Amazon’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ television series now has ten more series regulars onboard the cast. The announcement was made during the Television Critics Association event.
Without further ado, here are the new cast members:
- Owain Arthur (‘Casualty,’ ‘Hard Sun’)
- Nazanin Boniadi (‘Counterpart,’ ‘Bombshell’)
- Tom Budge (‘The Pacific,’ ‘Larry Crowne’)
- Ismael Cruz Córdova (‘Mary Queen of Scots,’ ‘Berlin Station’)
- Newcomer Tyroe Muhafidin
- Newcomer Sophia Nomvete
- Megan Richards (‘Wanderlust,’ ‘Doctors’)
- Dylan Smith (‘I Am the Night,’ ‘Treadstone’)
- Charlie Vickers (‘Medici,’ ‘Palm Beach’)
- Daniel Weyman (‘Silent Witness,’ ‘Gentleman Jack’)
Five actors, who were previously reported on, are also confirmed by Amazon:
- Robert Aramayo (‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Mindhunter’)
- Beldor, an optimistic, intelligent and political savvy protagonist who is nonetheless more reserved than his on-screen counterparts.
- Morfydd Clark (‘His Dark Materials,’ ‘Dracula’)
- Galadriel, a younger version of the Lady of Light. The “Lady” of the woods of Lothlórien became one of the greatest of the Elves in Middle-earth, surpassing nearly all others in beauty, knowledge, and power, in the Peter Jackson trilogy.
- Ema Horvath (‘Like.Share.Follow.,’ ‘The Gallows Act II’)
- Unknown. Possibly Eldien, a complex, unique and formidable young woman in her mid-20s who possesses an eternal quality and a strong physical component, and the true main character of the series.
- Markella Kavenagh (‘Picnic at Hanging Rock,’ ‘True History of the Kelly Gang’)
- Tyra, a wide-eye characterful young teenage woman with a strength and maturity beyond her years.
- Joseph Mawle (‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Ripper Street’)
- Oren, a villain who can also evoke a deep sense of pathos built around a wounded and fallen nobility.
However, Amazon did not mention Maxim Baldry (‘Rome,’ ‘Years and Years’), who has an undisclosed “significant” role.
‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’ and ‘Midsommar’ actor Will Poulter was previously attached to play Beldor, but he had to leave the project due to scheduling conflicts.
There are also some character descriptions that have not been matched up with actors, as of now:
- Neldor, a similar archetype as Beldor.
- Brac, the irascible and cantankerous half of a dramatic duo.
- Eira, a warm and maternal woman.
- Aric, a charismatic character with a strong physical role.
- Calenon, a ruggedly-handsome and brooding soldier hero.
- Loda, an earthy man who does not give his feelings away easily.
- Kari, a self-sufficient single mother and village healer with a secret.
- Hamson, a kind and loving family man with health issues.
- Cole, a charismatic but mercurial young man who has the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Back in March, the Twitter account for the series gave this post as a clue for what the show will entail:
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. #LOTRonPrime pic.twitter.com/7TuQh7gRPD
— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) March 7, 2019
Another tweet linked the map with the caption “Welcome to the Second Age.” In the Tolkien mythology, the Second Age was the time in which the Rings of Power, including Sauron’s One Ring, came into existence.
Moreover, JD Payne and Patrick McKay (‘Star Trek Beyond,’ ‘Jungle Cruise’) serve as co-showrunners, and lead the writers room. Jason Cahill (‘Fringe,’ ‘Halt and Catch Fire’), Bryan Cogman (‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘The Sword in the Stone’), Justin Doble (‘Stranger Things,’ ‘The Path’), Stephany Folsom (‘Star Wars Resistance,’ ‘Toy Story 4’), Gennifer Hutchison (‘Breaking Bad,’ ‘Better Call Saul’), and Helen Shang (‘Hawaii Five-0,’ ’13 Reasons Why’) are all part of the room.
Additionally, J.A. Bayona (‘A Monster Calls,’ ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’) is onboard to direct the first two episodes of the series.
The crew, thus far, comprises of:
- Costume designer Kate Hawley (‘Crimson Peak,’ ‘Suicide Squad’)
- Production designer Rick Heinrichs (‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi,’ ‘Dumbo’)
- Supervising art director John Dexter (‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,’ ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’)
- Visual effects supervisor Jason Smith (‘The Revenant,’ ‘Bumblebee’)
Further, the series will begin filming next month in New Zealand, the same location of the original ‘Rings’ films and the ‘Hobbit’ trilogy. The series will go on a 4-5-month hiatus after filming the first two episodes from Season 1. The writing team will then use the hiatus time to map out and write the bulk of Season 2 scripts.
The budget for the entire series, which is aiming to run for five seasons, may also total a whopping $1 billion.
However, there is currently no premiere date for the currently untitled series.