First actor in Amazon's Lord of the Rings series cast

Australian star Markella Kavenagh is the first actor to be roped in to join the cast of Amazon's much-awaited Lord of the Rings series. The actor, who has featured in shows such as Romper Stomper, The Cry and Picnic at Hanging Rock, will portray the role of Tyra, details of which will be revealed later. This follows last week's announcement that JA Bayona, director of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, will helm the first two episodes of the new show.

The series, based on JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings franchise, is set in the Second Age, which is when the Rings of Power were forged. The series is expected to focus on the rise and fall of men in Numenor as well as the founding of Mordor, based on the map of Middle-Earth that Amazon had earlier released. 

The series is written by Patrick McKay and JD Payne, who are writing the next Star Trek movie as well as the upcoming Dwayne Johnson-starrer Jungle Cruise. They are supported by Bryan Cogman (Game of Thrones),  Gennifer Hutchinson (Breaking Bad) and JA Bayona as consultants. Amazon, along with the Estate of JRR Tolkien, Harper Collins and New Line Cinema are producing the multi-season series.