While it was thought, very early on, that Peter Jackson could potentially be involved in Amazon’s “Lord Of The Rings” series—maybe as a consultant— eventually, he ended up having no participation in the series. A new take on J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic Middle-Earth saga, which takes place during The Second Age (Jackson’s trilogy was set during The Third Age), Amazon’s new series could have theoretically tapped actors like Hugo Weaving (whose characters were alive in this Second Age), but that never happened, leaving many to assume Amazon was severing all ties with what Jackson brought to ‘LOTR.’ But a new report from Deadline reveals a key creative figure in the Jackson trilogy is actually returning.
Oscar-winning Canadian composer Howard Shore is in talks with the streamer to return and score the series. Shore was behind the scores for both “Lord of The Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies. Having Shore back should mean that the music should connect to the previous films, even if other aspects, like the cast or production team, seemingly won’t.
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Shore won three Oscars in all for his work on the “Lord Of The Rings” trilogy: a Best Original Score for his stunning work on “Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring” and then two more wins on “Lord of The Rings: The Return Of The King” for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for the song “Into The West,” co-written with Annie Lennox and Fran Walsh.
The massively expensive “Lord of The Rings” series will debut on September 2, 2022, on Prime Video. Amazon has already announced that a second season (with a total five-season commitment) will begin shooting next year in the United Kingdom, moving production from New Zealand, where the ‘LOTR’ films are typically shot.
Here is the official synopsis from Amazon:
“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.’ Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-Earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.”
It’s unclear if the Amazon series will reference any of Shore’s classic ‘LOTR’ cues, but one assumes you’ll likely hear a familiar melody or two at least at some point.