Drama and politics are central to the success of House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, two of HBO's biggest shows ever. But, as it turns out, some of the drama might have spilled over into real life.
According to Puck, Miguel Sapochnik's exit was less graceful than Otto Hightower's ceding of the throne to the nearly-dead Viserys Targaryen.
Back in August, Miguel Sapochnik confirmed that he was no longer part of the series he'd helped start effectively immediately just shortly after the show premiered. While Sapochnik remained as the executive producer of the series, it was to the understanding of many that HBO and Sapochnik parted ways on good terms. But, as it turns out, the exit got heated. It's believed that the main reason for Sapochnik's departure was a disagreement between him and HBO over Alexis Raben, his wife.
Raben was cast as Talya, a lady-in-waiting to Olivia Cooke's Alicent Hightower. She was in four episodes of the first season of House of the Dragon and was credited as a producer.
The report goes on to reveal that Sapochnik asked HBO to make Raben part of the producing team for Season 2 but HBO refused due to her inexperience. The discussions are then said to have gotten to a point where HBO needed a mediator. The resulting fallout saw Sapochnik leave House of the Dragon and sign with a new rival agency, CAA, along with his wife.
At the moment, Ryan Condal will serve as the sole showrunner for Season 2 of House of the Dragon. Judging from his latest statements, George R.R. Martin remains heavily involved in the show's production, which will be filming for most of the year.
