This morning at the Television Critics Association press tour Amazon unveiled their full creative team for their upcoming Lord of the Rings television series.
According to Deadline, this announcement comes year after the show got JD Payne and Patrick McKay to develop, write, and executive produce the show. This also follows the announcement of director JA Bayona, from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom who is directing the first two episodes. When Bayona broke the news he stated, “JRR Tolkien created one of the most extraordinary and inspiring stories of all time, and as a lifelong fan it is an honor and a joy to join this amazing team. I can’t wait to take audiences around the world to Middle-earth and have them discover the wonders of the Second Age, with a never before seen story.”
According to ComicBook.com, Bayona will be an executive producer on the show with his producing partner Belén Atienza. Payne and McKay stated, “We are thrilled to have J.A. and Belen joining the fellowship as we continue to develop this epic series. We have been great admirers of J.A.’s work for years, and know that his epic, cinematic, and deeply heartfelt aesthetic is the perfect sensibility to bring Middle-earth to life anew.”
Last week, it was also announced that Markella Kavenagh is a finalist for the first regular cast member to play the role Tyra.
The show’s newly announced crew involve include the executive producers Lindsey Weber from 10 Cloverfield Lane, Bruce Richmond from Game of Thrones, Gene Kelly from Boardwalk Empire, and Tal Yguado the former head of genre. It also includes writer and executive producer Gennifer Hutchinson from Breaking Bad, Jason Cahill from The Sopranos, and Justin Doble from Stranger Things.
According to Deadline, the SVOD service announced Kate Hawley who worked on Suicide Squad will be the costume designer for the show. Also attached to the show is Academy Award-winning production designer Rick Heinrichs who worked on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor Jason Smith who worked on The Revenant, J.R.R. Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey, and the illustrator and concept artist John Howe.
McKay and Payne described their team, “This team is our Fellowship – assembled from around the world, all walking the road together to try and accomplish something far greater than any of us could on our own. We feel humbled and extremely lucky to be surrounded by such inspiring and talented women and men.”
According to Deadline, the series is a multi-season commitment with a rights deal with Tolkien’s estate that is believed to be worth $250 million. This show is produced by Amazon Studios alongside the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema. It will be set in Middle Earth exploring new storylines that predate Peter Jackson’s movie adaptations based on Tolkien’s book starting with The Fellowship of the Ring.
The Head of Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke stated, “As our journey into Middle-earth begins, we are in excellent hands with J.D. and Patrick at the helm, with this incredible team of talent that they’ve assembled. The depth and breadth of the experience of this writing and production team is truly awesome, with a real respect for and knowledge of Tolkien lore. We’re so happy to have them on board and to see this exciting series start to come to life.”