Amazon’s “Lord of the Rings” series is moving forward with a second season, TheWrap has confirmed.
The production is set to take a four-to-five month hiatus after filming the first two episodes of Season 1, during which time showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay and the show’s writing team will begin mapping out the story for Season 2.
The newly extended Season 1 hiatus will span until the end of the winter season in New Zealand, where the show is filmed.
The series, which remains untitled, is set in the Middle-Earth of the Oscar-winning film franchise and will take place in the period before the events of the first film, “The Fellowship of the Ring.” The show’s cast includes “Bandersnatch” star Will Poulter, “Game of Thrones” alum Joseph Mawle and Markella Kavenagh.
Amazon first acquired the rights to adapt “The Lord of the Rings” for streaming back in 2017, a deal which included a multi-season commitment and the potential for an additional spinoff series. The formal pick-up makes good on the commitment to commission additional seasons of the show.
As previously announced, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” director J.A. Bayona has signed on to direct the first two episodes of the big-budget series, also serving as an executive producer alongside Payne and McKay, as well as his producing partner Belén Atienza.
Additional executive producers are Lindsey Weber, Bruce Richmond, Gene Kelly, Sharon Tal Yguado, Gennifer Hutchison, Jason Cahill and Justin Doble.
The series is produced in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins and New Line Cinema, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment.
Deadline first reported the news.