Amazon has made some headway on its Lord of the Rings television series by hiring JD Payne and Patrick McKay to develop the hotly-anticipated show. Payne and McKay most recently wrote a script for Star Trek 4, and Disney’s Jungle Cruise with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt.
“The rich world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is filled with majesty and heart, wisdom and complexity,” the duo said. “We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Amazon to bring it to life anew. We feel like Frodo, setting out from the Shire, with a great responsibility in our care — it is the beginning of the adventure of a lifetime.”
The series will take place in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth in the years before the first chapter of the fantasy trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring. Details surrounding the series are scarce, but it is said that it will feature characters that fans of the Middle-earth saga know and love. One rumour has said the focus will be on a young Aragorn during his days as a ranger.
Amazon’s original statement when they announced the series also stated they would focus on “previously unexplored stories based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s original writings”, as well as potential spin-offs, so its possible fans might see The Silmarillion or Beren and Lúthien in the new series.
The Lord of the Rings series likely won’t premiere on Amazon until 2021.
