The Latest “Game Of Thrones” Prequel News Is Very, Very Good

HBO

Good day PEOPLE. I am feeling quite giddy today and it’s not because it’s Friday Jr. and football is on tonight (despite the fact that it’s Rams-49ers, shout out under 41!). Well, that’s part of it, but the other part is the latest news on the development of a Game Of Thrones prequel.

Back in early May, we brought you the news that HBO had tasked four writers to scribe and develop a Game Of Thrones spin-off. Those four writers were Max Borenstein (“Kong: Skull Island”), Jane Goldman (“Kingsman: The Golden Circle”), Brian Helgeland (“Legend”), and Carly Wray (“Mad Men,” “The Leftovers”).

Now, while that was all good news to begin with, it just got better, as a fifth name was added to ring: Bryan Cogman. For the regular fan of movies and TV, that name might not stand out, but Thronesfans will recognize Cogman as a writer and director of multiple GoT episodes.

via EW:

Thrones co-executive producer Bryan Cogman is penning a drama series follow-up to the Emmy-winning blockbuster. Cogman developed the project by working closely with author George R.R. Martin, who cryptically referenced the existence of an additional unconfirmed prequel on his blog months ago (and has now added some new comments on his blog, below).

Since GoT showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss have declined to be involved with the prequels (and with Martin already involved two of the other four), Cogman is arguably the next-best possible addition to the prequel squad from the show’s current creative team.

Cogman has been with Thrones since the first season when he was brought on board as an assistant to Benioff and Weiss. While the GoT showrunners are the show’s hands-on chief executives who pen most of the scripts and occasionally direct as well, Cogman has written plenty of stellar episodes along the way and ranks as the show’s third-most prolific writer. Some of his hours include season 7’s intricately plotted “Stormborn,” season 4’s “The Laws of Gods and Men” (which featured Tyrion Lannister on trial) and season 3’s “Kissed by Fire” (which included Jaime Lannister’s bathtub confession to Brienne).

I thoroughly believe a massive part of Game Of Thrones success is due to the fact that Benioff and Weiss, before anything else, were fans — and Cogman seems to fit that mold.