George R.R. Martin was notably absent from the Los Angeles premiere Wednesday for HBO’s upcoming “Game of Thrones” prequel series, “House of The Dragon,” after catching COVID-19 at last week’s San Diego Comic-Con, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“I was going to start today by introducing George R.R. Martin and tell you how great it is to have George on the journey with us,” HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys told the Los Angeles crowd. “Unfortunately, George got COVID at Comic-Con, so he’s not here.”
“I think he’s feeling fine, so nothing to worry about,” Bloys added.
Martin himself confirmed as much and chronicled his symptoms in a YouTube video earlier that day.
“Hi, this is George R.R. Martin with an unfortunate announcement,” he said. “Yesterday when I got up in the morning, I tested positive for COVID. The little light went on and said ‘positive.’ I didn’t believe it at first because I didn’t feel bad so we did it again, said ‘positive.’”
Martin was so incredulous that he verified his status with a third test before canceling a slew of upcoming appearances. He said his “symptoms are minor” and largely consisted of coughs and “some sniffles,” but followed CDC guidelines to self-isolate.
The world premiere for “House of the Dragon” was held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, according to Deadline. The 73-year-old author, who was only a short drive away and quarantined himself in an undisclosed location in Los Angeles, assured his fans they had nothing to worry about.
“I’m being well taken care of,” said Martin. “I’m taking the drugs and I should be good. So, my thanks to any of you who are worried about me and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“House of The Dragon” is set 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones” unfold and chronicles the power struggles of House Targaryen amid a civil war, according to HBO Max.
It premieres Aug. 21 and stars Matt Smith, Paddy Considine and Emma D’Arcy.