Spanish director JA Bayona will direct the Lord of the Rings Amazon TV series set to be filmed in New Zealand.
The Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom director will direct the first two episodes of the show, which is set in the world created by JRR Tolkien and adapted into films by Sir Peter Jackson.
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Bayona made a name for himself with 2007 horror movie The Orphanage, which was executive produced by Guillermo del Toro - who himself was set to direct The Hobbit films for part of their production.
"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 published by Deadline, which broke the story.
"I can't wait to take audiences around the world to Middle-earth and have them discover the wonders of the Second Age, with a never before seen story."
A spokesperson for Amazon Studios added that Bayona's "world-building is exactly the right fit for our ambitions for The Lord of the Rings".
New Zealand will be the primary filming location of the $1.5 billion production after the Government reassured Amazon it's safe to film here despite the Christchurch terror attack, according to reports.
The Amazon series is expected to premiere in 2021.
Newshub.
