Amazon has found the right person to guide its forthcomingLord of the Ringsseries. This week,Deadlineannounced directorJ.A. Bayonahad been secured as the series director. Bayona will oversee direction on the series' first two episodes, establishing the look and feel of the series as well as setting the course for the rest of the season’s direction. Bayona will be the second director to bring authorJ.R.R. Tolkien’s work to life, following in the footsteps of directorPeter Jacksonwho helmed a trilogy based on Tolkien’sLord of the Ringsnovels and a trilogy based onTheHobbit.
Bayona feels like a solid choice to take theLord of the Ringsreins considering the kinds of films he’s directed in the past. Most recently, he directedJurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, starringBryce Dallas HowardandChris Pratt. Previous to that, Bayona was known for his direction onA Monster CallsandThe Orphanage.In a statement shared via press release, Bayona expressed his excitement at coming aboard the series, sharing,
“J.R.R. 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 back to Middle-earth and have them discover the wonders of the Second Age, with a never-before-seen story.”
TheLord of the RingsTV series will be set during Middle-Earth’s Second Age, showing the life-changing events which precedeThe Fellowship of the Ring.Game of Throneswriter and executiveBryan Cogmansigned on in May to write the series. No casting announcements have been made yet. Similarly, there have been no announcements made in regards to shooting locations, an expected release date, nor have any pre-production stills or concept art been released (aside from a stunning, clue-filledmap of Middle Earth).
Amazon’sLord of the Ringsseries will reportedly span five seasons, showing key events which occurred during Middle-Earth’s Second Age, including Sauron’s rise and the forging of the rings of power — includingthering. Fingers crossed Bayona and Cogman are able to hold on to the majesty and epic scale of previousLord of the RingsandHobbitfilms. But let’s cross those fingers even hard these two find a way to breathe some new life into the franchise and find a way to filter this world through their own unique lens.
