Martin calls relationship with Condal 'abysmal' as new spinoff rises

George R.R. Martin has said a once-close creative partnership with House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal has deteriorated, describing their current relationship as "abysmal." He said their collaboration was fruitful during the first season, but that Condal "basically stopped listening" during season two.

Martin added that sometimes Condal explained why he wouldn’t follow notes, and at other times he would say, "Oh, OK, yeah, I’ll think about that," which led Martin to grow increasingly annoyed. HBO's chief content officer Casey Bloys defended Condal, saying he "has been an excellent showrunner and a really great partner and collaborator, so we embrace his vision and his creative choices, or we wouldn’t have done it." The success of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has intensified the spotlight on House of the Dragon.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has often topped HBO Max streaming charts and its fourth episode earned a near-perfect 9.7/10 on IMDb.

martin, ryan condal, house, dragon, a knight, seven kingdoms, hbo, hbo max, casey bloys, showrunner