum Alan Taylor to serve as an executive producer and to direct some episodes in season two.

Citing sources, The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Sapochnik was leaving after an “exhausting” three years developing House of the Dragon and has signed a deal with HBO to work on new projects.

“Working within the Thrones universe for the past few years has been an honour and a privilege, especially spending the last two with the amazing cast and crew of House of the Dragon,” Sapochnik said in a statement seen by THR.

Miguel Sapochnik and Alexis Raben (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

“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.”

In its own statement, HBO responded to the news saying: “Miguel Sapochnik has done amazing work on the first season of House of the Dragon, establishing its signature look and feel. This series simply could not have come together the way it did without him.

“While we would have loved to have Miguel continue in the same role, we are thrilled to have his ongoing collaboration in this new creative capacity. Looking forward, we’ve had a decades-long relationship with Alan Taylor, and we are delighted to have him join Ryan and rest of the talented team.”

The news comes just days after HBO renewed the programme for a second series following its record-breaking debut.

House of the Dragon episode one was watched by nearly 10 million people in the US, making it HBO’s most viewed series premiere in the network’s history.

What’s more, the second episode broke convention and surpassed the viewership figures of its premiere, boasting 10.2 million US viewers.

TV spin-offs typically have significant rates of viewer drop-off between the first and second episodes.

House of the Dragon continues in the UK on Sky Atlantic on Mondays at 2am, before repeating at 9pm later that day.