This story first appeared in The Race Begins issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
George R.R. Martin is no newcomer to transformation. After “Game of Thrones” revolutionized the fantasy landscape and paved the way for genre series to achieve mainstream acclaim, he and “House of the Dragon” showrunner Ryan Condal set their sights on another mighty challenge by crafting a female-centric spin-off.
“If you’re going to make a successful spin-off or sequel, it has to have a reason to exist,” Condal said. “There were great female characters in the original show, but really, other than Cersei, no [woman] really ascends to power the way that both Alicent and Rhaenyra do in their own ways.