by: S. Scott Stanikmas

It would be news these days if Disney didn’t announce a new live-action adaptation. So when word hit that The Sword in the Stone would be next, I barely batted an eye. Then I saw who was supposed to be writing it.

The Hollywood Reporter has the news that Game of Thrones writer Bryan Cogman has been tapped to write the live-action version of the 1963 animated classic.

Nothing else was announced at the time, like a director or potential release date, but his is pretty big news in its own right.

Cogman has been responsible for some pretty heavy episodes of GOT. One of my personal favorites is the season one episode Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things, although many people will point to Tyrion Lannister’s epic speech in The Laws of God and Men. 

The story of The Sword in the Stone centers on Merlin teaching a boy that is destined to be King Arthur. With the current king dead and leaving no heir, the dark ages looked even darker, then, an anvil appears with a sword in it, bearing the inscription that whoever removes the blade will be England’s true king.

If Disney wanted a dark medieval film to diversify their portfolio, they got their wish! Cogman comes in from Game of Thrones with the right mentality. I’m thinking this might be the sleeper hit of all their recently announced films.