George R.R. Martin, the famous author behind A Song of Ice and Fire, has spoken openly about serious problems in his working relationship with House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Martin said their relationship is “abysmal,” meaning extremely bad. He explained that while fans argue over teams in the show, the real conflict has been happening behind the scenes between the creators themselves.
George R.R. Martin Slams House of the Dragon Showrunner
Martin and Condal worked closely together when House of the Dragon first began. During Season 1, Martin said their partnership was strong and respectful. He read early scripts, gave feedback, and felt his ideas were valued. However, things changed during Season 2. Martin said Condal slowly stopped listening to his suggestions, and many of his notes were ignored or never discussed seriously.
One major breaking point came when the show removed an important character, Maelor Targaryen, from a key storyline known as the “Blood and Cheese” scene. Martin believed this change would cause problems for future storylines from his book Fire and Blood. He shared his concerns in a blog post called “Beware the Butterflies,” but the post was later deleted. He planned to write more posts explaining his issues, but those were never published.
According to reports, tensions grew even worse during a Zoom meeting with HBO executives and producers. During the meeting, Condal explained his plans for the season, and Martin reportedly said, “This is not my story any longer.” After that, Martin stepped away from the show at HBO’s request, although he later returned for reasons he said he cannot discuss publicly.
Ryan Condal later shared his side of the story in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. He said he respected Martin but had to balance creative ideas with real-world production limits. Condal explained that as a showrunner, he must make decisions that work for the cast, crew, and HBO. He said he hopes he and Martin can rebuild their creative partnership. House of the Dragon Season 3 is set to premiere this summer on HBO and HBO Max.
Author: Purnima s
Purnima | Entertainment Blogger 4+ yrs writing fun blogs on movies, celebs & trends. Pop culture addict serving fresh, binge-worthy content!
