The biggest battle in House of the Dragon might not be between Team Black and Team Green. As the hit HBO series prepares for its third season, a major conflict has erupted behind the scenes between the show’s creator and its showrunner. George R. R. Martin, the author of the Fire & Blood novel the show is based on, has openly discussed a broken relationship with Ryan Condal, the series’ showrunner. This tension raises questions about the creative direction of the highly anticipated new season, scheduled for summer 2026.
The Breakdown of a Creative Partnership
Martin, who serves as an executive producer on the show, described his current relationship with Condal in stark terms. He told The Hollywood Reporter that their partnership is “worse than rocky. It’s abysmal“. This marks a dramatic shift from their collaboration during the show’s first season.
Martin said he initially considered Condal a partner. “I would read early drafts of the scripts. I would give notes. He would change some things. It was working really well—I thought,” Martin explained. The author even supported Condal during a disagreement with the series’ original co-showrunner, Miguel Sapochnik, who left after Season 1.
However, Martin says things changed during work on Season 2. “He basically stopped listening to me,” Martin stated. “I would give notes, and nothing would happen”. Martin’s frustration grew until HBO executives suggested a new process: Martin would send his notes to the network, and they would pass them along to Condal.
Specific Disputes Over Story and Character Changes
The disagreements are not just about general creative control. Martin has specific complaints about how Condal has adapted the source material. After the Season 2 finale aired in August 2024, Martin wrote a blog post criticizing changes he believed would harm future storylines.
In a now-deleted post titled “Beware the Butterflies,” Martin argued that altering key plot points creates a ripple effect. He focused on the show’s handling of the infamous “Blood and Cheese” storyline, which was different from his books. Martin suggested that more “toxic butterflies” were coming if the show proceeded with certain changes planned for Seasons 3 and 4.
Sources indicate the conflict reached a peak during a Zoom meeting in late 2024. Condal presented his vision for Season 3 to Martin, producers, and HBO executives. After hearing the plans, Martin voiced strong objections and ultimately declared, “This is not my story any longer“.
Public Fallout and HBO’s Intervention
The tension became public when Martin published his critical blog post in September 2024. The post was live for only a short time before it was removed. Martin says an HBO executive contacted his manager, who then had Martin’s assistant take the post down while Martin was asleep.
“I would’ve put it back up, but then I would’ve looked like an idiot,” Martin said. “And 80 percent of it was praise, but that’s not what people focused on”. That post was meant to be the first of six detailing his issues with the show’s direction.
Following the contentious Zoom meeting, HBO asked Martin to step back from the show entirely. However, after a few months, the author returned to the project. When asked why he came back, Martin simply replied, “I can’t talk about it“. An HBO source framed the break as a necessary reset, saying, “the process and communication with them was broken and needed a reset”.
What This Means for Season 3
Despite the backstage drama, production on Season 3 has moved forward. The season wrapped filming and is currently set for a summer 2026 premiere on HBO. The new season will consist of eight episodes.
Showrunner Ryan Condal has addressed the situation indirectly. In a March 2025 interview, he stated he made every effort to include Martin but had to balance creative desires with practical production needs.
“I will simply say, I made every effort to include George in the adaptation process. I really did,” Condal told Entertainment Weekly. “But at some point… he just became unwilling to acknowledge the practical issues at hand in a reasonable way”.
Condal also reported that HBO executives are “very happy” with early screenings of Season 3. He mentioned planned reshoots for early 2026 are intended to “tighten things up,” not due to major problems.
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Fan Reactions and Season 3 Details
The news of the creative conflict has divided the show’s fanbase. On social media and fan forums, some viewers express deep concern. “The most worrying info concerns season 3… with GRRM saying ‘it’s no longer my story,’” posted one fan on Facebook. Another commented, “Already having ruined season 2, I can’t even imagine what season 3 has in store for us”.
Other fans are more supportive of the show’s direction. “I’ve actually enjoyed the direction of House of Dragon for the most part,” wrote a user on ResetEra. Another argued, “book readers should grow up at some point and stop expecting shows to follow books step by step”.
For Season 3, viewers can expect a major battle right from the start. HBO’s head of drama confirmed the season will open with “The Battle of the Gullet“. Actress Olivia Cooke, who plays Alicent Hightower, teased the season’s scale: “It starts off with a bang… It’s bigger and more ferocious than ever before”.
The cast will see both returns and new faces. Twenty-two actors are confirmed to return, including Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), Emma D’Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen), and Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower). Seven new actors will join the series, such as James Norton as Ormund Hightower. At least four series regulars from Season 2 are not expected to return.
Looking beyond Season 3, Condal has confirmed that work on Season 4 has already begun. The show is currently planned to conclude with its fourth season. As the Game of Thrones universe expands with new spin-offs like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the pressure is on for House of the Dragon to maintain its popularity amid behind-the-scenes challenges.
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