HBO boss speaks out on George R.R. Martin's House of the Dragon criticism: "I would prefer everybody get along"

HBO boss Casey Bloys has responded to Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin's criticism of House of the Dragon season 2 – and said that working with the writer can be a bit like a rocky marriage.

"He’s very important to me, to us," Bloys said (via Deadline). "But when we put shows together, it’s like putting a marriage together. Marriages can be difficult, especially when [showrunner] Ryan Condal is making creative decisions and adapting work. It can be fraught. Any marriage can get rocky. I would prefer everybody get along, of course. But with the creative process, we are always going to have bumps. That’s to be expected."

Martin recently voiced his issues with the show in a now-deleted blog post, detailing changes made from his book Fire & Blood, which concluded rather ominously with the line: "There are larger and more toxic butterflies to come, if House of the Dragon goes ahead with some of the changes being contemplated for seasons 3 and 4…"

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HBO issued a statement soon after, saying, "Commonly, when adapting a book for the screen, with its own format and limitations, the showrunner ultimately is required to make difficult choices about the characters and stories the audience will follow. We believe that Ryan Condal and his team have done an extraordinary job and the millions of fans the series has amassed over the first two seasons will continue to enjoy it."

House of the Dragon season 3 is officially in the works, but information on the next installment is thin on the ground at the moment. In the meantime, another Game of Thrones prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is on the way next year, based on Martin's Dunk and Egg novellas about a knight and his squire.

House of the Dragon season 3 doesn't have a release date yet. While we wait for more updates, check out our guide to the other best shows on HBO Max to add to your watchlist.