House of the Dragon is nearing the premiere of its second season, which will debut later this month. The series stars Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, an unpredictable and fierce warrior. While Smith and most of the cast and crew are returning from the first season, one major player will be noticeably absent from proceedings after co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik’s exit.
In a recent interview, Smith addressed Sapochnik’s departure from the series. Smith admitted that the viewers would feel the impact of Sapochnik’s absence but reassured fans that the overall quality of the series would not take a hit. At the same time, Smith also teased what fans can expect from his character in the second season.
House of the Dragon Star Matt Smith Addresses Co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik’s Exit
House of the Dragon stars Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen and serves as a prequel to HBO’s hit fantasy drama Game of Thrones. For the first season, Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik served as co-showrunners with the latter having directed episodes of the parent series.
However, in August 2022, it was reported that Sapochnik was stepping down as co-showrunner. According to reports, Sapochnik allegedly left the series after the network refused to include his wife, Alexis Raben, as part of the second season’s production team.
In a recent interview with Variety, Smith spoke about Sapochnik’s exit from the series. He said:
It’s a shame because it had a great effect on the tone of the show, and knowing what you need to deliver.
Smith explained that Sapochnik was great at ensuring that the series maintained a tonal similarity with its parent series, giving viewers a sense of comfort. He added:
When you lose a director of that caliber, you’re going to feel it.
While Smith lamented Sapochnik’s exit, the actor wished the latter well for his future endeavors. However, Sapochnik remains a part of the series in an executive producer role. Meanwhile, Game of Thrones veteran Alan Taylor has been brought on to direct some episodes of season two while Condal now serves as the sole showrunner.
Matt Smith Teases What to Expect From Daemon in House of the Dragon Season 2
During the same interview, Smith also spoke about what the new season has in store, especially for his character, Prince Daemon Targaryen. Smith revealed that the sophomore outing will dive deeper into the rouge prince aspect of his character.
We start to see the mask slip. Life becomes more difficult, and he gets soft around the edges. He starts to unravel.
Smith made the above statement hinting that we might also get to see a different side of Daemon.
The actor added that Daemon will face problems that he cannot simply fight his way out of in the second season. As a result, we might see Daemon become softer in some situations. However, Smith also stated that Daemon believes he is doing the right thing in his quest to protect the throne, which will likely lead to some interesting consequences for the character.
House of the Dragon season 2 premieres on June 16, 2024, on Max while season 1 also streaming on the service.
