[4][5] Payne attended Yale University and studied English Literature, graduating with honors.
McKay attended Stonehill College and studied Theater Arts, and American University, where he received an MFA in Creative Writing.
[9][10] After, the duo wrote Law Zero for Warner Bros.[5][4] In December 2013, they were hired to write Star Trek Beyond with Roberto Orci.
[1] When the project fell apart after two and a half years, it pushed Payne and McKay to "start taking TV seriously.
[19] To develop the series, Payne and McKay believed J. R. R. Tolkien's lesser-known Second Age was the key.
Their idea for the series lined up with Simon Tolkien's vision, and their former boss J. J. Abrams recommended them to Amazon.
[2][20] In February 2022, they set up their 2017 Black List script Escape with The Hideaway Entertainment, with James Watkins to direct the film.