AMAZON STUDIOS ANNOUNCES CREATIVE TALENT BEHIND THE NEW "THE LORD OF THE RINGS" SERIES

Meet our Fellowship. pic.twitter.com/Npouu6ZlRt

— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) July 27, 2019

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., July 27, 2019 - Amazon Studios today announced the creative team overseeing the new Amazon Original series based on stories from the iconic The Lord of the Rings novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, led by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay. The team joins previously announced filmmaker J.A. Bayona (The Orphanage, Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom), who will direct the first two episodes and also serve as executive producer, alongside his partner Belén Atienza.

The team announced today includes: executive producers Lindsey Weber (10 Cloverfield Lane), Bruce Richmond (Game of Thrones), Gene Kelly (Boardwalk Empire) and Sharon Tal Yguado; writer/executive producer Gennifer Hutchison (Breaking Bad); writer/executive producer Jason Cahill (The Sopranos) writer/executive producer Justin Doble (Stranger Things); consulting producers Bryan Cogman (Game of Thrones) and Stephany Folsom (Toy Story 4); producer Ron Ames (The Aviator); writer/co-producer Helen Shang (Hannibal), and writing consultant Glenise Mullins.

Also announced today are costume designer Kate Hawley (Suicide Squad); Academy Award-winning production designer Rick Heinrichs (Star Wars: The Last Jedi); Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor Jason Smith (The Revenant); Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey; and renowned illustrator/concept artist John Howe.

Said McKay and Payne: "This team is our Fellowship - assembled from around the world, all walking the road together to try and accomplish something far greater than any of us could on our own. We feel humbled and extremely lucky to be surrounded by such inspiring and talented women and men."

"As our journey into Middle-earth begins, we are in excellent hands with J.D. and Patrick at the helm, with this incredible team of talent that they've assembled," said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. "The depth and breadth of the experience of this writing and production team is truly awesome, with a real respect for and knowledge of Tolkien lore. We're so happy to have them on board and to see this exciting series start to come to life."

Set in Middle-earth, the television adaptation will explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring. A world-renowned literary work, and winner of the International Fantasy Award and Prometheus Hall of Fame Award, The Lord of the Rings novels was named Amazon customers' favorite book of the millennium in 1999 and Britain's best-loved novel of all time in BBC's The Big Read in 2003. Its theatrical adaptations, from New Line Cinema and Director Peter Jackson, earned a combined gross of nearly $6 billion worldwide and garnered a combined 17 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.