When Game of Thrones ended back in May, it left behind a huge vacuum that needs to be filled. Several TV series have debuted in the same genre as contenders, and some of them have been quite good. HBO launched His Dark Materials and Watchmen this past fall, and Amazon’s Carnival Row was released even before that. Winter then came with the first season of The Witcher, which might be the best Thrones alternative of the bunch. However, there’s one other Thrones rival that has the potential to become the most exciting Game of Thrones replacement. That’s Amazon’s Lord of the Rings TV series that’s currently in production, and the main cast was just confirmed.
The new TV series will serve as a prequel to the first Lord of the Rings trilogy, and it’s based on a different period of adventures from J.R.R Tolkien’s rich Middle-earth universe. It’s too early to discuss plot details or spoilers though, because the show hasn’t even started shooting.
At TCA this week, Amazon just revealed the main cast of the series. Per Deadline, the cast includes Robert Aramayo (Behind Her Eyes), Owain Arthur (The One and the Only Ivan), Nazanin Boniadi (Hotel Mumbai), Tom Budge (The Proposition), Morfydd Clark (His Dark Materials), Ismael Cruz Córdova(Mary Queen of Scots), Ema Horvath (Like.Share.Follow), Markella Kavenagh (The Cry), Joseph Mawle (Game of Thrones), Tyroe Muhafidin (Two Sands), Sophia Nomvete (Vice Versa), Megan Richards (Wanderlust), Dylan Smith (I Am The Night), Charlie Vickers (Medici: Masters of Florence) and Daniel Weyman (Great Expectations).
“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,” showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay said in a statement. “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.”
Interestingly, a few key roles have yet to be cast, but we have no idea what they are or which actors are being considered for them. Deadline says that shooting will start next month and table reads are already underway in New Zealand. For more details about the Lord of the Rings cast, check out Deadline’s coverage.
