After years of preproduction and development, Amazon Studios’ billion-dollar “Lord of the Rings” TV series is already deep into production in New Zealand. And while we know most of the cast, it was still a mystery who was going to take over directing duties after already-announced J.A. Bayona finished his duties. Well, now we know.
According to Amazon, filmmaker Wayne Che Yip is taking over where Bayona leaves off and will direct the remaining episodes of the first season of “The Lord of the Rings.” Bayona is the director of the first two episodes. Yip is probably best known for his TV work on series such as “Preacher,” “Utopia” (the British version), “Hunters,” and “Doctor Who.” He’s also attached to the forthcoming fantasy series, “The Wheel of Time,” where he directed multiple episodes of that first season.
“It is a true honor to be invited into the world of Tolkien by J.D. & Patrick and Amazon Studios,” said Yip. “Every day I look forward to working with the incredible team here in New Zealand as we humbly contribute to the legacy of the greatest stories ever told.”
Obviously, “The Lord of the Rings” is inspired by Tolkien’s iconic fantasy world that was famously adapted for the big screen by director Peter Jackson. Amazon’s new series is actually a prequel to those films and will tell the story of the Second Age of Middle-earth’s history, where Sauron once again is attempting to gain control of unfathomable power and a group of heroes must band together to take him on. The series is executive produced and showrun by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay.
A release date has yet to be announced for the first season of the series.
The synopsis for the show is below:
Amazon Studios’ forthcoming series brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. 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.
