George R.R. Martin Made ‘House of the Dragon’ Showrunner Lose His Mind With 1 Simple Phone Call
House of the Dragon, a show entrenched in HBO’s success, has solidified its place with record-breaking achievements. But behind the scenes, showrunner Ryan Condal has a captivating narrative of how he became part of this colossal franchise. His journey began with a pivotal phone call from George R.R. Martin, a moment that altered the trajectory of Condal’s life indefinitely.
Interestingly, Condal’s involvement in House of the Dragon emerged from a surprising turn of events. What might escape the notice of many fans is the pivotal role played by Condal’s friendship with author George R.R. Martin. This friendship led to a conversation with HBO during their quest to discover an effective Game of Thrones spin-off, eventually resulting in Condal helming House of the Dragon.
Unveiling Ryan Condal’s Odyssey into House of The Dragon Universe
Becoming part of the spin-off universe of Game of Thrones marked a watershed moment in the life of showrunner Ryan Condal. A turn of events propelled Condal from being a screenwriter of a failed project named Pilot to becoming the showrunner of the esteemed franchise House of the Dragon. This transformation was the result of a remarkable twist of fate that began with an unexpected and life-altering message from none other than George R. R. Martin himself.
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The message from Martin offered Condal the opportunity to join the House of Dragon franchise. Ryan Condal was kind of blown away by Martin’s message. Notably, their meeting delved deep into the intricacies of The Dance of the Dragons. Martin had already fixed his vision on this project but hadn’t yet found its narrative correctly during this period.
However, Martin recognized Condal’s deep understanding of the Dragon world he had created and appreciated the direction in which Condal was steering the story. Martin’s approval and Condal’s adept grasp of House of The Dragon universe led to a fateful turn of events. Condal said to The Hollywood Reporter,
“They said, ‘Did you have a meeting with George R.R. Martin yesterday? Because HBO just called based on that and made an offer.”
Shortly thereafter, Martin’s agent reached out to Condal with an offer from HBO, solidifying the pivotal role Condal would play as the showrunner for House of the Dragon. This sequence of events propelled Condal into the heart of one of television’s most significant franchises.
Ryan Condal’s Journey from Fan to Colleague with George R.R. Martin
American screenwriter Ryan Condal’s journey intertwines his friendship with George R.R. Martin, resulting in a pivotal shift in his life’s trajectory. Condal, an ardent admirer of Martin’s literary masterpieces, found himself propelled from fan to colleague in an unexpected turn of events.
The serendipitous encounter transpired in 2013 while Condal was filming an NBC Pilot in Santa Fe. Driven by admiration, he reached out to Martin, expressing a simple desire to treat him to dinner. Their casual meeting burgeoned into a profound friendship, laying the groundwork for a future collaboration.
Five years later, fate intervened once more when George R.R. Martin reached out to Condal, initiating a conversation over a drink about adapting The Dance of the Dragons into a television series. Their synergy and shared passion blossomed into the creation of House of the Dragon.
Also Read: Game of Thrones Creator George R. R. Martin Gives Major House of the Dragon Season 2 Update
