George R.R. Martin Says Relationship with HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Showrunner ‘Abysmal’

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The relationship between George R.R. Martin, the creator of Westeros, and Ryan Condal, the showrunner of House of the Dragon, has become severely strained – reminiscent of the conflicts in the Targaryen Civil War. Martin has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the second season of the HBO series, specifically criticizing changes Condal made to the original story. Many fans, and Martin himself, felt these alterations were unnecessary or even harmful. Condal responded, leading to a significant falling out. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Martin described their working relationship as “abysmal.”

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, 77-year-old author George R.R. Martin discussed his current projects while at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He shared his enthusiasm for the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms series and remained undecided about completing The Winds of Winter – let alone the next book in the series. However, the most surprising part of the conversation was Martin’s surprisingly frank assessment of his working relationship – or lack of one – with Ryan Condal on House of the Dragon.

I gently asked Martin, “I understand you can’t share many details, but I’m curious about what caused the tension between you and Ryan Condal, the showrunner for House of the Dragon.”

“It’s worse than rocky,” Martin says, looking miserable. “It’s abysmal.”

Without revealing any plot details, George R.R. Martin is unhappy with how some characters were changed in the Dragon adaptation, as these changes affect important parts of the story.

Martin explains that he brought Ryan on board, believing they were collaborators. They worked well together throughout the first season, with Martin reviewing early script drafts and offering feedback, which Ryan would often incorporate. Martin felt the process was going smoothly at the time.

Ryan and original co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik disagreed, and Ryan turned to George R.R. Martin for support. Martin sided with Ryan, and Sapochnik later left the show after its first season.

According to Martin, things changed in the second season when Ryan Murphy started ignoring his input. He’d offer suggestions, but they weren’t acted upon. Sometimes Murphy would explain why, and other times he’d simply say he’d consider them. This became increasingly frustrating, and eventually, HBO asked Martin to send all his notes directly to them, who would then share them with Murphy.

That’s incredibly cold! The article explains that George R.R. Martin doesn’t want to reveal many details, but insiders say the problem started during a Zoom meeting with HBO executives. Ryan Condal presented his plans for the third season of House of the Dragon, and afterward, Martin strongly disagreed, reportedly saying, “This isn’t the story I envisioned anymore.”

HBO initially limited George R.R. Martin’s involvement in the creative process for House of the Dragon. He’s now back involved, which is why he’s unable to discuss the show at this time. It’s quite a situation!

It’s uncertain whether George R.R. Martin now has more creative control over House of the Dragon compared to its second season—and potentially beyond—or if this arrangement simply prevents him from publicly criticizing the show. What is clear, though, is that Martin and showrunner Ryan Condal aren’t currently on good terms. Condal maintains that he tried to involve Martin in the adaptation process but says Martin eventually became unwilling to consider the practical challenges. Despite the current tension, Condal expresses hope that they can resolve their differences and collaborate again in the future.

Honestly, the whole situation is a bit messy. It seems like there’s a real disagreement about how things should go with the show – whether the original author should have the final say, or if adapting the story requires changes. After being a little disappointed with season two, I’m leaning towards siding with George R.R. Martin. But at the end of the day, all I really want is a fantastic show, and I’m willing to see how it all plays out, even if it means some tough choices are made.

It remains to be seen what new challenges and conflicts will arise in future seasons of House of the Dragon.

Kyle Anderson is a Senior Editor at TopMob and the host of the “Laser Focus” podcast, where he takes a deep dive into pop culture. He also writes film and TV reviews, and you can find him on Letterboxd.

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2026-01-15 23:06