After years of anticipation, the highly-anticipated prequel House of the Dragon has already arrived with a ground-breaking viewership record on HBO Max. The Game of Thrones prequel centers on House Targaryen set 200 years before Daenerys Targaryen was born and conquered for the Iron Throne.
Director Miguel Sapochnik Exits House of The Dragon – Introduces Another Game of Thrones Veteran for Season 2
House of the Dragon was indeed worth wait as the prequel's first episode had already defied all expectations after featuring jaw-dropping sequences like Aemma Arryn's horrifying birth scene and Rhaenyra Targaryen's coronation as the heir to the Iron Throne. All praises to director Miguel Sapochnik, who directed the premiere episode, which accumulated an impressive 10 million views.
Sadly, House of the Dragon is confirmed to be Sapochnik's last project inside the Game of Thrones franchise after he revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that he is now leaving the series, and also welcomed Alan Taylor, who will serve as an executive producer and director for some episodes in the newly-renewed House of the Dragon Season 2. See Sapochnik's statement below:
Although Sapochnik didn't much shed some light on the reason for his departure, there's no doubt that he left a mark that will probably last forever in the Game of Thrones franchise. Sapochnik has helmed several prominent Game of Thrones episodes including Season 8's third episode The Long Night and the fifth episode The Bells.
Nonetheless, Sapochnik will remain as an executive producer for the show alongside Ryan Condal and George R.R. Martin. Aside from that, it's also interesting to see what director Alan Taylor – who helmed a total of seven episodes in Game of Thrones, including Season 1's most pivotal moment: the bloody beheading of Ned Stark and the birth of Daenerys Targaryen's Dragons.
House of the Dragon is available to stream on HBO Max.
Also read: How Game of Thrones Spoiled House of the Dragon Not Once, But Twice