Amazon Studios announced twenty new cast members have joined the ensemble team of performers of its upcoming Lord of the Rings series. The newcomers include emerging and established talent from five different countries.
The new cast members hailing from New Zealand include Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman, Anthony Crum, Maxine Cunliffe, Peter Tait, Alex Tarrant, and Leon Wadham. Rounding out the list of newcomers is a group of performers originating from Australia, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and the United States, including Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Maxim Baldry, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Thusitha Jayasundera, Fabian McCallum, Simon Merrells, Geoff Morrell, Peter Mullan, Lloyd Owen, Augustus Prew, Benjamin Walker, and Sara Zwangobani.
"The world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is epic, diverse, and filled with heart," said showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay in a statement. "These extraordinarily talented performers, hailing from across the globe, represent the culmination of a multi-year search to find brilliant and unique artists to bring that world to life anew. The international cast of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings series is more than just an ensemble. It is a family. We are thrilled to welcome each of them to Middle-earth." The newly added cast members join previously announced stars 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. The series is currently in the midst of production in New Zealand, the same shooting location as the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films.
Amazon's Lord of the Rings adaptation will explore new stories set in Middle-Earth before the events of Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring. In addition to their aforementioned duties, Payne and McKay also serve as writers on the series, with Game of Thrones scribe Bryan Cogman attached to the project as a consulting producer. The first two episodes of the Amazon original will be helmed by Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom director J.A. Bayona, who is also on board as an executive producer.
Lord of the Rings recently made headlines when multiple cast members of the film trilogy and others associated with the franchise called on fans to help save the late Tolkien's house. Among those involved in the campaign is Sir Ian McKellen, who portrayed Gandalf in both the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
In a video announcement, McKellen noted that the campaign cannot raise the funds needed to purchase the house without donations from fans. If the project is successful, the campaign intends to property into a literary center dedicated to Tolkien.
Amazon's Lord of the Rings series will be released exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on a yet-to-be-determined date.
Source: Amazon Studios