EXCLUSIVE: There is another change in the executive producer ranks of HBO’s House of the Dragon. Jocelyn Diaz will not be returning to the Game Of Thrones sequel as it is headed into its second season. Sources said she had a one-year deal with an option for a second, which is not being picked up.
The exit comes on the heels of series exec producer Miguel Sapochnik stepping down after serving as co-showrunner for Season 1, with House of the Dragon co-creator/exec producer Ryan Condal, who was co-showrunner with Sapochnik, becoming sole showrunner for Season 2 and continuing to work closely with series co-creator/executive producer George R.R. Martin.
It was revealed at the time of Sapochnik’s exit as co-showrunner that Sara Hess and Diaz would also continue as executive producers for Season 2, along with Vince Gerardis. That will not be the case with DIaz, a non-writing EP, as Condal is firming up his team. (Ron Schmidt, who also served as an executive producer on Season 1, quietly exited the series awhile ago.)
So far, there is one new executive producer addition for Season 2 of House of the Dragon. Alan Taylor, a Game of Thrones veteran, has come on board as EP/director. Sapochnik remains an executive producer.
Based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, the series, set 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, tells the story of House Targaryen. Considine stars along with Alcock, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans.
‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 1 Photo Gallery
House of the Dragon is coming off an eventful episode, in which the fantasy drama did a 10-year time jump, with Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke taking over the roles of Princess Rhaenyra and Alicent Hightower from Milly Alcock and Emily Carey, respectively.
With House of the Dragon, Diaz returned to HBO where she was VP, Series and Development, from 2009-2011. Her most recent executive job before embarking on producing for HBO was EVP Original Programming at Epix. Her hire on House of the Dragon somewhat resembled former HBO’s top programming executive Carolyn Strauss’ run as EP on Game Of Thrones. Diaz also has documentary background and served as executive producer on the docu film Serena and series America Divided.