For most of the past decade, TV producers have been desperate to find “the next Game of Thrones,” and now Amazon seems to believe it has found it: The Lord of the Rings.
Apparently, the distribution giant has invested $ 250 million to acquire the rights to a television series set in Middle-earth, with a multi-season commitment and the possibility of a spin-off, which will air exclusively on your own platform Diffusion Amazon Prime Video.
When will The Lord of the Rings TV series premiere?
At the moment, we don’t know. It wasn’t announced that Amazon would buy the rights until November 2017, and the final series is probably still a long way off.
However, filming for the series is already underway and Jennifer Salke, Amazon’s TV and film manager, said the 2021 release “is of hope” so it could land later. this year.
What we do know is that this is definitely not going to be a hit series. Amazon has already ordered a second season of the series, which could even be shot after the premiere to cut costs and prepare the second season to air a bit earlier.
When it does appear, it will be exclusive to Amazon Prime Video, Amazon’s Netflix rival. You can get Prime Video as one of the many perks of a general Prime membership, along with other perks like free next day delivery and Prime Music.
Prime typically costs $ 79 per year, but you can still try it for free with a free trial. There are also rumors that Amazon is in talks to launch a completely free, ad-supported version of Prime Video in the future, but everything is uncertain at this time.
The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Amazon spent $ 465 million on the first season alone, making it one of the most expensive first seasons of a TV series to ever make.
The actors and the team
Thanks to a few recent announcements, we now have a much clearer idea of who will be the protagonists of the show with pointy ears or beard extensions.
Joseph Mawle, best known for his role as Benjen Stark in the fantasy giant Game of Thrones, has been cast as the series’ main villain, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He’s not the only former GOT student on board, as Robert Aramayo, the actor who played the younger version of Ned Stark, has also been hired.
Aramayo will replace Will Poulter, who had to leave the series due to scheduling issues. He will play alongside Australian actress Markella Kavenagh. Deadline also added that the characters of Kavenagh and Aramayo will be named Tyra and Beldor, respectively.
Other actors revelados para la serie included (respiración profunda): Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Ema Horvath, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, Daniel Weyman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson , Maxim Baldry, Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman, Anthony Crum, Maxine Cunliffe, Tristan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Thusitha Jayasundera, Fabian McCallum, Simon Merrells, Geoff Morrell, Peter Mullan, Lloyd Owen, Augustus Prew, Alex Tarrant, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker and Sara Zwangobani.
Some of the more well-known names include Peter Mullan (recently seen on Westworld) and British legend Sir Lenny Henry. We do not yet know what their papers will be, but we will be attentive to any information that will be revealed.
Tom Budge was part of the cast, but now he’s gone. In an Instagram post, he revealed that he and the team had some creative differences, so he decided to go their separate ways. He is the second main character to leave after Will Poulter, although Poulter has left due to scheduling issues.
We also know a little about who will be behind the scenes. The first official announcement came in July 2018, with news that writing duo JD Payne and Patrick McKay would “develop” the series.
You haven’t seen anything of what they wrote yet, but they were on the adaptation of Disney’s Jungle Cruise theme park attraction in an upcoming Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt movie, and they were also busy. to work on the scenario of the untitled one. Star Trek 4 (which is now unlikely to come out on top) for producer JJ Abrams.
More excitingly, in July 2019 it was announced that the director of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom will direct the first two episodes of the series and produce the rest.
You can find even more of the team in what could be the first “team trailer” for a TV series, which Amazon itself has announced as its community reveal:
Additionally, Wayne Che Yip will direct four episodes and produce the series. Yip has worked on Hunters, Preacher, Utopia, and Doctor Who, so he has a lot of experience in the fantasy genre.
Finally, one of the most iconic members of the original films is also returning: New Zealand. Amazon has confirmed that the new series will follow in Jackson’s footsteps and be filmed in the Southern Hemisphere, so the landscapes should be as epic as expected.
What is the series about?
The first thing we know is that the series “will explore new stories ahead of JRR Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring,” according to Amazon’s statement, which we now know predates The Hobbit and The Lord. rings.
Throughout a series of tweets, Amazon gave clues to the setting of the series using verses from the famous poem “a ring to rule them all”, culminating with a Tweeter he simply said: “Welcome to the second age”.
When his hire was announced, director JA Bayona later confirmed that audiences “will experience the wonders of the Second Age, with a story never seen before.”
The teaser tweets also came with a map which you can find below:
For those who don’t know, the “second age” is the period in Middle-earth history when Elrond founded Rivendell and Sauron began to build his power base in Mordor and forge the One Ring.
It also saw him go to war with the elves and other races of Middle-earth not once, but twice – the latter includes the battle in which the Ring is separated from his hand, immortalized in the prologue. LotR films.
It’s a period that lasts for over three thousand years, and as you can see from the names of the places on the map, it’s a very different Middle-earth than what has been seen in the movies until now, with different kingdoms, cultures and names.
Of particular note is the inclusion of the Isle of Numenor to the west – this is the location of a human civilization that was corrupted by Sauron in the Second Age and turned against the Valar – and which was ultimately sunk under the sea for this, long before the events of The Hobbit. This means he has never been seen on screen.
We now also have an official synopsis for the series, which was originally reported by TheOneRing.net, and now confirmed by Amazon. You can read it below:
“Amazon Studios’ upcoming series brings the heroic legends of the legendary Second Age story of Middle-earth to screens for the first time. This epic drama takes place thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and from JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and it will take viewers back to a time when great powers were forged, realms rose to glory and fell into ruin, unlikely heroes were put to the test, the Hope remained in the best of sons, and Tolkien’s greatest villain ever came threatening to cover the entire world in darkness.
Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows a set of characters, both familiar and new, as they face the dreaded reappearance of evil in Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains , to From the majestic forests of the Elven capital, Lindon, to the awe-inspiring island kingdom of Númenor, to the far ends of the map, these kingdoms and characters will forge a legacy that will last long after their demise. “
Apparently Amazon “could use material from the movies,” and it’s even possible that original director Peter Jackson will join as executive producer, so no matter what, he’s likely to exist in the same universe as series of films, rather than restarting it entirely.
Matt Galsor, representative of the Tolkien Estate and Trust and HarperCollins, also explained that Amazon “will bring to the screen hitherto unexplored stories based on the original writings of JRR Tolkien”, so we know it will be based, at least in part, in Tolkien’s writings.
There is one big misadapted prequel – The Silmarillion – but since it reads more like a history textbook than a novel, it would be difficult to adapt it into a continuing series. Still, Amazon could take some inspiration from it, and what we know from the previous tweet backs it up.
There are also several published books based on Tolkien’s notes and unfinished writings, such as The Children of Húrin or the Unfinished Tales collection. Anyone who wants to know what the Amazon series will be like could do worse than reading all of these books, as Amazon will almost certainly rely on one (or more) of them to tell their story.
The original setting rumor, uncovered on Lord of the Rings fan site The One Ring, claimed on Twitter that the show’s first season would focus on a young Aragorn, the character of Viggo Mortensen from the films. There is a long Twitter thread that goes into great detail about what this series might look like (with a ton of Tolkien references to back it up), but the final events of the series that appear to be taking place in the Second Age seem to be going on. ‘against. this.
We know Amazon has signed a multi-season deal, so it’s clear that they have confidence in the series, and they also have the option of a second spinoff TV series if all goes well.
Don’t miss our guide to the best series available on Amazon Prime Video.
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