'The Lord of the Rings' series: What do we know?
What's the story
Amazon's reply to HBO's Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings is one of the most-awaited shows. Recently, they shifted their production base from New Zealand to UK. The exact filming location remain under wraps. The reason behind this is a "strategy to expand its UK production footprint," but rumors are rife that the island country's strict COVID-19 rules might have triggered this.
Information
New Zealand's strict COVID-19 rules the reason for shift?
To note, the government of New Zealand is not planning to open the border until 2022. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that the country will not open to international visitors till 100% vaccination is done, which is expected to take place by 2021 end.
Budget
This series is the most expensive TV show deal
So, if the team shoots in that country, they won't be able to meet their family for a pretty long time. Coming back to the untitled series, the five-season long show has cost Amazon a stunning $1 billion! This makes the show, based on JRR Tolkien's novel, the most expensive deal for a TV outing. Filming for the first season wrapped early this month.
Casts
Two 'GoT' actors join the cast; Tom Budge steps back
Robert Aramayo and Joseph Mawle, both of who played Starks in GoT, have been signed for LOTR series. Moreover, Morfydd Clark has been positioned as Galadriel's young version in the show. Australian actor Tom Budge, who was roped in with many others, have backed out. Detailing the reason behind the move, he said that the platform was going in "another direction with the character."
Direction
First season will consist of eight episodes
The season one will have eight episodes. The runtime of each might be close to an hour. A trio of international filmmakers will helm the entire season. The Orphanage, The Impossible, and A Monster Calls creator JA Bayona will be behind the first two episodes, while British filmmaker Wayne Che Yip will tailor the next four. Charlotte Brandstrom will wrap up the series.
Premiere
'The Lord of the Rings' premieres on September 2, 2022
The Lord of the Rings, set thousands of years "before the events of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings," will take viewers to the era where kingdoms "rose to glory and fell to ruin." As mentioned before, the first season is done with its filming. The second season will start soon. It is slated to premiere on September 2, 2022.