There are plenty of “what ifs” when it comes to TV and movies. For Ira Parker, the big “what if” is all about deciding not to take a particular job on “House of the Dragon.” Had he taken that job, he wouldn’t have been able to handle the reins of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”
“House of the Dragon” showrunner Ryan Condal let slip that Parker was offered a producer credit on the series. Many may not realize that Parker was originally a writer on the “Game of Thrones” prequel series, penning one of the best episodes of the whole first season, “King of the Narrow Sea.” That led to him being offered a bigger role, but he turned it down — and it had nothing to do with career ambitions at the time.
Ira Parker Turned Down a Producer Role on ‘House of the Dragon’
GettyWhile on the Scriptnotes podcast, Condal explained that he wanted some strong writers to remain with the series the whole time. He knew that the writers’ room could end up being a bit of a revolving door, but he wanted to structure things like his previous show, “Colony,” where he had a writer who would partner with him throughout the series.
That ended up being Sara Hess, but he admitted that there was another writer from “House of the Dragon” Season 1 he wanted by his side. That was Parker, and it would have been a dream come true for most writers. Instead, Parker turned it down, but there are no hard feelings from Condal.
This was at the height of the pandemic. While filming was starting to get back to normal, borders around the world were still closed, or they had strict rules about crossing, and Parker and wife were trying for a baby. He didn’t want to risk being in Europe and getting stuck there, so he decided that the best thing for him at the time was to remain in the United States.
Ira Parker Ended Up With ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’
GettyIn the end, it was a decision well made. Had Parker decided to sign on for a producer role on the series set during the Targaryen civil war, he wouldn’t have been able to take on the showrunner duties for a different “Game of Thrones” prequel series, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”
“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” has just wrapped production on its second season, after dealing with some unexpected, historic levels of rainfall in Spain. That season is slated to arrive on HBO and HBO Max sometime during the first half of 2027. Parker is still working closely with George R.R. Martin to make sure the story is accurate and loyal to the source material, and the changes that are made are more due to filming needs rather than anything else.
Parker even has a vision for how the series could continue. It’s one of those he could see ending temporarily and picking back up years in the future, allowing Dexter Sol Ansell to grow up, and then “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” can pick back up with a slightly older Aegon “Egg” Targaryen.
Sometimes, things happen for a reason. This is one of those times.
