George R.R. Martin Calls His Relationship With The HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Showrunner “Abysmal”

Things have gotten uncomfortably tense in Westeros, and this time it has nothing to do with dragons or succession wars. George R.R. Martin has publicly addressed the current state of his relationship with House of the Dragon, and it’s far from friendly.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Martin didn’t sugarcoat where things stand between him and Ryan Condal, the showrunner he personally hired to help bring his work to the screen.

When asked about their relationship, Martin said, “It’s worse than rocky,” before adding, “It’s abysmal.”

The tension traces back to the airing of House of the Dragon Season 2. Around that time, Martin published a blog post, which has since been deleted, expressing frustration over several creative changes made in the adaptation of his book Fire & Blood.

While the post didn’t single Condal out directly, the message landed hard enough to strain their once-productive partnership.

Martin and Condal co-created House of the Dragon, and by Martin’s own account, the early development process was a strong creative match. He trusted Condal with his world, and for a time, the adaptation felt aligned with his vision.

Condal hasn’t closed the door on repairing that relationship. Reflecting on their early work together, he said, “I can only hope that George and I can rediscover that harmony someday.”

Regardless, the divide hasn’t slowed the series down. House of the Dragon Season 3 is expected to arrive later this year on HBO and HBO Max, with the Dance of the Dragons set to escalate in some big, fiery ways.

Behind the scenes drama doesn’t always spill into the final product, but when the creator of Westeros calls a relationship “abysmal,” fans can’t help but wonder how that tension might shape the future of the franchise.