House of the Dragon star Matt Smith addresses the season 2 departure of Miguel Sapochnik, who served as season 1’s co-showrunner alongside Ryan Condal. An episode director on Game of Thrones, Sapochnik provided a sense of continuity with the original series as he helped launch HBO’s hugely-anticipated GoT spinoff. But big changes are in store for House of the Dragon season 2, as Sapochnik has departed as showrunner, though he continues to be listed as an executive producer.
Sapochnik’s exit from House of the Dragon will indeed be felt as the show continues its HBO run, as Daemon Targaryen actor Smith insisted in a recent interview, explaining how the now-departed showrunner made it easier for the new series to capture the Game of Thrones flavor, helping viewers more easily slip back into the world established by the original show (via Variety):
“It’s a shame, because it had a great effect on the tone of the show, and knowing what you need to deliver. It’s kind of second-album syndrome, isn’t it? You’ve got to play the hits a bit…People have got to feel like they’re getting some sense of a ‘Game of Thrones’-type of show. We wish him well—but certainly, when you lose a director of that caliber, you’re going to feel it.”
Why House Of The Dragon Season 2 Will Miss Sapochnik’s Guidance
Sapochnik reportedly exited House of the Dragon when the show would not credit his wife Alexis Raben as a producer on season 2 (Raben was listed as a producer for season 1). Sapochnik’s loss was indeed felt by members of the cast, including Alicent Hightower actor Olivia Cooke, who explained the co-creator’s contribution to The Wrap’s Unwrapped podcast last August:
“We all love Miguel, he’s a brilliant director and an incredible collaborator. He had just really radical ideas when it came to making this show. And I guess there’s been a collective effort to fill his shoes with other amazing directors. We’ve got some really cool directors that we’re working with this year and Geeta Patel and Clare Kilner are back, I mean his shoes won’t be replaced entirely because he is his own entity, but there’s still that proportion to make this season as good, if not, better.”
Among all the episode directors who contributed to Game of Thrones’ success, Sapochnik arguably had the best sense of what the series was all about, helming some of its most successful episodes, including “The Gift,” “Hardhome,” “Battle of the Bastards” and “The Winds of Winter.” Sapochnik also helmed two episodes during the divisive Game of Thrones season 8 – “The Long Night” and “The Bells” – but told Empire that the fan backlash to those episodes did not influence how he approached House of the Dragon:
“Life doesn’t end the way you want it to! I think we very much wanted to pay attention to not that. It doesn’t really factor in at all. I think the minute you as a creator start playing defense, you’re just taking the ground from beneath your feet. Should we be so lucky to have such a large and passionate fanbase that will debate our show! I think that in itself is a sign of success.”
Sapochnik’s sense of how to properly capture that unique Game of Thrones tone, and willingness to take risks in spite of potential fan backlash, were two key reasons his contribution to House of the Dragon season 1 was so important. With Sapochnik gone, the experience of season 2 may feel very different for audiences.