Amazon’s Lord Of The Rings Series Adds JA Bayona As Director

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom director JA Bayona will be directing the first two episodes of Amazon Studios upcoming Lord of the Rings series. Bayona is best known for his work in cinematic marvels like The Orphanage, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and The Impossible. Now, he will put his creative forces to use to bring alive the world of the series based on JRR Tolkien's iconic fantasy novels The Lord of the Rings. 

"JRR Tolkien created one of the most extraordinary and inspiring stories of all time, and as a lifelong fan it is an honour and a joy to join this amazing team," Bayona said in a statement.  "I can't wait to take audiences around the world back to Middle-Earth and have them discover the wonders of the Second Age, with a never before seen story," he added.

Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios, feels "the scope and breadth of Bayona'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." 

This won’t be Bayona’s first time directing for TV – he also helmed the first two instalments of Penny Dreadful in 2014. More about the production and casting is expected to be announced soon.