House Of The Dragon Co Host Miguel Sapochnik Is Leaving Hit Show The Hollywood Reporter

There’s been a big shakeup at House of the Dragon: HBO fantasy drama co-showrunner and director Miguel Sapochnik is leaving the hit new series.

Sources say Sapochnik is leaving the show after a grueling three-year stint on the Game of Thrones prequel.  Dragon co-creator Ryan Condal will now be the sole showrunner and will continue to work closely with co-creator George RR Martin.  Sapochnik also has a first-look deal with HBO to develop new projects and will remain an executive producer for the duration of the series. 

The production has hired another accomplished Thrones veteran, Alan Taylor, to serve as an executive producer and direct several episodes in the second season. 

“Working in the Thrones universe over the last 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,” Sapochnik said in a statement.  “I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished with Season 1, and I’m delighted by the enthusiastic response from our viewers.  It was incredibly difficult to decide to move on, but I know it’s the right choice for me, personally and professionally.  As I do, though, I take deep comfort in knowing that Alan will be joining the series.  He is someone I have known and respected for a long time, and I believe this valuable series could not be in safer hands.  I’m very happy to remain a part of the HBO and House of the Dragon family and, of course, I wish Ryan and his team the best of luck with Season 2 and beyond.”

Taylor said: “It is a pleasure and an honor to return to HBO, immersing myself in the world of the Targaryens.  I look forward to working closely with Ryan as House of the Dragon grows into its second season.  Ryan, Miguel and George have started an amazing story, in a rich and exciting world.  Returning to Westeros will be a huge undertaking and I look forward to the challenge.”

Added HBO: “Miguel Sapochnik has done an amazing job in the first season of House of the Dragon, establishing his signature look and feel.  This series simply wouldn’t have come together like it did without him.  While we would love to see Miguel continue in the same role, we are excited to have his continued collaboration in this new creative capacity.  We’re looking forward to it, we’ve had a decades-long relationship with Alan Taylor and we’re delighted to have him join Ryan and rest the talented team.”

The move comes on the heels of Dragon – directed by Sapochnik – premiering to 25 million viewers in its first week of release and helping Game of Thrones score a quick renewal.  Sunday’s second episode made the rare move of gaining a little more viewers instead of down.  Sapochnik is also directing two more hours (episodes six and seven) in the first season.

Taylor built his reputation for his work on HBO’s The Sopranos (for which he won an Emmy), Mad Men and Rome.  On Thrones, he was instrumental in shaping the show’s directorial style, helming the punchy and elegant final two episodes of the show’s first season (which included sequences depicting the death of Ned Stark and the birth of Daenerys’ dragons).  Taylor eventually directed a total of seven Thrones episodes, including “The North Remembers,” “The Night Lands,” and “Beyond the Wall.”  Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss once described his style as “cinematic and precise”. 

Taylor also recently directed The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark, and next has the pilot for AMC’s Interview with the Vampire. 

Sapochnik began his career as a storyboard artist on 1996’s Trainspotting and directed the 2010 film Repo Men and episodes of Fox’s Fringe and House.  But it was on Thrones that Sapochnik’s career went stratospheric after the English director directed fan-favorite episodes like “Hardhome,” “Battle of the Bastards” and “The Winds of Winter.”  After Thrones, he directed the Tom Hanks sci-fi film Finch, which was released on Apple TV+. 

Sapochnik worked for months helping to develop Dragon with his friend Condal before coming on board.  Sapochnik was very reluctant to officially join the project, an attitude that perhaps foreshadowed his current exit.  “Miguel said, ‘I’m not doing Thrones again,'” recalls Condal.

“I went through a lot of hesitation,” Sapochnik admitted.  “Ryan and I have had a long relationship and we work well together and really like each other – that was half the battle.  As we got deeper into the discussions, I realized I had to run or get out of the pot.”

Sapochnik finally decided to sign while attending—of all things—a Game of Thrones Experience concert in Los Angeles with writer and fellow Thrones veteran Bryan Cogman.  “There were 17,000 people going crazy for that show, and I didn’t realize how passionate people still were about it,” says Saophnchik.  “[My wife] he turned to me and said, “We’re fucking idiots.  How can we not do that?”

The Dragon team is currently focused on completing VFX shots for the first season and writing the scripts for the second season, which has yet to announce a shooting start date.  With the first season taking 10 months to shoot and another nine months of additional VFX work, the series is most likely to return in 2024. 

Taylor is repped by UTA and Circle of Confusion. 

title: “House Of The Dragon Co Host Miguel Sapochnik Is Leaving Hit Show The Hollywood Reporter Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-03” author: “Jimmie Dennis”

There’s been a big shakeup at House of the Dragon: HBO fantasy drama co-showrunner and director Miguel Sapochnik is leaving the hit new series.

Sources say Sapochnik is leaving the show after a grueling three-year stint on the Game of Thrones prequel.  Dragon co-creator Ryan Condal will now be the sole showrunner and will continue to work closely with co-creator George RR Martin.  Sapochnik also has a first-look deal with HBO to develop new projects and will remain an executive producer for the duration of the series. 

The production has hired another accomplished Thrones veteran, Alan Taylor, to serve as an executive producer and direct several episodes in the second season. 

“Working in the Thrones universe over the last 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,” Sapochnik said in a statement.  “I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished with Season 1, and I’m delighted by the enthusiastic response from our viewers.  It was incredibly difficult to decide to move on, but I know it’s the right choice for me, personally and professionally.  As I do, though, I take deep comfort in knowing that Alan will be joining the series.  He is someone I have known and respected for a long time, and I believe this valuable series could not be in safer hands.  I’m very happy to remain a part of the HBO and House of the Dragon family and, of course, I wish Ryan and his team the best of luck with Season 2 and beyond.”

Taylor said: “It is a pleasure and an honor to return to HBO, immersing myself in the world of the Targaryens.  I look forward to working closely with Ryan as House of the Dragon grows into its second season.  Ryan, Miguel and George have started an amazing story, in a rich and exciting world.  Returning to Westeros will be a huge undertaking and I look forward to the challenge.”

Added HBO: “Miguel Sapochnik has done an amazing job in the first season of House of the Dragon, establishing his signature look and feel.  This series simply wouldn’t have come together like it did without him.  While we would love to see Miguel continue in the same role, we are excited to have his continued collaboration in this new creative capacity.  We’re looking forward to it, we’ve had a decades-long relationship with Alan Taylor and we’re delighted to have him join Ryan and rest the talented team.”

The move comes on the heels of Dragon – directed by Sapochnik – premiering to 25 million viewers in its first week of release and helping Game of Thrones score a quick renewal.  Sunday’s second episode made the rare move of gaining a little more viewers instead of down.  Sapochnik is also directing two more hours (episodes six and seven) in the first season.

Taylor built his reputation for his work on HBO’s The Sopranos (for which he won an Emmy), Mad Men and Rome.  On Thrones, he was instrumental in shaping the show’s directorial style, helming the punchy and elegant final two episodes of the show’s first season (which included sequences depicting the death of Ned Stark and the birth of Daenerys’ dragons).  Taylor eventually directed a total of seven Thrones episodes, including “The North Remembers,” “The Night Lands,” and “Beyond the Wall.”  Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss once described his style as “cinematic and precise”. 

Taylor also recently directed The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark, and next has the pilot for AMC’s Interview with the Vampire. 

Sapochnik began his career as a storyboard artist on 1996’s Trainspotting and directed the 2010 film Repo Men and episodes of Fox’s Fringe and House.  But it was on Thrones that Sapochnik’s career went stratospheric after the English director directed fan-favorite episodes like “Hardhome,” “Battle of the Bastards” and “The Winds of Winter.”  After Thrones, he directed the Tom Hanks sci-fi film Finch, which was released on Apple TV+. 

Sapochnik worked for months helping to develop Dragon with his friend Condal before coming on board.  Sapochnik was very reluctant to officially join the project, an attitude that perhaps foreshadowed his current exit.  “Miguel said, ‘I’m not doing Thrones again,'” recalls Condal.

“I went through a lot of hesitation,” Sapochnik admitted.  “Ryan and I have had a long relationship and we work well together and really like each other – that was half the battle.  As we got deeper into the discussions, I realized I had to run or get out of the pot.”

Sapochnik finally decided to sign while attending—of all things—a Game of Thrones Experience concert in Los Angeles with writer and fellow Thrones veteran Bryan Cogman.  “There were 17,000 people going crazy for that show, and I didn’t realize how passionate people still were about it,” says Saophnchik.  “[My wife] he turned to me and said, “We’re fucking idiots.  How can we not do that?”

The Dragon team is currently focused on completing VFX shots for the first season and writing the scripts for the second season, which has yet to announce a shooting start date.  With the first season taking 10 months to shoot and another nine months of additional VFX work, the series is most likely to return in 2024. 

Taylor is repped by UTA and Circle of Confusion. 

title: “House Of The Dragon Co Host Miguel Sapochnik Is Leaving Hit Show The Hollywood Reporter Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-08” author: “Frances Greenberg”

There’s been a big shakeup at House of the Dragon: HBO fantasy drama co-showrunner and director Miguel Sapochnik is leaving the hit new series.

Sources say Sapochnik is leaving the show after a grueling three-year stint on the Game of Thrones prequel.  Dragon co-creator Ryan Condal will now be the sole showrunner and will continue to work closely with co-creator George RR Martin.  Sapochnik also has a first-look deal with HBO to develop new projects and will remain an executive producer for the duration of the series. 

The production has hired another accomplished Thrones veteran, Alan Taylor, to serve as an executive producer and direct several episodes in the second season. 

“Working in the Thrones universe over the last 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,” Sapochnik said in a statement.  “I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished with Season 1, and I’m delighted by the enthusiastic response from our viewers.  It was incredibly difficult to decide to move on, but I know it’s the right choice for me, personally and professionally.  As I do, though, I take deep comfort in knowing that Alan will be joining the series.  He is someone I have known and respected for a long time, and I believe this valuable series could not be in safer hands.  I’m very happy to remain a part of the HBO and House of the Dragon family and, of course, I wish Ryan and his team the best of luck with Season 2 and beyond.”

Taylor said: “It is a pleasure and an honor to return to HBO, immersing myself in the world of the Targaryens.  I look forward to working closely with Ryan as House of the Dragon grows into its second season.  Ryan, Miguel and George have started an amazing story, in a rich and exciting world.  Returning to Westeros will be a huge undertaking and I look forward to the challenge.”

Added HBO: “Miguel Sapochnik has done an amazing job in the first season of House of the Dragon, establishing his signature look and feel.  This series simply wouldn’t have come together like it did without him.  While we would love to see Miguel continue in the same role, we are excited to have his continued collaboration in this new creative capacity.  We’re looking forward to it, we’ve had a decades-long relationship with Alan Taylor and we’re delighted to have him join Ryan and rest the talented team.”

The move comes on the heels of Dragon – directed by Sapochnik – premiering to 25 million viewers in its first week of release and helping Game of Thrones score a quick renewal.  Sunday’s second episode made the rare move of gaining a little more viewers instead of down.  Sapochnik is also directing two more hours (episodes six and seven) in the first season.

Taylor built his reputation for his work on HBO’s The Sopranos (for which he won an Emmy), Mad Men and Rome.  On Thrones, he was instrumental in shaping the show’s directorial style, helming the punchy and elegant final two episodes of the show’s first season (which included sequences depicting the death of Ned Stark and the birth of Daenerys’ dragons).  Taylor eventually directed a total of seven Thrones episodes, including “The North Remembers,” “The Night Lands,” and “Beyond the Wall.”  Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss once described his style as “cinematic and precise”. 

Taylor also recently directed The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark, and next has the pilot for AMC’s Interview with the Vampire. 

Sapochnik began his career as a storyboard artist on 1996’s Trainspotting and directed the 2010 film Repo Men and episodes of Fox’s Fringe and House.  But it was on Thrones that Sapochnik’s career went stratospheric after the English director directed fan-favorite episodes like “Hardhome,” “Battle of the Bastards” and “The Winds of Winter.”  After Thrones, he directed the Tom Hanks sci-fi film Finch, which was released on Apple TV+. 

Sapochnik worked for months helping to develop Dragon with his friend Condal before coming on board.  Sapochnik was very reluctant to officially join the project, an attitude that perhaps foreshadowed his current exit.  “Miguel said, ‘I’m not doing Thrones again,'” recalls Condal.

“I went through a lot of hesitation,” Sapochnik admitted.  “Ryan and I have had a long relationship and we work well together and really like each other – that was half the battle.  As we got deeper into the discussions, I realized I had to run or get out of the pot.”

Sapochnik finally decided to sign while attending—of all things—a Game of Thrones Experience concert in Los Angeles with writer and fellow Thrones veteran Bryan Cogman.  “There were 17,000 people going crazy for that show, and I didn’t realize how passionate people still were about it,” says Saophnchik.  “[My wife] he turned to me and said, “We’re fucking idiots.  How can we not do that?”

The Dragon team is currently focused on completing VFX shots for the first season and writing the scripts for the second season, which has yet to announce a shooting start date.  With the first season taking 10 months to shoot and another nine months of additional VFX work, the series is most likely to return in 2024. 

Taylor is repped by UTA and Circle of Confusion. 

title: “House Of The Dragon Co Host Miguel Sapochnik Is Leaving Hit Show The Hollywood Reporter Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-05” author: “Nicole Byrnes”

There’s been a big shakeup at House of the Dragon: HBO fantasy drama co-showrunner and director Miguel Sapochnik is leaving the hit new series.

Sources say Sapochnik is leaving the show after a grueling three-year stint on the Game of Thrones prequel.  Dragon co-creator Ryan Condal will now be the sole showrunner and will continue to work closely with co-creator George RR Martin.  Sapochnik also has a first-look deal with HBO to develop new projects and will remain an executive producer for the duration of the series. 

The production has hired another accomplished Thrones veteran, Alan Taylor, to serve as an executive producer and direct several episodes in the second season. 

“Working in the Thrones universe over the last 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,” Sapochnik said in a statement.  “I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished with Season 1, and I’m delighted by the enthusiastic response from our viewers.  It was incredibly difficult to decide to move on, but I know it’s the right choice for me, personally and professionally.  As I do, though, I take deep comfort in knowing that Alan will be joining the series.  He is someone I have known and respected for a long time, and I believe this valuable series could not be in safer hands.  I’m very happy to remain a part of the HBO and House of the Dragon family and, of course, I wish Ryan and his team the best of luck with Season 2 and beyond.”

Taylor said: “It is a pleasure and an honor to return to HBO, immersing myself in the world of the Targaryens.  I look forward to working closely with Ryan as House of the Dragon grows into its second season.  Ryan, Miguel and George have started an amazing story, in a rich and exciting world.  Returning to Westeros will be a huge undertaking and I look forward to the challenge.”

Added HBO: “Miguel Sapochnik has done an amazing job in the first season of House of the Dragon, establishing his signature look and feel.  This series simply wouldn’t have come together like it did without him.  While we would love to see Miguel continue in the same role, we are excited to have his continued collaboration in this new creative capacity.  We’re looking forward to it, we’ve had a decades-long relationship with Alan Taylor and we’re delighted to have him join Ryan and rest the talented team.”

The move comes on the heels of Dragon – directed by Sapochnik – premiering to 25 million viewers in its first week of release and helping Game of Thrones score a quick renewal.  Sunday’s second episode made the rare move of gaining a little more viewers instead of down.  Sapochnik is also directing two more hours (episodes six and seven) in the first season.

Taylor built his reputation for his work on HBO’s The Sopranos (for which he won an Emmy), Mad Men and Rome.  On Thrones, he was instrumental in shaping the show’s directorial style, helming the punchy and elegant final two episodes of the show’s first season (which included sequences depicting the death of Ned Stark and the birth of Daenerys’ dragons).  Taylor eventually directed a total of seven Thrones episodes, including “The North Remembers,” “The Night Lands,” and “Beyond the Wall.”  Showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss once described his style as “cinematic and precise”. 

Taylor also recently directed The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark, and next has the pilot for AMC’s Interview with the Vampire. 

Sapochnik began his career as a storyboard artist on 1996’s Trainspotting and directed the 2010 film Repo Men and episodes of Fox’s Fringe and House.  But it was on Thrones that Sapochnik’s career went stratospheric after the English director directed fan-favorite episodes like “Hardhome,” “Battle of the Bastards” and “The Winds of Winter.”  After Thrones, he directed the Tom Hanks sci-fi film Finch, which was released on Apple TV+. 

Sapochnik worked for months helping to develop Dragon with his friend Condal before coming on board.  Sapochnik was very reluctant to officially join the project, an attitude that perhaps foreshadowed his current exit.  “Miguel said, ‘I’m not doing Thrones again,'” recalls Condal.

“I went through a lot of hesitation,” Sapochnik admitted.  “Ryan and I have had a long relationship and we work well together and really like each other – that was half the battle.  As we got deeper into the discussions, I realized I had to run or get out of the pot.”

Sapochnik finally decided to sign while attending—of all things—a Game of Thrones Experience concert in Los Angeles with writer and fellow Thrones veteran Bryan Cogman.  “There were 17,000 people going crazy for that show, and I didn’t realize how passionate people still were about it,” says Saophnchik.  “[My wife] he turned to me and said, “We’re fucking idiots.  How can we not do that?”

The Dragon team is currently focused on completing VFX shots for the first season and writing the scripts for the second season, which has yet to announce a shooting start date.  With the first season taking 10 months to shoot and another nine months of additional VFX work, the series is most likely to return in 2024. 

Taylor is repped by UTA and Circle of Confusion.