HBO backs House of the Dragon showrunner after George R.R. Martin criticism

HBO executive Casey Bloys has publicly defended House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal following recent criticism from author George R.R. Martin over creative changes to the series.

In a recent interview, Bloys emphasized that while HBO deeply values Martin as the original creator of the world of Westeros, creative disagreements are a natural part of adapting large, complex works for television. Bloys noted that Martin himself originally recommended Condal to lead the prequel series and described Condal as an “excellent showrunner and collaborator” whose creative vision the network fully supports.

Martin recently described his working relationship with Condal as “abysmal,” saying that after the first season their collaboration deteriorated as his feedback on scripts was increasingly ignored. According to Martin, tensions grew after co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik departed, leaving Condal as sole showrunner. He claimed that his notes on later scripts no longer resulted in revisions and that HBO eventually asked him to route comments through the network rather than directly to Condal.

Despite the dispute, Martin remains under an overall deal with HBO and has shifted his primary focus to the upcoming spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which he has previously described as a personal favorite of his works. Bloys pointed to that project as an example of the continued partnership between the author and the network.

House of the Dragon season 3 has already completed filming and is set to premiere in summer 2026. HBO has not yet announced an exact release date, but the series remains one of the network’s flagship fantasy properties as the broader Game of Thrones universe continues to expand.