Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin hasn’t been afraid to share his opinons on how House of the Dragon has been going, at one point taking to his blog to voice his disappointment on how it has adapted what he considers to be a crucial part of the plot.
Asked about Martin’s comments at an event highlighting the Max’s upcoming release slate, HBO boss Casey Bloys said he wants the creator “to be happy” while likening their relationship to a marriage.
“We love George, obviously. George and Game of Thrones really changed the course of HBO, had a huge imact on it, so I want him to be happy. He’s very important to us,” Bloys said. “But when we put shows together, you’re putting a marriage together, and marriages can be difficult, especially when [shopwrunner Ryan Condal] is making creative decisions adapting work. It can be fraught, and like any marriage, sometimes it gets rocky. Would I prefer that everybody get along and it goes well? Of course. But it’s a creative process and it’s always going to have its bumps, and that’s to be expected.”
Martin slammed the changes made to House of the Dragon Season 2 in a blog post in September, which was quickly removed. Max responded with a statement saying that the “showrunner ultimately is required to make difficult choices about the characters and stories the audience will follow.” Martin has been quiet on the subject since, talking instead about a potential return for Arya Stark actress Maisie Williams and writing about his desire for a Braavos Game of Thrones story — but only when Winds of Winter is done.
Bloys, meanwhile, talked about other upcoming projects in the universe of Westeros, saying that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will have a “lighter tone” by design and waving away concerns about Game of Thrones overload. “I think practically speaking, you don’t want to overdo anything, but there’s no blinking green lights on anything at the moment…. We only do them when we think they’re ready to go,” Bloys said.
There are currently numerous Game of Thrones projects at various stages of development, including a feature film. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the next series on the docket, with a release date set for late 2025.
Photo by Amy Sussman/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
