Lord of the Rings Amazon Series Adds The Witcher Director

Amazon’s live-action Lord of the Rings TV series is smack in the middle of filming its insanely expensive first season, and it’s bringing on yet another prestigious director to join its creative team. On Thursday morning, Amazon Studios announced that Swedish-French director Charlotte Brändström is coming on as the third director of the series. Brändström’s work began this week this week in New Zealand and she will be directing two episodes of the series.

Brändström has worked on over 30 features and TV shows over the years, including episodes of shows like The Man in the High Castle, Outlander, The Witcher, and Jupiter’s Legacy. Brändström follows JA Bayona, director of the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings, and Wayne Che Yip, who helmed four episodes.

“I’m very excited to be guided through Middle-earth by JD’s and Patrick’s vision and immerse myself in the iconic world of J.R.R. Tolkien,” Brändström said in a statement. “It’s a great privilege to be in New Zealand to work with Amazon Studios’ outstanding ensemble of creative talents.”

“There are countless things still to see in Middle-earth, and great works to do,” the director added, quoting Gimli.

Here’s the official synopsis for the new Lord of the Rings series:

“Amazon Studios’ forthcoming series brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.”

J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay are the showrunners on Lord of the Rings, in addition to their roles as executive producers. Other EPs include Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, JA Bayona, Belen Atienza, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Bruce Richmond, and Sharon Tel Yguado. Wayne Che Yip co-executive produces and Christopher Newman serves as producer.

Are you looking forward to Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series? Let us know in the comments!