Amazon has put themselves in a delicate position by attempting to make the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy into a television series.
Everyone who is alive right now is pretty much a fan and if they’re not, they have probably heard of J. R. R. Tolkien’s masterpiece. Really, the risk that Amazon is taking is similar to how all the kingdoms put their faith into Frodo Baggins’ hands.
If you check their Instagram page (@lotronprime), you will see some of the cast members even the recently added ones.
Although the production of the fantasy drama was interrupted by the ongoing pandemic, the cameras started rolling again in September which means the cast are in New Zealand.
Some of the “Lord of the Rings” cast members are pretty new to show business but those who are not include:
- Top British comedian Lenny Henry
- Peter Mullan (who appeared in “Ozark” and “Westworld”)
- Lloyd Owen (who is more famous for “You, Me and the Apocalypse”)
- Augustus Prew (who starred in CBS’s Pure Genius)
- Peter Tait (who starred s Shagrat in “The LOrd of the Rings: Return of the King”)
- Benjamin Walker (who appeared in “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”)
- Cynthia Addai-Robinson (who was in shows like “Arrow” and “Power”)
- Simon Merrels (who appeared in “Spartacus: War of the Damned”)
- Maxim Baldry
- Ian Blackburn
- Kip Chapman
- Anthony Crum
- Maxin Cunliffe
- Trystan Gravelle
- Thusitha Jayasundera
- Fabian McCallum
- Geoff Morrell
- Alex Tarrant
- Leon Wadham
- Sara Zwangobani
While we know who the actors are going to be, Amazon still hasn’t told us which roles they will be portraying. Rumor has it that Lloyd Owen is going to play an earthy man named Loda.
Of all the cast members, we have a few actors that are local to New Zealand such as Blackburn, Chapman, Crum, Cunliffe, Tait, Tarrant, and Wadham. The rest come from different parts of Australia, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
“The world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is epic, diverse, and filled with heart,” said showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay. “These extraordinarily talented performers, hailing from across the globe, represent the culmination of a multi-year search to find brilliant and unique artists to bring that world to life anew. The international cast of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings series is more than just an ensemble. It is a family. We are thrilled to welcome each of them to Middle-earth.”
Set in Middle-earth, the television adaptation will explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.
Even without an episode out yet, the LOTR series has already been renewed for a second season that is to be led by Payne and McKay. J. A. Bayona will be directing the first two episodes while serving as an executive producer along with Belén Atienza. Lindsey Weber, Bruce Richmond, Callum Greene, Gennifer Hutchison, Jason Cahill, Justin Doble and Sharon Tal Yguado also executive produce.