Amazon's Lord of the Rings: J. A. Bayona to Direct Series
"A wizard is never late, nor is he early."
Amazon's upcoming The Lord of the Rings TV series has found its director.
Juan Antonio (J.A.) Bayona, known for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, will direct the first two episodes of the J.R.R. Tolkien adaptation. Bayona will also executive produce along with his producing partner, Belén Atienza.
The series will be set in Middle Earth and will follow new narratives that come before the years explored in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, specifically, known as the Second Age.
“J.R.R. Tolkien created one of the most extraordinary and inspiring stories of all time, and as a lifelong fan it is an honor and a joy to join this amazing team,” Bayona said. “I can’t wait to take audiences around the world to Middle-earth and have them discover the wonders of the Second Age, with a never before seen story.”
JD Payne and Patrick McKay are the lead writers for the series, and the writing room is rumored to have Gennifer Hutchison from Breaking Bad, and Bryan Cogman from Game of Thrones as well.
"The scope and breadth of J.A.’s world-building is exactly the right fit for our ambitions for The Lord of the Rings," Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios said. "He’s a passionate and collaborative director who has brought new stories to life with his multitalented producing partner, Belén. We are all excited for them to join our writers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, and we can’t think of a better way to begin this journey to Middle-earth."
To find out all of the details we know about Amazon's The Lord of the Rings series adaptation, read our feature on what the series will be about, including young characters we will see, like Aragorn – and what Middle Earth's Second Age will look like with potential battles and wars.
Jessie Wade is the Homepage Editor at IGN and is a mixture between a Hobbit and Wood Elf. Chat with her on Twitter @jessieannwade about all things Tolkien.
