House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal has expressed his disappointment over Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin's criticisms of the series' second season, following remarks the author made public in August 2024.
The controversy erupted when Martin promised to delve into "everything that's gone wrong with House of the Dragon" and subsequently criticized plot elements involving Aegon and Helaena’s children. He voiced concerns about the direction of future seasons. Although the post was later removed from Martin’s website without any explanation, it had already garnered attention from thousands of fans and HBO.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Condal shared his thoughts on Martin's criticisms, emphasizing the strain it has put on their relationship. "It was disappointing," he stated. "I've been a fan of A Song of Ice and Fire for almost 25 years now, and working on the show has been one of the greatest privileges of my career as a writer and my life as a fan of science fiction and fantasy. George himself is a literary icon and a personal hero of mine, who greatly influenced my development as a writer."
Condal acknowledged the challenges of adapting the source material, Fire & Blood, for television, noting that the book is an "incomplete history" that requires significant creative interpretation. He emphasized his efforts to involve Martin in the adaptation process over the years, describing their collaboration as "mutually fruitful" and "strong" for a long time. However, he noted that as the project progressed, Martin became "unwilling to acknowledge the practical issues at hand in a reasonable way."
Condal further explained the dual role he plays as a showrunner, balancing his creative passion with the practical necessities of production. "I have to keep my practical producer hat on and my creative writer, lover-of-the-material hat on at the same time," he said. He stressed the importance of moving forward for the sake of the crew, cast, and HBO, expressing hope that he and Martin could "rediscover that harmony someday."
He highlighted that every creative decision in the show takes "many months, if not years" to finalize, and all decisions go through him before reaching the screen. The goal, he said, is to create a show that appeals not only to Game of Thrones readers but also to a "massive television audience."
Despite the tension, HBO and Martin continue to have several projects in development, though a few have been shelved since the success of Game of Thrones. Upcoming collaborations include A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which Martin has praised as a "faithful adaptation," and potentially another Targaryen-centered spinoff.
Meanwhile, House of the Dragon has begun production on Season 3, following a successful second season that received a 7/10 in our review.
