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Warning: This review contains spoilers for The Rings of Power's season 2 finaleThe Rings of Power is playing the long game. That's been clear since reports first emerged about creators Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne's five-season, billion-dollar plan for J.R.R. Tolkien's masterworks. To tell a story at this scale with this level of production value, planning is vital. But, part of what makes television so great is improvisation. Sure, it can lead to less-than-stellar results. But improvisation, or lack of a detailed map, has led to some of the best television ever created.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Cast Amelia Kenworthy, Bridie Sisson, Robert Strange, Sara Zwangobani, Sophia Nomvete, Trystan Gravelle, Daniel Weyman, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Peter Tait, Anthony Crum, Owain Arthur, Leon Wadham, Thusitha Jayasundera, Tyroe Muhafidin, Beau Cassidy, Maxine Cunliffe, Charlie Vickers, Lloyd Owen, Geoff Morrell, Kevin Eldon, Sam Hazeldine, Charles Edwards,...

Warning! Major spoilers ahead for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 finale.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power director Charlotte Brndstrm and director of photography Alex Disenhof explain Adar's dark fate in the season 2 finale. Prime Video's hit The Lord of the Rings show created by Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, just concluded its sophomore outing, teeing up an explosive season 3. After playing an important role as a villain in most episodes thus far, The Rings of Power's season 2 finale sees Adar (Sam Hazeldine) betrayed and killed by the Orcs he calls his children after they fall under Sauron's (Charlie Vickers) control.

In a recent interview with Screen Rant, Brndstrm and Disenhof delve into how they shot Adar's final scene with Galadriel in The Rings of Power's season 2 finale, which comes just before his death. The creatives explain that they mirrored...

Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 finale.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 finale director Charlotte Brndstrm and cinematographer Alex Disenhof explain the new Elven lands featured in the episode. Continuing its story of the rise of Sauron (Charlie Vickers) during the Second Age of Middle-eath, Prime Video's Lord of the Rings series created by Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne just concluded its sophomore outing. The Rings of Power's season 2 finale featured a number of big developments, concluding in a new Elven land as Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), Elrond (Robert Aramayo), and Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) plan their next moves.

In a recent interview with Screen Rant, Brndstrm and Disenhof delve into those new Elven locations featured in The Rings of Power's season 2 finale. After the brutal and bloody fall of Eregion, the two creatives explain that it was important...

Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 finale.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star Charlie Vickers explains why Sauron chooses to spare Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) in the season 2 finale. Created by Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, the hit Prime Video Lord of the Rings show returned for its sophomore outing in August, chronicling Sauron's rise to power during the Second Age. Sauron and Galadriel finally face off again in The Rings of Power season 2 finale in an epic duel, before which Sauron tries one last time to get her to join him as a ruler of Middle-earth.

In a recent interview with Screen Rant, Vickers delves into why Sauron didn't immediately kill Galadriel in The Rings of Power's season 2 finale, despite having the opportunity to. According to the actor, Sauron still saw a potential to get Galadriel on-side. After the events of the finale,...

Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 finale.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star Robert Aramayo teases Elrond's journey to come in a potential season 3. After returning for its sophomore outing in August, Prime Video's Lord of the Rings show created by Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne just released its action-packed finale, with Elrond once again playing a key role. Though Eregion is essentially lost in episode 7, The Rings of Power's season 2 finale sees Elrond and Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) lead the surviving citizens to safety, teeing up a continued struggle against Sauron (Charlie Vickers) in the future.

In a recent interview with Screen Rant, Aramayo and Gil-Galad actor Benjamin Walker tease what might be next for Elrond should The Rings of Power season 3 get the green light. According to Aramayo, who is well versed in J.R.R. Tolkien's source material,...

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 stunt coordinator and second unit director Vic Armstrong explains Morfydd Clark's Galadriel evolution. Returning for its sophomore outing last month, Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings series, which hails from creators Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, continues to put Galadriel front and center in the action. In The Rings of Power season 2, Galadriel's quest against Sauron rages once more from season 1, and the Elven warrior remains a major force for change in Middle-earth, both on the battlefield and off.

In a recent interview with Screen Rant, Armstrong touches on how Clark's Galadriel has changed in The Rings of Power season 2, revealing some of the behind-the-scenes filming details. Armstrong shares immense praise for Clark and her physicality as a performer, as well as her positive attitude towards stunts and doing her own action sequences, particularly when it comes to horse riding.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power debuts a new clip from season 2, episode 7, showing Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) emerging out from under Sauron's (Charlie Vickers) grasp. Created by Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, the hit Prime Video fantasy series returned for its sophomore outing in August, charting Sauron's rise in Middle-earth during the Second Age. Sauron's main task in The Rings of Power season 2 has been forging the titular rings, and Celebrimbor, as a great Elven smith, has become an unfortunate victim of his dark influence.

Now, IGN releases a new clip from The Rings of Power season 2, episode 7, showing a quiet moment between Sauron and Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) in the latter character's forge. The clip sees Celebrimbor seemingly seeing the light after so many episodes of darkness, explaining the beauty of his work. The clip also ends with a tense moment as Celebrimbor, after revealing that...

Warning: This article discusses topics of racism, homophobia, suicide, and sexual assault.

Over the years, several TV show actors left their respective roles, but their characters deaths ended up occurring offscreen. The demise of a beloved figure wasnt always met with a good reception from audiences, but the most heroic TV character deaths instead made up for their departure. When a character died but wasnt shown on-screen, it was often jarring. However, it was even weirder when it was already known that an actor was leaving, but they didnt get the opportunity to film their characters exit.

Even the best TV shows of all time sometimes had to say goodbye to a character without a proper send-off. Some of these instances were out of production's control and were the result of external reasons, such as legal snafus or budget cuts, whereas others were because an actor actively chose to step...

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2's Rotten Tomatoes score has arrived after a divisive season 1. Created by Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne and based on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, the Prime Video Lord of the Rings show premiered in 2022. After season 1 split critics and audiences as it chronicled the rise of evil in Middle-earth during the Second Age of Middle-earth, there's evidently a lot riding on The Rings of Power season 2 to right the ship.

Rotten Tomatoes now reveals that The Rings of Power season 2 has debuted on the site to an 82% with 34 reviews. Though this score is sure to change as more reviews are added, the sophomore outing currently ranks just behind season 1, which has an 83% score. As seen in the chart below, season 1 struggled when it came to the audience score, and the first audience ratings for season 2 should arrive following the premiere.

As someone who found the first 30 minutes or so of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's debut episode some of the most beautiful fantasy television ever put on screen, my relationship with the show since has been complicated. The first season juggles numerous narrative arcs, some more compelling than others, and culminated in a barnburner of an episode that revealed the creation of Mordor. The Rings of Power season 2 captures some of the same magic, but loses some of the luster that made the first season so captivating.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Cast Sara Zwangobani, Daniel Weyman, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Thusitha Jayasundera, Tyroe Muhafidin, Maxine Cunliffe, Charlie Vickers, Lloyd Owen, Geoff Morrell, Lenny Henry, Dylan Smith, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Nazanin Boniadi, Alex Tarrant, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Robert Aramayo, Morfydd ClarkGenres Adventure, FantasyNetwork Amazon Prime VideoFranchise(s) The Lord of the RingsWriters Nicholas Adams,...

Game of Thrones actor Ciarn Hinds becomes a Dark Wizard in a new image from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2. Created by Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, the hit Prime Video fantasy show premiered in summer 2022, chronicling the rise of dark forces in Middle-earth during the Second Age. The Rings of Power season 2 is set to feature the return of Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, Robert Aramayo as Elrond, and Charlie Vickers as Sauron, but a handful of new actors are also set to join the mix, including Hinds in a previously unknown role.

Deadline now shares a new image from The Rings of Power season 2, unveiling Hinds as a new character known as Dark Wizard. Check out the image below:

Hinds' character is described as A dark and powerful wizard, whose origins and intentions are shrouded in secrecy, and who has a legion of magic-wielding...

A new trailer teases the action and emotion to come in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2. Season 2 will follow Galadriel, Elrond, and others as they face off against Sauron and the forces of evil as the show's titular rings are forged. The Rings of Power season 2 will expand the world of Middle-earth, introducing new characters and creatures.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 gets a new trailer, teasing what's next for the Prime Video fantasy series. Created by Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, the hit Lord of the Rings show premiered on the streamer in 2022, chronicling the rise of evil during the Second Age of Middle-earth. Now, The Rings of Power season 2 is set to continue the journeys of characters like Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Elrond (Robert Aramayo), among others, as Sauron's (Charlie Vickers) power grows.

Prime Video now releases a...

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 will feature the return of a major villain from the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, a star confirms. Based on the work of author J. R. R. Tolkien, the hit Prime Video series is gearing up to continue the story of Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), Elrond (Robert Aramayo), and others, as the fight against Sauron (Charlie Vickers) intensifies. The Rings of Power season 2 is set to bring back a host of familiar faces while also introducing a handful of new people and monsters into the mix, including some from Tolkien's source material.

In a recent interview with EW, Isildur actor Maxim Baldry confirms that The Rings of Power season 2 will feature the return of Shelob, the monster that so memorably assailed Frodo (Elijah Wood) in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. According to Baldry, the show's...

A new trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 has debuted at San Diego Comic-Con. The hit Prime Video series is created by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay. Season 2 will chronicle Sauron's growing rise to power in Middle-earth and the forging of the titular rings.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power debuts a new season 2 trailer at San Diego Comic-Con. Created by Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, the hit Prime Video Lord of the Rings series brings J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy world to life on the small screen for the first time. After the release of season 1 in 2022, The Rings of Power season 2 is set to continue the story of Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Elrond (Robert Aramayo), among others, as they contend with Sauron's (Charlie Vickers) rise to power in Middle-earth.

During The Rings of Power's Sdcc panel, for...

A new first-look image from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been revealed. The image shows Ben Daniels in character as Crdan the Shipwright. Daniels' experience on The Exorcist and Interview with the Vampire has prepared him well for the iconic fantasy role.

A new The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power image reveals an incoming Elf character. The Prime Video fantasy series is a prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy set in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth millennia before Frodo's iconic adventure. Although there aren't many, there are several carryover characters are included in the prequel such as the immortal Elves Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Elrond (Robert Aramayo). The upcoming The Rings of Power season 2 is set to add even more performers to the ensemble cast including Ben Daniels, Calam Lynch, Ciarn Hinds, and Rory Kinnear.

TV Insider has shared a...

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 releases a new image, revealing the show's Hill-troll. After first debuting on Prime Video in 2022, the hit J.R.R. Tolkien adaptation created by Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne is now gearing up to continue the story of the rise of evil in Middle-earth during the Second Age. The Rings of Power season 2 is set to bring back a number of familiar characters from season 1, in addition to introducing a number of new characters and creatures.

One new creature set to debut in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 is the Hill-troll, which Empire Magazine reveals in a new photo. Check out the new image below:

The formidable monster's name is Damrod, and McKay describes him as an "eater of dragon bones." Actor Benjamin Walker voices the Hill-troll, who will play a key role as part of Adar...

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 gets a new image, teasing the arrival of a creature from the first installment in J.R.R. Tolkien's epic book saga. Released on Prime Video in 2022, The Rings of Power is created by Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne with a story that chronicles a darkness spreading across Middle-earth during the Second Age. After a well-reviewed debut outing, The Rings of Power season 2 is set to continue the story of Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Sauron (Charlie Vickers), adding some exciting and dark new elements into the mix.

Now, Empire Magazine reveals the first look at a Barrow-wight in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2. These ghostly creatures were first mentioned in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring book, and they represent some of the most terrifying creatures Middle-earth has to offer. Check...

New images for The Rings of Power season 2 offer the first look at Estrid in the Lord of the Rings show. In J.R.R. Tolkien's lore, Estrid would go on to become Isildur's wife, though wouldn't be the mother to the iconic heroic character of Aragorn. With the show set thousands of years before Tolkien's mainline Lord of the Rings trilogy, there is a lot it can explore in the relationship between Isildur and Estrid before leading to Aragorn's birth mother.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 is introducing a new character with potentially significant ties to J.R.R. Tolkien's lore. Other new characters have already been confirmed to be in season 2 of the Prime Video series, including Rory Kinnear as Tom Bombadil, a fan-favorite character in Tolkien's writing.

New season 2 images and details revealed by IGN show the return of season 1 characters Isildur (Maxim Baldry...

Adar will face an existential crisis in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2. Adar has found his Uruk a home in season 2, leading him to a new mission. Adar was previously played by Joseph Mawle, but Sam Hazeldine plays the role in season 2.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star Sam Hazeldine teases Adar's journey in season 2 after the character's recast. Hitting Prime Video in 2022, Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne's fantasy series draws from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings appendices to chronicle the rise of evil in Middle-earth during the Second Age. The Rings of Power season 2 is now confirmed to release later this summer, with most of the cast returning. Joseph Mawle, however, will not reprise his role as Adar from season 1, with Hazeldine taking over the part.

In a recent interview with EW, Hazeldine teases his Adar's journey...

Nazanin Boniadi won't return as Bronwyn for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2. Boniadi took a break from acting in 2022 to pursue activist causes she is passionate about. Bronwyn will seemingly not be recast and a return in future seasons has not been ruled out.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 will be without one crucial character from season 1, a new report reveals. Based on source material from J.R.R. Tolkien, the Prime Video series premiered in 2022, bringing a new version of Middle-earth to life from creators Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne. After season 1 became a major viewership hit, The Rings of Power season 2 is now confirmed to premiere on the streamer later this year.

A new report from THR reveals that Nazanin Boniadi will not be returning as Brownyn in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2. Boniadi's absence...

New images from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 reveal live-action Tom Bombadil. The legendary Tolkien character has never appeared before in live-action. Rory Kinnear's Tom Bombadil will be a major influence over the story of season 2.

First-look images from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power reveal Tom Bombadil in live-action for the very first time. The character is a legendary figure from the original J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy novels, but was not included in either Peter Jackson's movie trilogy or Ralph Bakshi's animated adaptation from 1978. However, the upcoming Rings of Power season 2 is set to rectify that, bringing the character into the fold as the Prime Video prequel show continues to expand the early history of Middle-earth.

Vanity Fair has just unveiled a new set of images revealing the first-ever glimpse of a live-action Tom Bombadil, played by Rory Kinnear.

Sauron's new look in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 will trick the Elves into forging more Rings. Season 2 is setting the stage for Sauron's rise to power and how he manipulates the Elves disguised as the figure Annatar. The expanded focus on season 2 hints at Sauron's upcoming conquoring of Middle-earth.

A new poster of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power shows Sauron's disguise in season 2, revealing how he's going to trick the Elves into making more Rings. The Rings of Power season 2 will feature a continued evolution of the Dark Lord's rise to power within the Second Age, including how he tricked the Elves into forging the titular Rings. His goal is to use them to rule over Middle-earth, controlling the wearers using the One Ring - also yet to be made.

Now, Prime Video has released a new poster...

The upcoming season of The Rings of Power hints at the Balrog's appearance, shaking up Tolkien's canon once again. The destruction of Khazad-dm's bridge in the season 2 trailer raises questions about the show's timeline changes. Fans are concerned about condensing the canon timeline too much with the early emergence of the Balrog in the series.

A mysterious force is seen destroying the bridge of Khazad-dm in the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 trailer, and this seems to imply that the Balrog is going to make its big appearance in the upcoming episodes.

The first trailer for The Rings of Power season 2 dropped on May 14, 2024, teasing many of the events that we can look forward to in this next installment of the Prime Video series. However, some of these seem to be happening far sooner than expected, which raises concern about the Lord of the Rings prequel...

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Elon Musk has criticized Amazon Prime Video’s billion-dollar fantasy series The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, tweeting that late author J.R.R. Tolkien is “turning in his grave.”

Expanding on why he didn’t like the show, Musk tweeted that “almost every male character so far is a coward, a jerk or both,” adding that “only Galadriel is brave, smart and nice.” Galadriel, played by Welsh actress Morfydd Clark, is a warrior elf and the lead of the series that is set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Worthy of note, Musk has a long-running feud and rivalry with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, a rivalry that has intensified as Musk’s SpaceX and Bezos’ Blue Origin compete directly. The enmity between the world’s two richest people has seen the Tesla CEO...

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For a time, it seemed as though a great shadow had passed over the world, and then faded — still present, though not quite as ominous. There were those who could confidently believe they were seeing progress. A fantasy? Perhaps. But not one without value. Yet, there were those who sought the cover of that shadow to hide from their own insecurities, failings, uselessness. They could not conceive of the endless potential of progress. Miserable little trolls left stewing in their own ugly ignorance and hatred, who sought regression, but proved too incompetent to succeed, even when emboldened by the lies from their weakened leader.

I could very easily be discussing Middle-earth, but I’m not. What I’m discussing is our very real world, and social media as an extension of that world. For the past week, I’ve been bombarded with messages of hate,...

The success of Game of Thrones for HBO finally proved beyond a doubt that grand fantasy epics with massive budgets can find a home on the small screen. Now, it seems only fitting that the new "most expensive fantasy show" record would be set by a series based on fantasy icon J.R.R Tolkien's Middle-earth. Amazon Studios is currently producing the first season of Lord of the Rings, rumored to have a price tag of $465 million attached for the first season alone. Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke defended the giant budget based on the popularity of Tolkien's works.

"The market is crazy, as you saw with the Knives Out deal. [Netflix paid $469 million for two sequels.] This is a full season of a huge world-building show. The number is a sexy headline or a crazy headline that's fun to click on, but that is really building the infrastructure of...

There are few movie franchises as iconic as Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings series. As beloved as the films are, they suffer from a certain number of inconsistencies that have baffled fans for years. One such inconsistency occurs during a scene in which Merry and Pippin have been captured by the Orcs, who debate over whether they should eat the little hobbits right on the spot.

An argument leads to the Orc Ugluk cutting off another orc's head, declaring, "Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!" Stephen Ure, who played the Orc Grishnakh, who first proposed eating the hobbits, admitted in an interview with Thrillist that while the scene has garnered an immense following within the Lotr fandom and through internet memes, the word "menu" makes no sense in the context of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth.

"There's a lot of stuff that doesn't really make sense.

Amazon's upcoming TV series based on Lord of the Rings is going to run the studio back about $465 for one single season. Perhaps hoping to compete with the success of Peter Jackson's original movie trilogy, Amazon Studios is apparently going all-in with the company reportedly spending around Nz$650 million, or $465 million in U.S. currency, for just the show's first season.

This tremendously high price tag is even above the previously-reported estimate of $500 million for multiple seasons of the show, a number that was already record-setting. By comparison, the expensive medieval fantasy series Game of Thrones had cost HBO roughly $100 million per season. That show had begun with around $6 million put into each episode for season 1, followed with GoT costing around $15 million per episode by the eighth and final season. That's obviously a lot of money, but it still pales in comparison to Amazon Studios' budget for The Lord of the Rings.

The first season of “Lord of the Rings” will cost Amazon a lot of castar. The retail giant will spend around $465 million to film the first season of its upcoming fantasy drama based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s books.

That figure comes courtesy of New Zealand’s Minister for Economic Development and Tourism Stuart Nash. Amazon is filming the series in the Kiwi country, using the same location as Peter Jackson’s popular film trilogy.

“Amazon is going to spend about (Nz)$650 million in season one alone,” Nash told New Zealand’s “Morning Report,” which translates to roughly $465 million U.S. dollars. That spending amount will trigger a tax rebate of Nz$160 million ($114 million U.S.).

“This is fantastic, it really is,” Nash continued. “This will be the largest television series ever made.”

Amazon declined to comment. An individual with knowledge of the production confirmed that figure is correct.

For comparison’s sake,...

Amazon's Lord of the Rings TV series is set to bring back a major villain.

The streamer has dropped a lengthy description that gives a lot of hints about what fans can expected when the series inevitably launches, including "the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien's pen."

The description first appeared on TheOneRing.net, and can be read below.

Amazon Studios’ forthcoming series brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history.

This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien...

Ever since Amazon Studios announced that they will be creating a new fantasy series based on the world of The Lord of the Rings created by J.R.R. Tolkein, fans have been eager to discover the details of the story for the show. Now, TheOneRing.net has released a description for the upcoming series that they confirm is authentic and accurate. You can read the full synopsis below.

"Amazon Studios' forthcoming series brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the...

Amazon has finally revealed the full description for its upcoming “The Lord of the Rings” TV series, a show set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.”

Here’s the synopsis for the eight-episode fantasy series, which is currently filming in New Zealand and has already been renewed for a second season, courtesy of Amazon:

Amazon Studios’ forthcoming series brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the...

Geoff Morrell, Fabian McCallan and Sara Zwangobani are the latest Aussie additions to the cast of Amazon Studios’ Lord of the Rings, currently shooting in New Zealand.

They are among a set of 20 new actors joining the eight-episode series, including Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Maxim Baldry, Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman, Anthony Crum, Maxine Cunliffe, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Thusitha Jayasundera, Simon Merrells,​ Peter Mullan, Lloyd Owen, Augustus Prew, Peter Tait, Alex Tarrant, Leon Wadham and Benjamin Walker.

The prolific Morrell most recently starred in Harrow, Fucking Adelaide, Top of the Lake, Please Like Me, Deep Water, The Code and 8Mmm Aboriginal Radio.

Zwangobani has appeared in Doctor Doctor, All Saints, Packed to the Rafters, Love My Way and Home and Away, while Nida-grad McCallan made his international screen debut in British series You, Me & The Apocalypse, and guest starred in German/Australian co-pro In Your Dreams and in Meryl Tankard short Moth.

Amazon Studios has announced 20 additional cast members joining the ensemble cast of the TV series based on the iconic The Lord of the Rings novels by J.R.R. Tolkien. The newly revealed cast members will join the previously announced global cast and crew, currently filming in New Zealand. The new cast members include Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Maxim Baldry, Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman, Anthony Crum, Maxine Cunliffe, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Thusitha Jayasundera, Fabian McCallum, Simon Merrells, Geoff Morrell, Peter Mullan, Lloyd Owen, Augustus Prew, Peter Tait, Alex Tarrant, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker ,and Sara Zwangobani.

Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman, Anthony Crum, Maxine Cunliffe, Peter Tait, Alex Tarrant and Leon Wadham all hail from New Zealand, with the remaining international ensemble cast originating from Australia, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Lord of the Rings TV series showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay had...

The new Lord of the Rings television series, which is currently filming in New Zealand, has added 20 actors to its cast. Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Maxim Baldry, Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman, Anthony Crum, Maxine Cunliffe, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Thusitha Jayasundera, Fabian McCallum, Simon Merrells, Geoff Morrell, Peter Mullan, Lloyd Owen, Augustus Prew, Peter Tait, Alex Tarrant, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, and Sara Zwangobani are all joining the cast. Some of the actors are local to New Zealand, but the cast is a global effort.

Read More…...

Peter Jackson’s six-film Middle-earth saga’s been back in the headlines recently now that The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies have been remastered and released in 4K, but it feels like a very long time since we’ve gotten any updates about Amazon’s hotly-anticipated TV series set in the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The project is the single biggest small screen effort ever given the green light, with the streaming service shelling out $250 million just for the rights before committing to a five-season arc that’ll run up a billion dollars in production costs. Filming kicked off in February this year, but was shut down a month later due to the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Shooting recommenced at the end of September, though, and the The Lord of the Rings is still scheduled to debut before the conclusion of 2021. The movies were well...

The Lord of the Rings series’ already expansive ensemble continues to grow: Cynthia Addai-Robinson — whose credits include Arrow‘s Amanda Waller, Power and Chicago Med — has joined the Amazon Prime drama, along with 19 (!) others.

Also boarding the project are: Augustus Prew (The Morning Show, Prison Break), Benjamin Walker (Jessica Jones), Maxim Baldry (Years and Years, Hollyoaks), Kip Chapman (Top of the Lake), Anthony Crum (The Wilds), Trystan Gravelle (A Discovery of Witches, The Terror), Sir Lenny Henry (Broadchurch), Thusitha Jayasundera (Humans), Fabian McCallum (You, Me and the Apocalypse), Simon Merrells (Knightfall),​ Geoff Morrell (Top of the Lake), Peter Mullan (Ozark), Lloyd Owen (You,...

Amazon’s purportedly billion-dollar-budgeted Lord of the Rings TV series will take place Long before the events of Peter Jackson’s movies. Setting the tone for this small screen return to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the first two episodes will be directed by J.A. Bayona, who helmed Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

The Lord of the Rings TV series is set during Middle Earth’s Second Age—that’s thousands of years before Bilbo Baggins, Gollum or Aragorn ever existed! Moreover, the end of said age was a full millennium before the Wizards even arrived in Middle Earth, which makes the series a prequel in an epochal sense.

Amazon hopes the new Lord of the Rings TV show will be the next Game of Thrones, evidenced by its early Season 2 order. While Covid-19 temporarily halted its New Zealand production back...

The Lord of the Rings Amazon adaptation is expanding!

Amazon Studios today announced twenty additional cast members joining the ensemble cast of the series based on the iconic The Lord of the Rings novels by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The newly revealed cast members will join the previously announced global cast and crew, currently filming in New Zealand.

The new cast members include Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Maxim Baldry, Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman, Anthony Crum, Maxine Cunliffe, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Thusitha Jayasundera, Fabian McCallum, Simon Merrells, Geoff Morrell, Peter Mullan, Lloyd Owen, Augustus Prew, Peter Tait, Alex Tarrant, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, and Sara Zwangobani.

Blackburn, Chapman, Crum, Cunliffe, Tait, Tarrant, and Wadham all hail from New Zealand, with the remaining international ensemble cast originating from Australia, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay opened up about the casting news in a statement.

Amazon’s forthcoming “Lord of the Rings” series has added a whopping 20 new cast members, the streamer announced Thursday.

The new batch of stars joins an already sprawling ensemble for the eight-episode fantasy series, which is currently filming in New Zealand. According to Amazon, the actors hail from New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, the U.K. and the U.S.

The new cast members are: Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Maxim Baldry, Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman, Anthony Crum, Maxine Cunliffe, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Thusitha Jayasundera, Fabian McCallum, Simon Merrells,​ Geoff Morrell, Peter Mullan, Lloyd Owen, Augustus Prew, Peter Tait, Alex Tarrant, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker and Sara Zwangobani. Read full bios for each below.

They join previously announced stars Robert Aramayo, Morfydd Clark, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Tom Budge, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers and Daniel Weyman.

Amazon Studios has confirmed twenty additional cast members who have joined the streamer’s The Lord Of The Rings TV series, an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novels. Production on the sprawling drama, which was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, is currently underway in New Zealand. It resumed in late September.

Top British comedian Lenny Henry, Ozark and Westworld‘s Peter Mullan, Lloyd Owen, Augustus Prew (CBS’s Pure Genius), The Lotr movie franchise’s Peter Tait, Benjamin Walker (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), Cynthia Addai-Robinson and Simon Merrells (Spartacus: War of the Damned) are among the new additions, along with Maxim Baldry, Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman, Anthony Crum, Maxine Cunliffe, Trystan Gravelle, Thusitha Jayasundera, Fabian McCallum, Geoff Morrell, Alex Tarrant, Leon Wadham and Sara Zwangobani.

No information is provided about the characters the actors are playing; Owen is believed to play Loda,...

The upcoming “Lord of the Rings” series at Amazon is adding 20 actors to its cast, Variety has learned.

The new additions are: Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Maxim Baldry, Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman, Anthony Crum, Maxine Cunliffe, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Thusitha Jayasundera, Fabian McCallum, Simon Merrells, Geoff Morrell, Peter Mullan, Lloyd Owen, Augustus Prew, Peter Tait, Alex Tarrant, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, and Sara Zwangobani.

Blackburn, Chapman, Crum, Cunliffe, Tait, Tarrant, and Wadham all hail from New Zealand, where the show is currently in production, with the remaining international ensemble cast originating from Australia, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

They join previously announced cast members Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Tom Budge, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, and Daniel Weyman as announced earlier this year.

“The world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is epic,...

Amazon’s highly anticipated Lord of the Rings TV series is coming together.

On Thursday, Amazon announced 20 new castmembers who will join the previously announced 15 set to head to Middle-earth as filming on the drama remains underway in New Zealand.

Joining the cast are Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Power, The Accountant), Maxim Baldry (Years and Years), newcomer Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman (Top of the Lake), Anthony Crum (The Wilds), Maxine Cunliffe (Power Rangers Megaforce), Trystan Gravelle (The Terror), Sir Lenny Henry (Broadchurch), Thusitha Jayasundera (Broadchurch), Fabian McCallum (You, Me & The Apocalypse), Simon Merrells (Knightfall),​ Geoff Morrell (Rake), Peter ...

Amazon’s highly anticipated Lord of the Rings TV series is coming together.

On Thursday, Amazon announced 20 new cast members that will join the previously announced 15 set to head to Middle-earth as filming on the drama remains under way in New Zealand.

Joining the cast are Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Power, The Accountant), Maxim Baldry (Years and Years), newcomer Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman (Top of the Lake), Anthony Crum (The Wilds), Maxine Cunliffe (Power Rangers Megaforce), Trystan Gravelle (The Terror), Sir Lenny Henry (Broadchurch), Thusitha Jayasundera (Broadchurch), Fabian McCallum (You, Me & The Apocalypse), Simon Merrells (Knightfall),​ Geoff Morrell ...