When it comes to HBO’s House of the Dragon, George R.R. Martin is not afraid to share his thoughts on it. Earlier this fall, in fact, he really aired his HOTD grievances in a blog post that is now deleted. Now, HBO and Max’s Chairman and CEO Casey Bloys has addressed the author’s criticisms as well as the network's relationship with him.
At a press presentation, Bloys was asked about Martin’s criticisms, and he responded (via Variety) by keeping things positive while admitting that “like any marriage, sometimes it gets rocky:”
We love George. Obviously, I will say George and ‘Game of Thrones’ really changed the course of HBO. So I want him to be happy. He’s very important to me, to us. But when we put shows together, you know, you’re putting a marriage together and marriages can be difficult, especially when Ryan is making creative decisions, adapting work. It can be fraught, and like any marriage, sometimes it gets rocky.
For context, in Martin’s blog post, he wrote about how much he disliked the show for not including the youngest child of Aegon and Helaena, Maelor. It was a long post, and it was clear the author was upset about the omission.
Meanwhile, in the past, showrunner Ryan Condal has been clear about the challenges of adapting this project, noting that when they are transitioning Fire & Blood from page to screen they do a lot of “coloring in the lines that we’re given…and a lot of that color is admittedly our own.”
Now, on top of his complaint about Maelor not being in Season 2, Martin has also had specific criticisms about the dragons in the show. The Game of Thrones author has shared his general take on HOTD too, at one point writing on his blog that he does not look forward to writing about “everything that’s gone wrong with House of the Dragon.”
During this presentation Bloys did, he reiterated his point that they are still working with Martin. While it might not be all hunky dory all the time, the boss claimed that that is simply the nature of creative relationships:
Would I prefer that everybody get along and it goes well? Of course. But it’s a creative process. It’s it’s always going to have its bumps, and it’s to be expected.
Now, with Season 3 of House of the Dragon in the works, and other upcoming Game of Thrones shows – like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms – on the way, it will be interesting to see if we learn more about Martin and HBO’s relationship. As of right now, though, it’s clear George R.R. Martin isn’t thrilled about House of the Dragon, while it seems like HBO is working to maintain their relationship with the fantasy writer.
With Season 3 of HOTD coming and various other projects in the works, we’ll be sure to keep you posted on the evolving relationship between Martin and the network that has put his words to the screen. In the meantime, to watch the show that caused this back and forth, you can stream the first two seasons of House of the Dragon with a Max subscription.
