John Rogers
Biography
Writer/producer John Rogers brought wit and style to such action and fantasy films and series as "Transformers" (2007), "Leverage" (TNT, 2008-2012) and "The Librarians" (TNT, 2014- ). Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, Rogers studied physics at McGill University but decided to focus his energies on comedy and writing.
He began his television career in 1996 as a writer and eventual producer on "Cosby" (CBS, 1996-2000), and then moved into animation as co-creator and writer for the animated "Jackie Chan Adventures" (Kids WB, 2000-05).
The dichotomy between these two projects set the tone for Rogers' subsequent career: he co-wrote the scripts for such mainstream projects as "American Outlaws" (2001) and "The Core" (2003) while also indulging his passion for science fiction and comic book material through scripts for "Catwoman" (2004), "Transformers" and a series pilot for "Global Frequency" (The WB, 2005), based on the popular graphic novels.
He scored a substantial hit with "Leverage," a clever, often wry action series about a team of experts who intervene on behalf of individuals victimized by corporate or government malfeasance.
When "Leverage" ran its course, Rogers took TNT's popular series of "Librarian" fantasy-adventure TV movies and expanded it into a weekly series. "The Librarians" quickly became a fan favorite, though his next effort, "The Player" (NBC, 2015), with Philip Winchester and Wesley Snipes as operatives pursuing criminals in Las Vegas, only lasted a single season.
In 2017, Rogers was announced as showrunner for "The Kingkiller Chronicle," a highly anticipated adaptation of the Pat Rothfuss fantasy novels produced by "Hamilton" (2015- ) creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.