Alan Taylor, a Game of Thrones veteran, will join the series to replace Sapochnik.
Miguel Sapochnik, House of the Dragon co-showrunner and frequent Game of Thrones franchise director, will leave the show at the end of season 1. Ryan Condal, the show’s writer and executive producer, will continue to serve as showrunner in season 2, which was announced last week.
Sapochnik will be replaced on the show by Alan Taylor, who will likely fill a role very similar to Sapochnik’s, except he will not be a showrunner. Taylor, like Sapochnik, will take on the roles of executive producer and director. Taylor, like Sapochnik, has a lot of experience in this world, having directed several episodes of the original Game of Thrones, including “Beyond the Wall” and the final two chapters of the first season. Taylor has also directed a number of films, including Thor: The Dark World and Terminator Genisys, but his Game of Thrones episodes are particularly good.
Sapochnik will continue to serve as an executive producer on the show and has a first-look deal with HBO for future projects. Sapochnik has directed films such as Finch and Repo Men in addition to three episodes of House of the Dragon and classic Game of Thrones episodes such as “Hardhome” and “Battle of the Bastards.” Sapochnik is leaving House of the Dragon after nearly three years on the show, helping to shepherd it through the development process alongside Condal and author George R.R. Martin.
Sapochnik’s departure should come as no surprise, given how much of his time has been devoted to the Game of Thrones franchise over the last several years. In fact, despite helping to develop the show, Sapochnik was initially hesitant to officially join the House of the Dragon team. While Condal eventually persuaded him to join the show, it appears that the arrangement was only for a limited time to help get the show off to a good start.
