It’s a daunting task to follow Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. But Amazon is going forward with its plans to revisit the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien. While some of the Lord of the Rings creative team had been previously announced, Amazon announced its full line up during the Television Critics Association Press Tour. It also released a video on twitter that formally introduced the team.
Meet our Fellowship. pic.twitter.com/Npouu6ZlRt
— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) July 27, 2019
JD Payne and Patrick McKay are the showrunners, and they’re joined by former Game of Thrones writer/producer Bryan Cogman. Stephany Folsom (Toy Story 4) and Cogman are “consultants” on the show. Gennifer Hutchison (Breaking Bad), Jason Cahill (The Sopranos) and Justin Doble (Stranger Things) are also on board as writers/executive producers.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom director J.A. Bayona is helming the first two episodes of the series. Bayona and his producing partner, Belén Atienza, are also executive producers. Ron Ames (The Aviator) is a producer, and Helen Shang (Hannibal) is a writer/co-producer. Glenise Mullins is also a writing consultant on the show.
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Illustrator and concept artist John Howe is only direct link between the show and Jackson’s LOTR film trilogy. He’s joined by Tolkien scholar Tom Shippe, visual effects supervisor Jason Smith, Production designer Rick Heinrichs (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), and costume designer Kate Hawley (Suicide Squad). Lindsey Weber (10 Cloverfield Lane), Bruce Richmond (Game of Thrones), Gene Kelly (Boardwalk Empire) and Sharon Tal Yguado are also executive producers on the series.
Story details about the LOTR series have yet to be revealed. However, it will take place in the Second Age of Middle-Earth. The film trilogy actually began at the end of the Second Age with Sauron’s defeat by an alliance between humans and elves. But the Second Age also includes 3,441 years of history, including the rise of Sauron and the Ringwraiths, as well as the creation of the One Ring.
Are you excited about the creative team for Lord of the Rings? What do you want to see in the series? Let us know in the comment section below!
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