Game of Thrones is gearing up to launch its first prequel series House of the Dragon next month and ahead of its release, showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik have shared a glimpse into what it has been like to take over the reigns for the franchise.
Prior to House of the Dragon, all eight seasons of the original Game of Thrones series were led by David Benioff and D.B. Wiess. Both of the new stewards for the franchise have prior connections, with creator George R.R. Martin dubbing Condal the heir to the throne, and Sapochnik having previously directed episodes of the original show.
Still, with this experience, the pair spoke of what it has been like to take over the mantle at the new show’s premiere via The Hollywood Reporter.
“They were lovely. I had one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in my career working with David and Dan — they were wonderful to me, wonderful friends. No one’s ever going to happy if you start going out with your best mate’s girlfriend, it’s just not going to happen, but they were good.
As soon as George pitched this to me, all the gears clicked into place. Telling the story of the Targaryens at the height of their power made tons of sense coming off the original show because we get to know Daenerys very well, we get to know the myth and legend of her family but we don’t know much about the Targaryens as they actually existed,”
Continuing, the duo explained that crafting the first follow-up to Game of Thrones came with a ton of pressure, but soon they realized you aren’t going to please everybody. Elaborating further to The Hollywood Reporter, Condal called the show “an intimate story; it’s a bit of a Greek tragedy about the house divided, a house that tears itself apart over a succession. Very Game of Thrones but very different from the original.”
Fans will get their chance to see House of The Dragon when it premieres on HBO on August 21.
