Whenever we get new word about Amazon’s forthcoming Lord of the Rings-inspired television series, I always feel like Bilbo Baggins. I picture him sprinting with abandon from the sanctuary of his shire out into the perilous but exciting unknown of Middle-earth, screaming to his neighbors, “I’m going on an adventure!” For, what is a trip into the imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien (or the varied artists committing to bring said vision to life onscreen) if not an adventure in its own right?
And I do indeed feel that rousing sense of adventure today as I hear about the series’ latest casting announcements. Amazon has enlisted a great big batch of actors to star in the series, which will serve as a prequel of sorts to what we’ve seen thus far in terms of screen adaptation by whim of the dutiful Peter Jackson.
If you’ve been keeping your ear to the ground, you know that Robert Aramayo (young Ned Stark on Game of Thrones), Joseph Mawle (Benjen Stark on Game of Thrones), and Morfydd Clark (whom you can see presently on Netflix’s Dracula and HBO’s His Dark Materials) will be headlining the cast. No word yet on who Mawle will be playing, but Aramayo has been saddled to a character called (Aramayo’s character has been called “Beldor,” while Morfydd Clark has been said to be playing a young Galadriel, portrayed in Jackson’s films by the great Cate Blanchett.
Joining the project anew are the following names: Owain Arthur (of the hospital drama Casualty), Nazanin Boniadi (who has starred in TV shows like Scandal and Homeland and films like Bombshell), Tom Budge (most recently of the thriller Secret Bridesmaids’ Business), Ismael Cruz Córdova (Hector on Ray Donovan and Qin on The Mandalorian), Ema Horvath (most recently of The Mortuary Collection), Markella Kavenagh (most recently of True History of the Kelly Gang), Dylan Smith (the up-coming New York Film Fest favorite First Cow), Daniel Weyman (most recently Gentleman Jack), and newcomers Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, and Charlie Vickers. At present, who exactly the rest of these actors will be playing is still a great mystery.
In fact, that mystery bleeds into the very premise of the show. All we really know is that it’ll take place before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring, but that leaves a lot of room for possibility… and speculation! (One popular theory held that the series might follow the rise and fall of Númenor, though it’s been suggested as well that the story would take place closer to the events of Fellowship.)
Speaking on the search for talent, series producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay said, “After undertaking an extensive global search, we are delighted finally to reveal the first group of brilliant performers who will take part in Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings series. These exceptionally talented women and men are more than just our actors: they are the newest members of an ever-expanding creative family that is now working tirelessly to bring Middle-earth to life anew for fans and audiences worldwide.”
Keep your giant, flaming eye out for more Lord of the Rings news!
Featured Image: New Line Cinema