Earlier this month, HBO revealed the first look at its long-awaited House of the Dragon series. And while the presence of familiar iconography made it clear that the show is definitely set in the Game of Thrones universe, the creators aren’t looking to rehash anything that came before. In fact, it sounds like they want to establish a tone that stands apart from that of the flagship series.
Director and co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss his new Apple TV+ movie, Finch. But when House of the Dragon came up, he laid out some his aims for the new series, which he promises will honor its predecessor while also forging a path all its own.
“I think we were very respectful of what the original show is,” explained Sapochnik. “It wasn’t broken so we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. House of the Dragon has its own tone that will evolve and emerge over the course of the show. But first, it’s very important to pay respects and homage to the original series, which was pretty groundbreaking. We’re standing on the shoulders of that show and we’re only here because of that show. So the most important thing for us to do is to respect that show as much as possible and try and compliment it rather than reinvent it.”
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This isn’t Sapochnik’s first visit to Westeros. He previously joined Game of Thrones as a director in season 5 and went on to helm six episodes of the series, including its penultimate chapter. Regardless, House of the Dragon marks his first time filling the role of showrunner, and he quickly learned that this is a completely different ballgame from just sitting behind a camera.
“It’s a lot of work,” added Sapochnik. “It’s a pretty interesting shift. I’m producing other directors and getting involved in a lot of the minutiae. Directing feels really simple by comparison. I feel vaguely elated on my directing days because I don’t have to think about anything other than directing. I’ve also learned, as I learned on Finch, that it’s becoming more and more important to me as I’m getting older to work with people I like. The journey is the destination and if you can’t enjoy the journey, then the destination has so much less meaning.”
House of the Dragon will premiere on HBO sometime in 2022.
Are you looking forward to watching the series next year? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Fire & Blood: 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones
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