There will be a lot of changes in House of the Dragon Season 2, but the most significant one is undoubtedly the absence of Miguel Sapochnik. After all, the former co-showrunner decided to leave the Game of Thrones prequel despite the wildly successful first season. Not surprisingly, the cast and crew feel his absence on the set. Olivia Cooke has just confirmed that filming is somehow different without Sapochnik's influence.
Olivia Cooke only appeared in the last five episodes of House of the Dragon, but she already made her mark as the adult Alicent Hightower. She also got to work with Miguel Sapochnik in Episodes 6 and 7, and it clearly made an impact on Cooke's view of how the show should look. So it's no surprise that the Ouija star is sharing how things have changed since Sapochnik's departure.
Cooke discussed how Miguel Sapochnik's absence affected House of the Dragon Season 2 during an episode of the Unwrapped podcast (via Collider). The Thoroughbreds actor first praised the Game of Thrones director's work before revealing why the second season isn't the same without him.
“We all love Miguel, he’s a brilliant director and an incredible collaborator. He had just really radical ideas when it came to making this show," Cooke said. "I guess there’s been a collective effort to fill his shoes with other amazing directors. We've got some really cool directors that we're working with this year and Geeta Patel and Clare Kilner are back, I mean his shoes won't be replaced entirely because he is his own entity, but there’s still that proportion to make this season as good, if not, better.”
There is a good reason why Miguel Sapochnik's departure weighs heavily on House of the Dragon Season 2. The director's creative touch has turned into a Game of Thrones trademark of sorts as he directed the original show's most memorable episodes, which was repeated in the prequel series. Needless to say, we are expecting major changes in the second season, but hopefully, the show will find its stride and prove to be even better in the second season, even without Sapochnik.
What Happens in House of The Dragon Season 2?
It has already been confirmed that House of the Dragon Season 2 will follow events that took place after the shocking death of Lucerys Velaryon who was attacked by Aemond Targaryen and his dragon. This means that the second season will feature the start of the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. In this case, we expect epic dragon fights and a lot of sneaking around.
As of this writing, House of the Dragon Season 2 has not yet been given an official release date. However, fans are assured that the second season will not be delayed. As a matter of fact, it has already been confirmed that the show will continue production amid the ongoing writers' and actors' strikes.
