In 2017, Amazon acquired the license to produce a TV show based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Since the high-profile signing, fans have been thirsty for any updates on the upcoming TV show. However, Amazon has been wisely secretive about its production.
This doesn't stop us from getting some little hints now and then on the show's progress. In this article, we share everything that we have learned so far about this massive undertaking.
Getting the Rights to the Film
Amazon Studios' acquisition of the rights to the first-ever multi-season The Lord of the Rings TV show cost the streaming company $250 million. On top of that, Amazon Studios will be spending some $800 million more, putting the total price tag for the whole show to be at $1 billion, making the upcoming TV series one of the most expensive TV shows to be produced in history.
Creating a multi-season series revolving around The Lord of the Rings will take a lot of work. To be able to fulfill their commitment to this project, Amazon Studios canceled other shows they were working on, like Z: The Beginning of Everything and The Last Tycoon. It's a very big commitment for Amazon Studios, and rightly so, The Lord of the Rings fans are one of the most passionate fandoms out there, and it will take a lot of effort to deliver a show that would satisfy their high standards.
What the Story Will Be About
Since the show is based on The Lord of the Rings universe by Tolkien, Amazon's TV show will also be set in Middle-Earth. The story will take place before The Fellowship of the Ring, putting the whole show earlier in the timeline than the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The show will also have new characters, like a young hero named Beldor, to be played by actor Will Poulter. Game of Thrones star Joseph Mawle, who played the ranger Benjen Stark, will play Oren, the show's main villain. Lastly, Markella Kavenagh is cast to play the female lead named Tyra. Aside from these three stars, Amazon's cast of characters remains shrouded in secrecy.
The People Behind the Scenes
The Lord of the Rings fans would, of course, be interested in who will be handling the show. They should feel safe with the names involved in its production.
Star Trek 4's J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay will serve as the series' showrunners. The show will also have big names executive producing the series, including J.A. Bayona of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, his producing partner Belén Atienza, Gennifer Hutchison of Breaking Bad, Jason Cahill of The Sopranos, Justin Doble of Stranger Things, Lindsey Weber of 10 Cloverfield Lane, Bruce Richmond of Game of Thrones, Gene Kelly of Boardwalk Empire, and former Amazon head of genre Sharon Tal Yguado.
The show's production will start next year in 2020, with shooting to be held in New Zealand. The premiere is slated to be in 2021.
