House of the Dragon is about a succession crisis, but not where you’d think. While the show is about House Targaryen and their mess, there have been major changes behind the scenes as well. Per The Hollywood Reporter, co-showrunner and director Miguel Sapochnik is stepping down as co-showrunner for season two. He’ll remain an EP, but showrunning duties will fall on Ryan Condal alone. Sapochnik has also signed a first-look deal with HBO, which will take him away from Westeros. Alan Taylor, who worked extensively on Game of Thrones, will sign on as a director/EP/Hand of the King for season two as well. “Working within the Thrones universe for the past 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. “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.â€
Sapochnik has spoken previously about his ambivalence about returning to the GoT universe. “I went through a lot of vacillating,†Sapochnik said in July. “Ryan and I had a longstanding relationship and we work well together and we really like each other — that was half the battle. As we got deeper into the discussions, I realized I had to shit or get off the pot.†It would appear that he’s finally getting off the pot.