MOVIE NEWS – George R.R. Martin has once again addressed the growing tension behind HBO’s House of the Dragon, and this time he did not mince words. The author behind the Game of Thrones universe revealed that his relationship with showrunner Ryan Condal has deteriorated far beyond simple creative friction. In his own terms, it is no longer “rocky” – it is “abysmal.”
George R.R. Martin, the creator of the literary saga that later became Game of Thrones, has spoken candidly about the state of his working relationship with House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal. While Martin has never been shy about voicing disagreement with certain choices made in adaptations of his world, this latest update suggests something far deeper than standard behind-the-scenes debate. According to Martin, the collaboration that once felt like a partnership has become a source of ongoing frustration.
Martin made the comments in an extensive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where he discussed the future of screen adaptations set in Westeros. Following Game of Thrones, HBO launched House of the Dragon, which is expected to return with a third season in the near future. The network is also preparing yet another prequel project, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. In other words, Martin’s involvement with HBO’s Westeros machine is far from finished.
However, House of the Dragon has become the most contentious point of all. Asked why his relationship with Condal has grown so strained, Martin insisted that “strained” does not even begin to capture it – and laid out what he believes went wrong:
“It’s worse than rocky. It’s abysmal. I hired Ryan. I thought Ryan and I were partners. And we were all through the first season. I would read early drafts of the scripts. I would give notes. He would change some things. It was working really well – I thought.
Then we got into Season 2, and he basically stopped listening to me. I would give notes, and nothing would happen. Sometimes he would explain why he wasn’t doing it. Other times, he would tell me, ‘Oh, OK, yeah, I’ll think about that.’ It got worse and worse, and I began to get more and more annoyed. Finally, it got to a point where I was told by HBO that I should submit all my notes to them, and they would give Ryan our combined notes.”
The Blog Post That Lit the Fuse
House of the Dragon Season 2 premiered in June 2024, and a few episodes into the run, Martin published a blog post on his personal website that dramatically shifted public perception of the situation. Martin has previously voiced strong opinions about the franchise, but this particular entry was viewed as especially incendiary. It contained some praise, but what truly stood out was Martin’s firm opposition to the creative direction taken by the series.
The post was eventually taken down, and Martin now admits he considered restoring it but ultimately chose not to. As he explained, “I would’ve put it back up, but then I would’ve looked like an idiot.”
Condal later responded publicly when speaking to Entertainment Weekly earlier this year. The showrunner described Martin’s comments as disappointing, while emphasizing his respect for the author and the influence Martin has had on his life and career:
“It was disappointing. Working on the show has been truly one of the great privileges of, not only my career as a writer, but my life as a fan of science fiction and fantasy. George himself is a monument, a literary icon in addition to a personal hero of mine, and was heavily influential on me coming up as a writer.”
Condal also insisted he made repeated efforts to involve Martin in the adaptation process, but claimed that over time the collaboration became increasingly difficult:
“I will simply say, I made every effort to include George in the adaptation process. I really did. Over years and years. And we really enjoyed a mutually fruitful, I thought, really strong collaboration for a long time.
But at some point, as we got deeper down the road, he just became unwilling to acknowledge the practical issues at hand in a reasonable way… I can only hope that George and I can rediscover that harmony someday. But that’s what I have to say about it.”
For now, HBO continues moving forward with its expanding Westeros slate, but Martin’s remarks make it clear that the behind-the-scenes dynamics are far from smooth – especially when it comes to House of the Dragon.
Source: MovieWeb
