‘House of the Dragon’ co-showrunner steps down before Season 2

“House of the Dragon” co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik is departing the newly launched series before its second season.

The writer, director and producer has entered a first-look deal with HBO to develop new projects and will remain an executive producer for the duration of the show’s run.

“It was incredibly tough to decide to move on, but I know that it is the right choice for me, personally and professionally,” Sapochnik said in a statement.

Sapochnik directed multiple acclaimed episodes of “Game of Thrones” prior to joining “House of the Dragon,” including critically acclaimed and fan-favorite episodes like “Hardhome” and “The Battle of the Bastards.”

Ryan Condal will transition from co-showrunner to sole showrunner. In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery is bringing in Alan Taylor as a director and executive producer for the second season of “House of the Dragon.” Taylor directed seven episodes of “Game of Thrones” and was nominated for two Emmys for his work on the show.

“Miguel Sapochnik has done amazing work on the first season of ‘House of the Dragon,’ establishing its signature look and feel,” HBO said in a statement. “This series simply could not have come together the way it did without him.”

“House of the Dragon” is off to a strong start for HBO, becoming the biggest series premiere in its history following the debut two weeks ago with nearly 10 million viewers tuning in, both linear and streaming.

The series was renewed ahead of the launch of the second episode, which amassed 10.2 million views on Sunday night.

“House of the Dragon” tells the story of the Targaryen civil war that took place about 200 years before the events portrayed in “Game of Thrones.” It is based on George R.R. Martin’s novel, “Fire and Blood.” Unlike Martin’s other books in the “Song of Ice and Fire” series, this one features an omniscient narrator who documents the histories based on collected accounts of events.

The first season will have 10 episodes.