HBO fantasy drama 'House of the Dragon' co-showrunner and director Miguel Sapochnik is stepping down from the freshly launched hit series. As per Variety, Sapochnik will continue to be credited as an executive producer on the hit prequel series, but his fellow co-showrunner Ryan Condal will now be the sole showrunner. In addition, Sapochnik has entered into a first-look deal with HBO to develop new projects with the premium cabler. Sapochnik directed multiple acclaimed episodes of 'Game of Thrones' prior to joining 'House of the Dragon' including 'Hardhome' and 'The Battle of the Bastards,' before helping to develop the prequel series. Fellow 'Game of Thrones' alum Alan Taylor has now boarded 'House of the Dragon' to work as a director and executive producer for the second season.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-how-house-of-the-dragon-improves-upon-game-of-thrones-511722">How 'House of the Dragon' improves upon 'Game of Thrones'</a>

Sapochnik issued a statement to announce the latest update. "Working within the GOT 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,'" he said.

"I am so proud of what we accomplished with season one and overjoyed by the enthusiastic reaction of our viewers. 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. He's someone I've known and respected for a long time, and I believe this precious series could not be in safer hands. I am so glad to remain a part of the HBO and 'House of the Dragon' family and, of course, I wish Ryan and his team success and all the best with Season Two and beyond," he added.

The move comes on the heels of the Dragon series premiere -- directed by Sapochnik -- delivering 25 million viewers in its first week since release and helping score the Game of Thrones prequel a quick renewal.

HBO fantasy drama 'House of the Dragon' co-showrunner and director Miguel Sapochnik is stepping down from the freshly launched hit series. As per Variety, Sapochnik will continue to be credited as an executive producer on the hit prequel series, but his fellow co-showrunner Ryan Condal will now be the sole showrunner.

HBO fantasy drama 'House of the Dragon' co-showrunner and director Miguel Sapochnik is stepping down from the freshly launched hit series. As per Variety, Sapochnik will continue to be credited as an executive producer on the hit prequel series, but his fellow co-showrunner Ryan Condal will now be the sole showrunner. In addition, Sapochnik has entered into a first-look deal with HBO to develop new projects with the premium cabler. Sapochnik directed multiple acclaimed episodes of 'Game of Thrones' prior to joining 'House of the Dragon' including 'Hardhome' and 'The Battle of the Bastards,' before helping to develop the prequel series. Fellow 'Game of Thrones' alum Alan Taylor has now boarded 'House of the Dragon' to work as a director and executive producer for the second season. Also Read: How 'House of the Dragon' improves upon 'Game of Thrones' Sapochnik issued a statement to announce the latest update. "Working within the GOT 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,'" he said. "I am so proud of what we accomplished with season one and overjoyed by the enthusiastic reaction of our viewers. 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. He's someone I've known and respected for a long time, and I believe this precious series could not be in safer hands. I am so glad to remain a part of the HBO and 'House of the Dragon' family and, of course, I wish Ryan and his team success and all the best with Season Two and beyond," he added. The move comes on the heels of the Dragon series premiere -- directed by Sapochnik -- delivering 25 million viewers in its first week since release and helping score the Game of Thrones prequel a quick renewal.

'House of the Dragon' co-showrunner, director Miguel Sapochnik quits: 'So proud of what we accomplished'

‘Game of Thrones’ prequel series ‘House of the Dragon’ is all set to treat its fans with more battles, violence, and deceit.&nbsp;The fantasy drama series, which chronicles the Targaryen family's history, will premiere on August 21, and one of its stars, Matt Smith, in an interview with Rolling Stone, hinted that the spinoff would be filled with plenty of passionate sex scenes like its predecessor. In the conversation, Smith recalls how he was taken by surprise by the count of sex scenes that were included in the series.

He has confirmed that people would see his character getting involved in a lot of bedroom acts. However, he wondered if so many sex scenes that he was a part of were actually needed. "You do find yourself asking, ‘Do we need another sex scene?’" Smith said.&nbsp;

Smith plays Prince Daemon Targaryen in the upcoming ‘Game of Thrones’ spinoff.

He continued, "And they’re like, ‘Yeah, we do.’ I guess you have to ask yourself: ‘What are you doing? Are you representing the books, or are you diluting the books to represent the time [we’re living in]?’ And I actually think it’s your job to represent the books truthfully and honestly, as they were written."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/game-of-thrones-prequel-meets-targaryens-at-height-of-power-500178">'Game of Thrones' prequel meets Targaryens at height of power</a>

When asked about his views on his character getting to do a number of steamy scenes in the series, he replied with a laugh, "Yeah – slightly too much, if you ask me."

Earlier, the show's creator, Miguel Sapochnik, stated that ‘House of Dragons’ will embrace the rawness that characterised 'Game of Thrones.’

Watch 'House of the Dragon' trailer here:-&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DotnJ7tTA34" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

‘House of the Dragon’ has some well-known faces apart from Smith, such as ‘Peaky Blinders’ actor Paddy Considine, Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, ‘Outlander’ star Graham McTavish, Eve Best, and Steve Toussaint. The prequel is based on George R. R. Martin’s book ‘Fire and Blood.’&nbsp;&nbsp;It takes place around 200 years before the main events of ‘Game of Thrones’. It will follow the story of a Targaryen civil war, which is called 'The Dance of Dragons'.

‘House of the Dragon’ will debut on HBO on August 21 in the US and on Sky Atlantic in the UK on August 22, along with NOW.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-actress-anne-heche-severely-burned-in-horrific-car-crash-504218">Actress Anne Heche severely burned in horrific car crash</a>

‘Game of Thrones’ prequel series ‘House of the Dragon’ is all set to treat its fans with more battles, violence, and deceit. The fantasy drama series, which chronicles the Targaryen family's history, will premiere on August 21, and one of its stars, Matt Smith, in an interview with Rolling Stone, hinted that the spinoff would be filled with plenty of passionate sex scenes like its predecessor.

‘Game of Thrones’ prequel series ‘House of the Dragon’ is all set to treat its fans with more battles, violence, and deceit. The fantasy drama series, which chronicles the Targaryen family's history, will premiere on August 21, and one of its stars, Matt Smith, in an interview with Rolling Stone, hinted that the spinoff would be filled with plenty of passionate sex scenes like its predecessor. In the conversation, Smith recalls how he was taken by surprise by the count of sex scenes that were included in the series. He has confirmed that people would see his character getting involved in a lot of bedroom acts. However, he wondered if so many sex scenes that he was a part of were actually needed. "You do find yourself asking, ‘Do we need another sex scene?’" Smith said. Smith plays Prince Daemon Targaryen in the upcoming ‘Game of Thrones’ spinoff. He continued, "And they’re like, ‘Yeah, we do.’ I guess you have to ask yourself: ‘What are you doing? Are you representing the books, or are you diluting the books to represent the time [we’re living in]?’ And I actually think it’s your job to represent the books truthfully and honestly, as they were written." 'Game of Thrones' prequel meets Targaryens at height of power When asked about his views on his character getting to do a number of steamy scenes in the series, he replied with a laugh, "Yeah – slightly too much, if you ask me." Earlier, the show's creator, Miguel Sapochnik, stated that ‘House of Dragons’ will embrace the rawness that characterised 'Game of Thrones.’ Watch 'House of the Dragon' trailer here:- ‘House of the Dragon’ has some well-known faces apart from Smith, such as ‘Peaky Blinders’ actor Paddy Considine, Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, ‘Outlander’ star Graham McTavish, Eve Best, and Steve Toussaint. The prequel is based on George R. R. Martin’s book ‘Fire and Blood.’ It takes place around 200 years before the main events of ‘Game of Thrones’. It will follow the story of a Targaryen civil war, which is called 'The Dance of Dragons'. ‘House of the Dragon’ will debut on HBO on August 21 in the US and on Sky Atlantic in the UK on August 22, along with NOW. Actress Anne Heche severely burned in horrific car crash

'House Of the Dragon' actor Matt Smith claims he was startled by number of sex scenes in the show

The trailer for HBO’s most awaited series, 'House of the Dragon’ is here and fans are already super excited to see what it has to offer. The series is a spinoff of the hit period war drama ‘Game of Thrones,'&nbsp;which first premiered in 2011. The prequel show is set two centuries before the War of the Five Kings and is based on the original writer George R.R.&nbsp;Martin's book 'Fire &amp; Blood' which will tell the backstory of House Targaryen, which is reduced to just two members by the time 'Game of Thrones' begins—Viserys (Harry Lloyd) and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke).&nbsp;

As the struggle for the iron thrones begins, the spinoff of 'GoT'&nbsp;may not be the last one on HBO. Up to this date, we have only had the adaptation of the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ from the book. But there are several sources of material by George R.R. Martin that can be developed into a television series.&nbsp;

The show’s co-creator, Miguel Sapochnik, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, explains how ‘House of the Dragon’ might serve as the foundation for more future stories. Sapochnik said, "The Targaryens span both directions. So as a spine to other possible stories and spinoffs... this is a great place to start."&nbsp;

And this could be right, given the numerous characters introduced in the show, like that of The Targaryens, who may have plenty of opportunities for exploration, from Aegon's conquest to the Doom of Valyria.&nbsp;

Watch the 'House of the Dragon' trailer here:-&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DotnJ7tTA34" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

&nbsp;

As reported by Movieweb.com, HBO Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys said, "I also liked the idea of focusing on one family, and obviously the Targaryens have a lot of drama to go around. I also liked how empires can quickly fall - those are the types of conversations we are having in our own country, which I don't think is anything I would've thought we'd be talking about 20 years ago."

Meanwhile, ‘House of the Dragon’ is not the first spinoff of ‘Game of Thrones’ that was planned, but it is the first to be delivered to the audience. 'Bloodmoon' was the first spinoff from the ‘Game of Thrones’ series that was initially decided, and it would centre on The Long Knight. However, after a $30 million pilot episode, the Naomi Watts-starring television series was ultimately cancelled.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-house-of-the-dragon-trailer-hbo-series-promises-fiery-dragon-battles-in-an-older-struggle-for-iron-throne-499323">'House of the Dragon' trailer: HBO series promises fiery dragon battles in an older struggle for Iron Throne</a>

Last March, news about three ‘GoT’ spinoffs were reported to be in production, the first of which was ‘The Sea Snake’, which would focus on Corlys Velaryon, aka The Sea Snake. Steve Toussaint will be seen playing the character in the ‘House of the Dragon.’&nbsp;

HBO is also developing ‘Ten Thousand Ships’, which will follow the story of Princess Nymeria, a member of House Martell who built Dorne. The series is being written by Amanda Segel, who has given a few draughts to George R.R. Martin. Additionally, there are rumours surrounding a series called 'Flea Bottom’, to be based on the King's Landing Slums, a place where the poorest citizens of Westeros' capital city reside, which is also reported to be in development at HBO.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, actress Emilia Clarke last month confirmed that a spinoff series starring Kit Harrington's character Jon Snow was in the works. Therefore, don't be surprised if more spinoffs of Game of Thrones' expansion are announced in the future.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/kit-harington-involved-in-game-of-thrones-jon-snow-sequel-series-says-emilia-clarke-491177">Kit Harington involved in 'Game of Thrones' Jon Snow sequel series, says Emilia Clarke</a>

The trailer for HBO’s most awaited series, 'House of the Dragon’ is here and fans are already super excited to see what it has to offer. The series is a spinoff of the hit period war drama ‘Game of Thrones,' which first premiered in 2011.

The trailer for HBO’s most awaited series, 'House of the Dragon’ is here and fans are already super excited to see what it has to offer. The series is a spinoff of the hit period war drama ‘Game of Thrones,' which first premiered in 2011. The prequel show is set two centuries before the War of the Five Kings and is based on the original writer George R.R. Martin's book 'Fire & Blood' which will tell the backstory of House Targaryen, which is reduced to just two members by the time 'Game of Thrones' begins—Viserys (Harry Lloyd) and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke). As the struggle for the iron thrones begins, the spinoff of 'GoT' may not be the last one on HBO. Up to this date, we have only had the adaptation of the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ from the book. But there are several sources of material by George R.R. Martin that can be developed into a television series. The show’s co-creator, Miguel Sapochnik, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, explains how ‘House of the Dragon’ might serve as the foundation for more future stories. Sapochnik said, "The Targaryens span both directions. So as a spine to other possible stories and spinoffs... this is a great place to start." And this could be right, given the numerous characters introduced in the show, like that of The Targaryens, who may have plenty of opportunities for exploration, from Aegon's conquest to the Doom of Valyria. Watch the 'House of the Dragon' trailer here:- As reported by Movieweb.com, HBO Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys said, "I also liked the idea of focusing on one family, and obviously the Targaryens have a lot of drama to go around. I also liked how empires can quickly fall - those are the types of conversations we are having in our own country, which I don't think is anything I would've thought we'd be talking about 20 years ago." Meanwhile, ‘House of the Dragon’ is not the first spinoff of ‘Game of Thrones’ that was planned, but it is the first to be delivered to the audience. 'Bloodmoon' was the first spinoff from the ‘Game of Thrones’ series that was initially decided, and it would centre on The Long Knight. However, after a $30 million pilot episode, the Naomi Watts-starring television series was ultimately cancelled. Also Read: 'House of the Dragon' trailer: HBO series promises fiery dragon battles in an older struggle for Iron Throne Last March, news about three ‘GoT’ spinoffs were reported to be in production, the first of which was ‘The Sea Snake’, which would focus on Corlys Velaryon, aka The Sea Snake. Steve Toussaint will be seen playing the character in the ‘House of the Dragon.’ HBO is also developing ‘Ten Thousand Ships’, which will follow the story of Princess Nymeria, a member of House Martell who built Dorne. The series is being written by Amanda Segel, who has given a few draughts to George R.R. Martin. Additionally, there are rumours surrounding a series called 'Flea Bottom’, to be based on the King's Landing Slums, a place where the poorest citizens of Westeros' capital city reside, which is also reported to be in development at HBO. Meanwhile, actress Emilia Clarke last month confirmed that a spinoff series starring Kit Harrington's character Jon Snow was in the works. Therefore, don't be surprised if more spinoffs of Game of Thrones' expansion are announced in the future. Also Read: Kit Harington involved in 'Game of Thrones' Jon Snow sequel series, says Emilia Clarke

HBO's GOT spinoff 'House of the Dragon' is a gateway for more stories to be told