Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' Sets First Cast Member

Australian actress Markella Kavenagh has been cast in Amazon's Lord of the Rings series, becoming the first person to sign onto the streamer's mega-budgeted adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's works.

Details of her role are being kept under wraps, but she'll play a character named Tyra in the show, sources confirm to The Hollywood Reporter. Amazon paid $250 million in 2017 for the rights to Lord of the Rings in a deal with the Tolkien estate, publisher HarperCollins and New Line, which released Peter Jackson's LOTR films.

Amazon declined comment.

The show is set in Middle-earth's Second Age, when the titular Rings of Power were created and evil Lord Sauron came to power. JD Payne and Patrick McKay (Star Trek 4, Jungle Cruise) are developing the story, and J.A. Bayona (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) is set to direct the first two episodes. Bayona and producing partner Belén Atienza will also serve as executive producers.

The series has a multi-season commitment from Amazon to air on its global Prime Video streaming platform, which had been actively searching for a show on the scale of Game of Thrones.

Kavenagh's credits include Picnic at Hanging Rock, BBC miniseries The Cry and Romper Stomper, a series sequel to the 1992 Eric Bana film. She is repped by Silver Lining Entertainment.

Variety first reported the news.

Source: www.hollywoodreporter.com