Details about the highly anticipated Middle-Earth series are finally beginning to roll in. Australian actress Markella Kavenagh is in talks for a role in the upcomingLord of the Ringsseries from Amazon. Kavenagh has been featured in the TV mini-seriesPicnic at Hanging RockandThe Cry. Aside from being named Tyra, little is known about the role Kavenagh may play, and Amazon and reps for Kavenagh have not commented on the news.
Amazon announced the show’s development in November 2017. NewcomersJD Payne and Patrick McKay(Game of Thrones) are attached as creators. Bryan Gogman will be consulting, and J.A. Bayona (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdon) is expected to be a frequent director. The series will be set during the Second Age in Tolkien mythology. We were first introduced to Middle-Earth in Peter Jackson’s (King Kong) iconicLord of the Ringstrilogy which consists ofThe Fellowship of the Ring,The Two TowersandThe Return of the King, and again in his less-popularHobbittrilogy. UnlikeLord of the Rings, the Second Age isn’t represented in a comprehensive book series. The events are covered throughout various writings by the revolutionary author, some of which weren’t published until after his death.
We are left to speculate about the plot based on the writings at what we’ve seen in the films-particularly the opening sequence ofThe Fellowship of the Ring. The Second Age is considered the dark ages in the lore. It’s during this time many of the elves fleeMiddle-Earth. Included in those that remain is Elrond, played by Hugo Weaving in the films. The main villain of the series may be Morgoth, Sauron’s master. It’s after Morgoth’s fall that Sauron begins his ascent to become the dark lord, and tricks the elves into making the rings of power while he fashions “The One Ring to rule them all.” As we saw in Jackson’s first installment, Isildur cuts the ring from Sauron’s hand, and it’s lost for thousands of years until Smeagol’s murderous fingers grasp it.The Hobbitbegins soon after that, and thenThe Fellowship of the Ringfollows.
TheLord of the Ringstrilogy was a massive feat for its time. It’s combination of CGI and practical effects created a sprawling world that still holds up today. Unfortunately for the franchise, the pre-production complications and the overextended scripts of theThe Hobbitfilms were massive letdowns for many fans. But just as theLord of the Ringsmade high fantasy accessible to the masses,Game of Thronesbrought it to the small screen. As studios scrambled to acquire their next epic, Amazon landed on Tolkien. Unlike their competitors, HBO withHis Dark Materialsand Netflix’sThe Witcherwhich released trailers and art at the San Diego Comic-Con International, Amazon has yet to reveal much about the project that is still early in its development.
The series will be multiple seasons, and is produced byAmazon Studiosin cooperation with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment. This news comes to us by way ofVariety.
