The Lord of the Rings TV series is one of the many that stopped production due to the coronavirus pandemic. Reportedly, the show has resumed production in New Zealand.
The filming of The Lord of the Rings began in February 2020 and stopped by the middle of March along with other shows that were in the area. Then, the production resumes in November 2020 after New Zealand granted the cast and crew with a border exemption.
Deadline reports that as early as March 2020, the show was close to completing its first two episodes. Moreover, the first season will most likely feature 20 episodes.
“The Lord of the Rings” storyline
Set in the Second Age of Middle Earth, the whole series is a prequel to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movie trilogy. It will feature the events thousands of years before Tolkien’s original novel.
Notably, the J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel-based series is a spin-off and will focus on the time when Sauron created the One Ring to rule over the other Rings of Power. The map released by Amazon via their Twitter profile will feature the Isle of Numenor, home to Aragorn’s ancestors.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. #LOTRonPrime pic.twitter.com/7TuQh7gRPD
— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) March 7, 2019
Thus, the return of The Lord of the Rings to the small screens creates excitement for the avid fans of the movie.
Cast and their roles
Robert Aramayo landed the lead role for the series. Joining him are Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Tom Budge, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Ema Horvath, Joseph Mawle, and a lot more. There is no mention of the characters they would be playing.
Additionally, in July 2020, showrunners have confirmed that Markella Kavenagh is joining the troop and that she would play the character of Tyra. Morfydd Clark is set to play the character of young royal Elf Galadriel.
Casting for extras was out of the ordinary. Producers were keen on hiring funny looking people, with deformities and, definitely, those that looked unusual.
Will there be a season 2?
Amazon bought the television rights to the Lord of the Rings for a whopping $250 million. The franchise also assured of a 5-season renewal with the provision for the issuance of formal green light for future seasons before production starts.
'The Lord of the Rings' series is expected to be the most expensive TV series of all-time, with Amazon expected to spend at least $1B on its production over 5 seasons! pic.twitter.com/7mtWaeMX2C
— The Lord of the Rings (@lordoftherigns) April 13, 2020
Despite the hiatus, executive producers did not consider the lost time as completely lost. Holed up in the Sta. Monica writer’s rooms, producers were busy generating exciting material for the second installment of the show.
Although the five-season plan is already confirmed, the storyline remains to be a mystery for now. The second season was formally ordered in November 2019.
Image Courtesy of Men of the West/YouTube Screenshot