Deadline reports Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom director J. A. Bayona has been tapped to helm the first two episodes of Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series.
After stepping into the Jurassic Park universe as the helmer of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, J. A. Bayona will now lend his talent to Middle Earth, directing the first two episodes of the Lord of the Rings series. Furthermore, J. A. Bayona will serve as an executive producer on the Lord of the Rings series along with his producing partner Belén Atienza and the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom director made the following statement on joining the team of the Amazon show:
“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. 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.”
The writer’s room for the Lord of the Rings series is said to include talents such as Breaking Bad alumna Gennifer Hutchison and Game of Thrones veteran Bryan Cogman. Leading the Lord of the Rings writing team will be JD Payne and Patrick McKay, who expressed their excitement over seeing Jurassic World‘s J. A. Bayona bring his style to the series:
“We are thrilled to have J.A. and Belén joining the fellowship as we continue to develop this epic series. We have been great admirers of J.A.’s work for years, and know that his epic, cinematic and deeply heartfelt aesthetic is the perfect sensibility to bring Middle-earth to life anew.”
Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios, also commented on why Jurassic World‘s J. A. Bayona is perfectly suited to helm entries in the Lord of the Rings series:
“The scope and breadth of J.A.’s world-building is exactly the right fit for our ambitions for The Lord of the Rings. 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 JD Payne and Patrick McKay, and we can’t think of a better way to begin this journey to Middle-earth.”
While Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was not well-received by critics, the film earned a worldwide total of $1.3 billion and critics commended J. A. Bayona for incorporating horror-style visuals in the latest entry of the franchise.
Full details on Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series are currently unknown, though it is reported to be before the events of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring during the Second Age of Middle-Earth. The Lord of the Rings series is produced by Amazon Studios in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins and New Line Cinema.
Amazon has not announced a released date for the Lord of the Rings series.
Source: Deadline
