HBO chief Casey Bloys has responded to author George R.R. Martin’s criticisms of the network’s House of the Dragon adaptation. The Game of Thrones spinoff prequel series, based on Martin’s 2018 novel Fire & Blood, debuted on HBO in August 2022, with the series premiere watched by 10 million viewers across HBO platforms, with House of the Dragon season 2 first aired in June, following a season 3 renewal. The show has received a largely positive reception for character development, writing, visual effects, and performances, but there have been concerns about the show’s departure from the source material.
Per Entertainment Weekly, Bloys spoke to reporters during a 2025 preview event and has given his response to Martin’s criticisms. Several weeks ago, Martin made a scathing post on his blog, discussing the butterfly effect of deviations from his source material, and how they can snowball into major discrepancies later. Bloys was understandably diplomatic and talks about how adapting shows is like a marriage, and marriages come with friction and challenge, but emphasized how important Martin is to the network, and how his work has had a major impact. Check out Bloys’ comments below:
We love George, obviously. George and
Game of Thrones
really changed the course of HBO, had a huge impact on it, so I want him to be happy. He’s very important to me, to us…When we put shows together, we’re in a marriage together, and marriages can be difficult. Especially when [
House of the Dragon
showrunner Ryan Condal] is making creative decisions adapting work, it can be fraught, and like any marriage, sometimes it gets rocky. Would I prefer that everybody get along and it goes well? Of course, but it’s a creative process. It’s always going to have its bumps, and it’s to be expected.
What This Means For The Future Of House Of The Dragon
Viewers Should Expect More Changes To Come
Bloys’s comments are as diplomatic as would be expected, but he does have a point in some ways. When adapting to two different mediums, there is always going to be a compromise involved, and this is surely something Martin would have had experience with, especially as Game of Thrones season 8 unraveled so spectacularly. The narrative structure of novels often does not transpose well to film and TV, and this is why changes are necessary, to cater to TV viewers, and inform the narrative structure of visual storytelling, and viewers should expect further changes.
The fact Martin himself has vocally voiced his displeasure at certain changes suggests these will have a major impact on the future direction of the show.
Indeed, Martin seemingly had an issue with the Blood and Cheese scene of the show, specifically the omission of the character of Maelor, and the wide-reaching ramifications that could come with his absence. But the author is not done, and he’s also complained about “toxic changes” that could happen in House of the Dragon season 3 and 4. There is no confirmation of exactly what changes he is referring to, but it could have to do with the show cutting the character of Nettles, as well as further issues with the show’s Sheepstealer story.
Our Verdict On Whether House Of The Dragon’s Changes Will Work Long-Term
The Longer The Series Goes On The More Problems These Deviations Could Cause
While the changes the show is making from Martin’s source material could well be fine short-term, the longer the show runs, the more problems these deviations have the potential to cause. Furthermore, the fact Martin himself has vocally voiced his displeasure at certain changes suggests these will have a major impact on the future direction of the show, and this may not be a good thing. A longer-term consideration is that, if Martin remains dissatisfied with House of the Dragon, this could well wind up being the final adaptation of his work.
Source: EW