Amazon has made a huge hire for its upcoming Lord of the Rings TV show. Bryan Cogman, who worked on HBO's Game of Thrones since the beginning and wrote 11 episodes of the fantasy drama, is joining Amazon to contribute to its ambitious Lord of the Rings TV series.
George R.R. Martin confirmed this on his blog, writing that Cogman will contribute to the Lord of the Rings show at Amazon in addition to developing his own series. Variety reports that Cogman will do some consulting work for the Lord of the Rings show, though his exact title is unclear.
Game of Thrones showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff hired Cogman as their assistant at the start of the show's production a decade ago. Weiss and Benioff had no experience writing for TV before Game of Thrones, so they turned to Cogman. Benioff knew him as his nanny's husband.
Cogman eventually became the co-executive producer for the entire Game of Thrones series. The 11 episodes he wrote for Game of Thrones is only eclipsed by Weiss and Benioff. He was instrumental to Game of Thrones, according to cast members and Martin himself.
Sophie Turner, who played Sansa Stark, told Vanity Fair that Cogman was the backbone of Game of Thrones, while Jaime Lannister actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau said Cogman is a "walking encyclopedia" of knowledge about Game of Thrones. Martin himself said Cogman was "the third head of the dragon" as it relates to his relationship with Weiss and Benioff.
You should really read this Vanity Fair story to find out just how important Cogman was to the creation, development, and success of Game of Thrones.
Cogman had a pitch for a new Game of Thrones prequel show for HBO, but the network reportedly decided to pass on it, which might have contributed to his decision to leave to join Amazon.
At Amazon, Cogman will work alongside the Lord of the Rings TV show's creators, JD Payne and Patrick McKay, who--like Weiss and Benioff before them--have no experience writing a TV show.
The Lord of the Rings show doesn't currently have a title or release date, and no casting has been announced as yet. We do know that it's set in the Second Age, long before the events of The Lord of the Rings.