Amazon’s highly ambitious upcoming Lord of the Rings series is embarking on an unexpected journey. The fantasy series won’t air until September 2022, but Amazon has already announced plans for a second season, and on Thursday the studio revealed that in 2022 production will move from New Zealand to the UK.
It’s a surprising move, especially since New Zealand has been synonymous with Middle-earth since Peter Jackson filmed his trilogy of movies there 20 years ago. The first season of Lord of the Rings The Ring filming recently wrapped in New Zealand and pre-production on the second season is scheduled to begin in the U.K. in early 2022.
Amazon (“The Widow, Tell Me Your Secrets“) recently shared a first look at the series, which takes place during The Second Age of Middle-earth history, set centuries before the events of the movie. lord of the Rings. Plot details and possible familiar characters are still being kept under wraps, but the series is expected to focus on forging the One Ring and Sauron’s initial rise to power.
The announced cast of the series includes Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Charles Edwards, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman and Sara Zwangobani.
JD Payne and Patrick McKay serve as showrunners.
The Lord of the Rings series will air beginning September 2, 2022 on Amazon Prime Video.
