George R.R. Martin continues to showerHouse of the Dragonwith praise. This time, theA Song of Ice and Fireauthor took to his notablog to sing the praises of the show’s cast, particularly focusing his compliments on Milly Alcock, Emily Carey, Emma D’Arcy, and Olivia Cooke.
Martin first publishedA Game of Thronesback in 1996. That eventually became the basis for HBO’sGame of Thrones, which premiered in 2011. It took many years for Martin to find a production crew willing to adapt the series. Some wanted to turn the series into films while focusing only on Jon Show’s storyline, while others wanted to focus entirely on Daenerys Targaryen. Eventually, Martin found HBO willing to adapt the entire story, and it proved to be a major success. However, Martin has revealed he had certainconcerns during the production ofGame of Thronesthat led to problems later on.
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No such issues appear to be plaguing Martin withHouse of the Dragon. On hisnotablog(Martin’s website, where he frequently posts asides, reactions to football games, and updates on his work), Martin spoke about how pleased he was withHouse of the Dragon. He singled out Alcock and Carey, who departed the series following a time jump in episode 6, and Cooke and D’Arcy, who likewise joined the show following that same time jump. Martin wrote, “Milly Alcock and Emily Carey were incredible as young Rhaenyra and young Alicent, were they not? With Sunday’s episode, Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke took over as the adult versions of the characters. I think you will love them too. Or hate them, maybe. Love/ hate.”
Martin further went on to state that the entire cast has been doing a phenomenal job, and he showered praise on the writers of the show as well, whom he felt mostly go unsung for their part in the show’s success. He also gave a shout-out to showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik, the latter of whom will beleavingHouse of the Dragonbefore season 2, and EP Jocelyn Diaz, who will also be departing ahead of season 2. Martin’s post seems a far cry from any issues he felt while working on theGame of Thronesproduction.
Martin appears to have a close working relationship with the crew onHouse of the Dragon, and it also appears that he retains more creative control over the show. This is something he has expressed issues with in the past, and he has stated that hedid not want to become like Stan Leeand lose control over his own creations.
Martin also stated that, thoughHouse of the Dragonseason is nearly completed, he feels the best is yet to come. The season promises to have an explosive finale. Thus far, the show has expertly been building up the tension of a looming succession crisis, and it’s likely that that powder keg will explode before this season is over.
House of the Dragonairs on Sundays at 9 PM EST on HBO and HBO Max.
