Amazon Hires 'Star Trek' Writers for Upcoming 'Lord of the Rings' Series

In late November of last year, Amazon announced it was working on turning J. R. R. Tolkien’s famed The Lord of the Rings novels into a TV series. Set to run five seasons long, Amazon has just named the showrunners for its Lord of the Rings series, two writers from Star Trek: Beyond and Godzilla vs. Kong.

According to Deadline, newcomers JD Payne and Patrick McKay will co-write the series based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s famed fantasy epic. “The rich world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is filled with majesty and heart, wisdom and complexity,” read a joint statement from Payne and McKay. “We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Amazon to bring it to life anew. We feel like Frodo, setting out from the Shire, with a great responsibility in our care — it is the beginning of the adventure of a lifetime.”

Though Peter Jackson, who directed the film adaptation, said he is not involved, Deadline states that, “conversations continue with Jackson about a potential involvement and about possibly filming the series on his sets in New Zealand.” The TV series is not expected to take place in the same world as Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, however Amazon previously stated it will “explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.” Amazon is reportedly paying around $250 million USD for the copyrights while the production costs are estimated to reach $500 million USD.

In related news, a new Lord of the Rings book, The Fall of Gondolin is releasing this year.