How George R.R. Martin Really Feels About House Of The Dragon

With a show like the upcoming "House of the Dragon," the real drama might not be happening on screen. HBO's "Game of Thrones" prequel series will try to capture the same lightning-in-a-bottle that made the original series one of the defining shows of the 2010's–and do so without "Game of Thrones" creator George R.R. Martin's direct involvement. 

"House of the Dragon" is set about 200 years before the events of "Game of Thrones" and is centered on the dragon-riding Targaryen family. The story begins when King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) decides to name his daughter Rhanerya (Emma D'Arcy) as his heir, kicking off a Targaryen civil war known as the "Dance of Dragons."

The show is based on Martin's source material. "House of the Dragon" is derived from two anthologies that Martin co-wrote with Gardner Dozois, "Dangerous Women" and "Rogues," as well as his history "Fire & Blood." However, Martin doesn't have a hands-on role. As he explained after the show was announced in 2019, he isn't taking on any more scripts until his latest "Game of Thrones" novel, "Winds of Winter," is finished (via GeorgeRRMartin.com). As of March 2022, "Winds of Winter" is still in unfinished (via GeorgeRRMartin.com).

Martin has seen the work in progress, however, and shared his thoughts on social media. 

Martin Tweeted about "House of the Dragon" back in October 2021, in the days following HBO's release of the show's first teaser-trailer. After sharing a link to the trailer, Martin wrote "And yes, I love it too. Ryan and Miguel and their team are kicking a** and taking names." 

"Ryan" refers to "House of the Dragon" co-creator and executive producer Ryan J. Condal. In addition to his producing responsibilities, Condal is credited with writing four Season 1's ten episodes. Previously, Condal co-created the science fiction series "Colony" (via IMDb). "Miguel," of course, is a reference to Miguel Sapochnik. He's also serving as an executive producer, and he directed three episodes from Season 1. "Game of Thrones" fans remember him for his directing efforts on that series. Altogether, Sapochnik directed six episodes of "Game of Thrones," including many of the battle-heavy ones like "Hardhome" and "Battle of the Bastards" (via IMDb). 

Of course, it's unlikely that Martin would publicly say anything negative about "House of the Dragon," even if did have criticisms of it. Still, for a show that doesn't have Martin's direct involvement, it's good to have the creator's blessing.

Fans will have to wait and see whether "House of the Dragon" delivers when it premieres on August 21, 2022.