'House of the Dragon' showrunner explains his early exit from the series

After just two episodes have aired, House of the Dragon co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik announced his departure.

On August 31, Sapochnik announced his exit from the HBO series after only two episodes had aired, reports eonline.com.

"Working within the GoT universe for the past few years has been an honour and a privilege," Sapochnik said in a statement, "Especially spending the last two with the amazing cast and crew of House of the Dragon."

"I am so proud of what we accomplished with season one and overjoyed by the enthusiastic reaction of our viewers."

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According to HBO, House of the Dragon co-creator Ryan Condal, who also co-created USA Network's Colony, will take over as the series' sole showrunner next season.

Alan Taylor, the Emmy-winning Game of Thrones veteran, will join the already-announced second season an executive producer and director of multiple episodes.

"It was incredibly tough to decide to move on, but I know that it is the right choice for me, personally and professionally," Sapochnik explained.

"As I do so, though, I am deeply comforted to know that Alan will be joining the series. He's someone I've known and respected for a long time, and I believe this precious series could not be in safer hands."

Despite stepping back from his major duties, Sapochnik will remain as an executive producer on House of the Dragon throughout its run.

"Miguel Sapochnik has done amazing work on the first season of House of the Dragon, establishing its signature look and feel," HBO said in a statement.

"This series simply could not have come together the way it did without him. While we would have loved to have Miguel continue in the same role, we are thrilled to have his ongoing collaboration in this new creative capacity."

The second episode of House of the Dragon on August 28 was viewed by 10.2 million viewers, according to Variety, an increase from the nearly 10 million people who watched the August 21 premiere, which was the biggest premiere in HBO history.