A major behind-the-scenes dispute is casting a shadow over the upcoming season of HBO’s hit series. George R.R. Martin, the author of the source material, has publicly described his working relationship with House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal as “abysmal.” This rift, which began during the production of Season 2, escalated during planning for Season 3 and required intervention from HBO executives. With the new season scheduled for Summer 2026, fans are questioning how this internal conflict might affect the story they will see on screen.
The Root of the Conflict: Creative Differences in Season 2
The partnership between George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal started strongly. Martin was deeply involved in Season 1, reading early scripts and providing notes that Condal often used. Martin believed they were creative partners.
The dynamic changed during Season 2. Martin felt his detailed notes on scripts were increasingly ignored. His frustration peaked with specific creative decisions that deviated from his book, Fire & Blood. A major point of contention was the adaptation of the infamous Blood and Cheese sequence. The show’s decision to remove the baby Maelor from the plot was a change Martin strongly opposed.
In a since-deleted blog post titled “Beware the Butterflies,” Martin argued this alteration would create a “butterfly effect” damaging future storylines. This post was meant to be the first of six detailing his grievances, but the others were never published after HBO intervened.
“I thought Ryan and I were partners,” Martin told The Hollywood Reporter. “And we were all through the first season. 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’s ‘Abysmal’ Relationship with Condal
In a candid recent interview, Martin did not hold back when describing the current state of his relationship with the showrunner. He stated it is “worse than rocky. It’s abysmal.” He explained that during Season 2, Condal “basically stopped listening to me.”
Martin detailed how his feedback loop broke down completely. He would submit notes, and often nothing would happen. Sometimes Condal would offer an explanation; other times, he would vaguely promise to consider the suggestions. This pattern led to growing annoyance for the author.
The situation deteriorated to the point where HBO instructed Martin to send all his notes directly to the network instead of to Condal. The studio would then forward them as “combined notes” in an attempt to manage the communication breakdown.
The Infamous Zoom Meeting and ‘This Is Not My Story’
The conflict reached a tipping point during a Zoom meeting in early 2025 with producers and HBO executives. The meeting was called for Condal to outline his creative vision for Season 3.
As Condal laid out his plans, which included further deviations from the source material, Martin voiced strong objections. According to sources familiar with the call, Martin ultimately declared, “This is not my story any longer.” This moment marked a definitive break in their collaborative relationship.
Following this explosive meeting, Martin reportedly stepped back from the show at HBO’s request. However, he later returned to the production in a capacity he has not publicly detailed, telling reporters he “can’t talk about” the reasons for his return.
HBO’s Role in Mediating the Feud
HBO has been actively involved in managing the dispute between its acclaimed author and its showrunner. The network’s handling of Martin’s critical “Beware the Butterflies” blog post is a clear example. The post was removed from Martin’s website hours after it went up.
Martin revealed that HBO 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 of the incident.
The network has publicly supported Condal’s leadership while working behind the scenes to keep Martin involved. An HBO source described the situation as a “disagreement on the direction of season three” that required a reset in communication.
Fan Reactions to the Behind-the-Scenes Drama
News of the feud has sparked widespread discussion among the show’s fanbase. On forums like Reddit, many fans express mixed feelings, questioning Martin’s position given his history with television adaptations.
One Reddit user, PolarizingKabal, commented on the dilemma: “He either needs to let it go and let [Condal] do [his] own thing and accept it’s not going to be a 1-to-1 adaption of his work, while he gets back to writing. Or he needs to stop approving these things.”
Other fans are less sympathetic to Martin’s complaints. User tasha2701 noted, “Same way as GOT went in the final seasons, the man gave up his rights to both TV shows and didn’t think much about it until AFTER the writers of said shows butchered things.” The sentiment reflects a faction of the audience that believes Martin, by selling adaptation rights, relinquished ultimate creative control.
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Season 3 Production Status and Release Timeline
Despite the behind-the-scenes tension, production for House of the Dragon Season 3 has been completed. Filming wrapped in October 2025 after six months at Leavesden Studios in England. The season is now in post-production.
HBO content chief Casey Bloys has confirmed a Summer 2026 release window. Specifically, the season is expected to debut just after the Emmy eligibility window closes on May 31, 2026, pointing to a likely June 2026 premiere.
The season will consist of eight episodes and is set to open with a major battle. Francesca Orsi, HBO’s head of drama, confirmed the first episode will feature The Battle of the Gullet. Showrunner Ryan Condal has also teased a “conceptual,” character-driven episode within the season that will deviate from the show’s usual format.
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