Lord of the Rings series cast revealed with rumours of Sir Ian McKellen return

The Lord of the Rings TV adaptation has been hotly anticipated for the past year, and we have more news on the cast list and filming location.

Amazon’s flagship series The Lord of the Rings, rumoured to have cost the streaming service $250 million, has no release date as of yet, however For Reading Addicts has news on cast members and filming location. There are also rumours of a second season renewal- before the first has even begun!

Although it has yet to have an official release date, Amazon must start production on the show by 2020, or their deal with the Tolkien Estate and New Line is revoked.

Reports suggest the first two episodes, directed by J.A. Bayona, will be filmed before a 4 month hiatus. During that break the showrunners will begin plotting out season 2, and reports suggest that season 2 will film consecutively with final episodes from the first season.

Amazon Studios Head Jennifer Salke explained: “It’ll be in production in two years. 2021 is the hope. But there are other people who wish it was 2020.”

Joining JD Payne and Patrick McKay as a consultant is Bryan Cogman, best known for his time as an assistant on the TV adaptation of Game of Thrones and later as writer on the same production.

Also announced as writer for the Lord of the Rings TV show are Gennifer Hutchinson (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul), Helen Shang (Hannibal), Justin Dohle (Stranger Things), and Stephany Folsom (Toy Story 4).

Behind-the-camera news includes costume designer Kate Hawley (Edge of Tomorrow, Suicide Squad), production designer Rick Heinrichs (Sleepy Hollow, Star Wars: The Last Jedi), visual effects supervisor Jason Smith (Super 8, Avengers), and Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey. John Howe will act as concept artist just as he did for Jackson’s trilogy.

“This team is our Fellowship, assembled from around the world, all walking the road together to try and accomplish something far greater than any of us could on our own,” representatives said in a statement.

Amazon has finally confirmed the first 15 names joining the cast as Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Tom Budge, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, and Daniel Weyman.

Joseph Mawle, best known for playing Benjen Stark on Game of Thrones, has joined the cast with rumours suggesting the actor will play the villain Oren, though no character in the source material appears with this name.

Another name thrown out is Robert Aramayo, another Game of Thrones alumni- Ned Stark.

Reports also suggest that His Dark Materials actress Morfydd Clark  has signed on to play a young Galadriel, originally portrayed by Cate Blanchett in the Peter Jackson movies.

Aussie actress Markella Kavenagh, is said to have joined the cast as the show’s female lead, Tyra. Any further details regarding her character are being kept secret for now. Ema Horvath of Blumhouse horror Like.Share.Follow fame has also been cast in a main role.

Fans of Peter Jackson’s movie triology will be excited to learn of rumours about the return of the great Sir Ian McKellen. The actor played Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies and suggested to Graham Norton on the talk show that no other actor could play the wizard.

“What do you mean, another Gandalf?” McKellen asked Graham Norton when asked whether someone might take over the role. “I haven’t said yes because I haven’t been asked. But are you suggesting that someone else is going to play it? Gandalf is over 7,000 years old, so I’m not too old.”