'The Lord of the Rings': Air time, plot, cast and all you need to know about the Amazon Prime series
The details of cast members and production information of Amazon's new TV series 'The Lord of the Rings' has been revealed. The show cost the streaming service about $250 million.
Air time
The release date for the anticipated TV show is not yet out.
Plot
The teasers released for 'The Lord of the Rings' TV series were posted on an official Twitter account. With a series of photos of maps of the Middle Earth, the show confirmed that it will take place in the Second Age. This is a time period that ended with the first downfall of Sauron, as was shown in the prologue to 'The Fellowship of the Ring'. These are the only hints to be released as of now.
Cast
Deadline reported the following confirmed cast of the series: Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Tom Budge, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, and Daniel Weyman.
Variety recently reported new cast members that have signed up for the project. Morfydd Clark ('His Dark Materials') has signed on to play the role of young Galadriel and Markella Kavenagh ('Romper Stomper') joined the star-studded cast as one of the leads. Details of what character Kavenagh would be portraying are yet to be released but the name has been revealed to be Tyra. Ema Horvath ('Like.Share.Follow') is also said to been cast in one of the main roles.
The Hollywood Reporter revealed that 'Game of Thrones' actor Joseph Mawle has also joined the cast and will likely play Oren. Another alum from the show, Robert Aramayo has been confirmed to play Beldor.
According to Deadline, British actor Maxim Baldry has also joined the cast of the show in an unspecified role. Baldry has appeared on 'Hollyoaks', 'Skins' and most recently in the 'Doctor Who' Season 12 episode 'The Haunting of Villa Diodati'.
Markella Kavenagh
Kavenagh made her film debut with landed with 'True History of the Kelly Gang' (2019) and played the role of Jane Cotter. She was cast in the role of Tyra for the 'The Lord of the Rings' TV show and gained attention with the news was released. She also played roles in 'Romper Stomper' (2018), 'Picnic at Hanging Rock' (2018) and 'The Cry' (2018).
Morfydd Clark
Clark is known for her roles in 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Zombies' (2016), 'Crawl' (2019) and 'National Theatre Live: Les Liaisons Dangereuses'(2016).
Creators
The series writing credits include JD Payne and PD Patrick McKay, who are also showrunners and executive producers. Bryan Cogman, famously known for his promotion from assistant to writing episodes for the HBO series 'Game of Thrones', will be joining in as a consultant.
Other big names writing episodes for 'The Lord of the Rings' include — Gennifer Hutchinson ('Breaking Bad', 'Better Call Saul'), Helen Shang ('Hannibal'), Justin Doble ('Stranger Things'), and Stephany Folsom ('Toy Story 4').
J A Bayona ('Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom') will direct the first two episodes of the first season and will also serve as an executive producer. On the other hand, Wayne Che Yip has also been roped in to direct four episodes of the upcoming fantasy series. He will also serve as one of the executive producers on the show. Talking about being a part of the upcoming series, Yip revealed that it is an honor for him to be a part of the world created by Tolkien and can't wait for the world to see what they are creating.
He said, "It is a true honor to be invited into the world of Tolkien by J.D. & Patrick and Amazon Studios. Every day I look forward to working with the incredible team here in New Zealand as we humbly contribute to the legacy of the greatest stories ever told."
Other well-known names as part of the team include costume designer Kate Hawley ('Edge of Tomorrow' and 'Suicide Squad'), production designer Rick Heinrichs ('Sleepy Hollow', 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'), and visual effects supervisor Jason Smith ('Super 8', 'Avengers').
Other executive producers include Lindsey Weber ('10 Cloverfield Lane'), Bruce Richmond ('Game of Thrones'), Eugene Kelly ('Boardwalk Empire'), Sharon Tal Yguado, Gennifer Hutchison ('Breaking Bad'), Jason Cahill ('The Sopranos'), and Justin Doble ('Stranger Things').
News
The series is yet to have an official release date, but reports have said that the first two episodes will be filmed followed by a four to five-month break.
Season 2 has already been commissioned, according to Deadline. Jennifer Salke, Amazon Studios Head, gave heed to these details in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, "It’ll be in production in two years. 2021 is the hope. But there are other people who wish it was 2020." Amazon has signed on to produce five seasons.
Amazon confirmed that the series will film in New Zealand. "As we searched for the location in which we could bring to life the primordial beauty of the Second Age of Middle-earth, we knew we needed to find somewhere majestic, with pristine coasts, forests, and mountains, that also is a home to world-class sets, studios, and highly skilled and experienced craftspeople and other staff," said showrunners and executive producers JD Payne and Patrick McKay.
Trailer
The trailer is yet to be released. So stay tuned for updates. Although, teasers have been released.
Where to watch
The release date for the anticipated TV show is not yet out. It will be available on Amazon Prime upon release date.
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