Amazon officially reveal Welsh-dominated line-up for new Lord of the Rings series
Amazon have officially announced a Welsh-dominated lineup of actors for their new Lord of the Rings Series, which is reportedly the most expensive ever made.
Welsh speakers Owain Arthur, Morfydd Clark and Trystan Gravelle are among the actors included, with Lloyd Owen (London-born to Welsh parents) also part of the cast. Filming wrapped in New Zealand on August 2nd.
So far the exact details of the cast and plot for the $465 million series have been kept under wraps, with only a rumoured cast and synopsis. But the first teaser image published by Amazon suggested that at least part of the story will take place during the First Age of Middle Earth – with the well-known movies taking place in the Third.
Morfydd Clark from Penarth is rumoured to be playing a young Galadriel, acted by Cate Blanchett in the movies. Many characters are however expected to be new additions rather than author JRR Tolkien’s own creations.
Clark had previously hinted that a number of other Welsh speakers had also joined the cast, saying that she was “very lucky there are two people in the cast and a costume designer who speak Welsh. But I am missing speaking Welsh”.
Owain Arthur from Bangor has previously appeared in S4C’s Welsh language 35 Diwrnod and Y Gwyll, and Trystan Gravelle from Trimsaran has appeared in A470 and Caerdydd.
Amazon revealed the show will debut September 2, 2022 on their Prime Video service.
Amazon Studios Head Jennifer Salke said: “I can’t express enough just how excited we all are to take our global audience on a new and epic journey through Middle-earth! Our talented producers, cast, creative, and production teams have worked tirelessly in New Zealand to bring this untold and awe-inspiring vision to life.”
Amazon added: “Beginning in a time of relative peace, thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.”
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
Makes sense, since most of Middle Earth is based on North Wales (Rohan and Gondor) and Shropshire (where the Hobbits live), and Mordor on Birmingham.
Backs up what I have always said. Welsh actors should never rely on BBC. Unless produced by BBC Cymru, Welsh actors on BBC either have to play English, or be relegated to playing thick dole fodder or smack heads.
Act ANYWHERE but the UKBIN
If it is being filmed in Wales I am available…
Chris did you come across the film Happy Now with Ewan Griffith and Alison Steadman, Robert Pugh and the late, great Om Puri? It kind of got parked when Ewan moved to LA and stardom, it should be a cult film
Ioan Gruffudd I think you mean…
henoed sorry ioan forgive me
Most of Middle Earth was based on the English Midlands, where Tolkien grew up. The sprawling industrialisation of Birmingham was indeed the inspiration for Mordor. There’s very little evidence that Middle Earth was based on Wales.
Olavinlinna in Finland would be a good site for certain stuff, and some of the beauties I have seen there just walking down a street. Suomi and Cymraeg were used by Tolkein?
Google Olavinlinna and see what you think.
“Many characters are however expected to be new additions rather than author JRR Tolkien’s own creations”
So not really Tolkien but a money-making spin-off. There is huge material in Tolkien’s own works outside of Hobbit and Lord of the Rings but these greedy exploiters cannot be bothered with that. Well, I will not bother to watch their second-rate offering.
I will! Tolkien’s works still exist. Let’s face it, Peter Jackson wrung 3 long movies out of The Hobbit, that was little more than a Novella.
People get too precious about movies not being exactly like how books were in their minds.
The recent BBC adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s Guards Guards (called ”The Watch” and had the anti-Woke reich PMSing in their panties) was BARELY recognisable from the source material. But I sort of enjoyed it and the book still exists.
The series is set in the Second Age. It is not a remake of the Lord of the Rings.
It’s great that there are Welsh actors in this new series, though I don’t think 4 of them makes it “Welsh-dominated”. It has a cast and crew of hundreds!
It only takes a small number of Welsh to dominate.
Doesn’t bode well if they’ve made a lot of it up. Tolkein wrote more than enough material for great films. Not a remake but a rehash,
It’s not a remake. It’s set in the Second Age (3000-6000 years before The Lord of the Rings).
But, and to quote “Many characters are however expected to be new additions rather than author JRR Tolkien’s own creations.” As I said, not a remake. But Tolkein wouldn’t be keen on it.