J.A. Bayona To Direct Amazon’s ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ Series

Amazon has hired the architect of their upcoming project focused on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. According to Deadline, J.A. Bayona has been tapped to direct the first two episodes of the currently in-devlopment The Lord of the Rings series.

“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 explained. “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.”

Bayona is best known for helming the fifth installment in the Jurrasic Park franchise, Jurrasic World: Fallen Kingdom. His other directing credits include the 2007 horror film The Orphanage and A Monster Calls, starring Sigourney Weaver, Liam Neeson, and Felicity Jones, as well as two episodes of Showtime’s Penny Dreadful.

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“The scope and breadth of J.A.’s world-building is exactly the right fit for our ambitions for The Lord of the Rings,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “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.”

Bayona will executive produce The Lord of the Rings alongside his producing partner Belén Atienza. The series will be written by JD Payne and Patrick McKay.

What do you hope to see in Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings series? Are you excited by J.A. Bayona’s hiring? Let us know in the comments below!