Game of Thrones and the upcoming Lord of the Rings television show share a lot in common. They are both fantasy series based on books, as just one example. Now, you can add one more thing to the list: Amazon’s developing project has added its first Game of Thrones veteran.
The Lord of the Rings TV show just landed a substantial behind-the-scenes presence from Game of Thrones. Bryan Cogman, who wrote and executive produced the HBO series, has come aboard. Cogman signed on for a vital role on the ambitious Amazon project. He will serve as a consultant on it, per Variety.
The move is not a huge surprise. Bryan Cogman signed an overall deal with Amazon last year. So, his involvement with the Lord of the Rings show is something that many may have predicted, following that deal. I personally thought it would be neat to have come to fruition. Having the input of one of Game of Thrones’ top talents makes perfect sense.
If the Lord of the Rings television show is Amazon’s answer to Game of Thrones, nabbing Bryan Cogman is a step in the right direction to making that happen. Cogman was trusted with some key episodes over the years of Game of Thrones, including the last one before the Battle of Winterfell in the just-ended Season 8. At one point, he had a prequel series in the works. Unfortunately, his project ended up not moving forward.
Well, the Game of Thrones’ universe’s loss has turned into Lord of the Rings’ gain. It will be interesting to see how Cogman’s consulting work is reflecting within the final product.
JD Payne and Patrick McKay are leading the Lord of the Rings show’s writing team. The series already landed a multi-season order. Bryan Cogman’s last writing contribution to Game of Thrones’ final season was Episode 2 of Season 8, entitled “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”
It was an emotional installment that found all of the main characters (besides Cersei) facing their imminent mortality. There were a lot of poignant and character-driven moments in it. All of which I think speaks to his strengths as a writer.
I personally considered Episode 2 to be one of Season 8’s best as it combined the character-based drama with fantasy elements.
Bryan Cogman should be able to bring that to the Lord of the Rings television show. Those are the beats that will help keep the series going in between all of the action. It worked for Game of Thrones.
A premiere date for the Lord of the Rings TV show has yet to get set, so stay tuned. Whenever it makes its debut, it will do so on Amazon. For now, there are plenty of other series you can watch during the wait for the series that will take fans back to Middle Earth.
