The Latest Updates from The Lord of the Rings TV Series
It feels like it’s been eleventy-one years since we first heard a Lord of the Rings TV series was happening. Okay..officially, it’s only been two. And we still don’t know a lot, but there have been occasional trickles of information. I wrote about the first wave of production information last summer, but there’s been a few interesting tidbits and BIG casting news since then. Here’s what we know!
Cast Updates: It’s beginning to look a lot like…Westeros?
There’s been a bit of upheaval in recent weeks, with Will Poulter (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) being cast but then having to pull out due to scheduling conflicts. He was reportedly cast as a young hero named Beldor, but sharp eyed fans noticed his striking resemblance to someone else.
But alas, Poulter is out and the resemblance is for naught. Replacing him (and also baring a slight resemblance to Hugo Weaving) is Game of Thrones alum Robert Aramayo, aka Young Ned Stark. The Thrones connections don’t end there, however. Joseph Mawle, aka everyone’s-favorite-uncle-who-always-mysteriously-shows-up-in-the-nick-of-time-to-save-you Benjen Stark, is also signed on for the series. And previous Thrones producers Bryan Cogman and Bruce Richmond are involved as well. Just keep David and D.B. far, far away, mmkay?
Additionally, the show officially has its Galadriel! Morfydd Clark looks stunning, and I’m incredibly excited to see her performance in this daunting role. It’s dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door trying to embody an immortal elf who was born before recorded time and is one of the most powerful beings alive, and who was previously portrayed by real life goddess Cate Blanchett. BUT YOU GOT THIS, GIRL.
Say Hello to our new Galadriel!😃 ~#LOTR #lotramazon #morfyddclark #galadriel #elf #Amazon https://t.co/97FrWgIu4c pic.twitter.com/H0nKp5kxz1
— TheOneRing.net (@theoneringnet) December 18, 2019
But the casting news doesn’t stop there; on January 14th the series dropped the names of 15 new cast members! Look at that gorgeous, colorful cast. Middle Earth as written by Tolkien was exceedingly white, so it’s so encouraging to see showrunners blazing a more diverse trail.
'The Lord of the Rings' has found its fellowship!
Robert Aramayo, Nazanin Boniadi, Joseph Mawle, Owain Arthur, Ismael Cruz Cordova + more make up the cast of the upcoming Amazon series: pic.twitter.com/UtA9VpGtk6
— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) January 14, 2020
Other than Galadriel, we don’t know the names of the characters they are playing, and showrunners say there are still several key roles yet to be cast. The new cast members are mostly unknowns, but you may recognize Nazanin Boniadi from her roles in How I Met Your Mother, Homeland and Bombshell. Check out this Deadline article for a full rundown on each new cast member.
Speaking of key roles yet to be cast…there’s still no word on Hot Sauronâ„¢ (explained here), but if the casting gods are listening (or my Amazon echo, more likely), David Berry would be perfect. That beautiful face could probably sweet talk me into foolishly launching an army against the Valar, too.
Everyone else we can expect to see
The series will be set in the Second Age, which is awesome because the Second Age was HOPPIN‘. For reference, the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy took place in Year 3018-19 of the Third Age, so Amazon is taking it way back. That doesn’t mean we won’t encounter some familiar characters, however. Elrond and Galadriel were big players, as were other notable characters from Tolkien’s writings like Gil-Galad, Glorfindel, and Celebrimbor. On the human side, we could also eventually see Aragorn’s famous ancestors Elendil and Isildur. The Second Age lasted 3,441 years and so it’s hard to predict what specific characters and stories we can expect. But whatever they focus on, I expect, no…I NEED excellence. No pressure, Amazon.
Lord of the Rings Production Updates
There’s not much coming out of New Zealand re: filming these days, but we have learned some things. Okay, one thing, but it’s cool. Amazon announced that they have already renewed the series for Season 2, and that there would be a 4-5 month filming hiatus once episodes 1 & 2 were complete. This will allow the writers time to block out and plan Season 2. I guess this is somewhat standard, and hopefully will allow for a shorter gap between each season. I’m fine with that.
For real time updates be sure to follow the series’ social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook! They haven’t posted much yet but I hope the floodgates will open soon. I’m ready to get on a first name basis with their social media manager.
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