Lord of the Rings Rumor Indicates Amazon Series Could Include Sex Scenes

Amazon may be adding some unexpected nudity to Middle-earth in its upcoming Lord of the Rings television series. The massive project resumed filming in New Zealand in September after a pandemic-induced halt. Now a casting call has gone out for various actors, including those “comfortable with nudity.” The casting call from the BGT talent agency caught the eye of Lord of the Rings fansite TheOneRing.net. It reads, “Comfortable with Nudity? Up to $500 per day. Use reference NUDE. We need Nude people based in Auckland – age 18 plus, all shapes and sizes (Intimacy guidelines will always be followed on set).” The production also has an intimacy coordinator on its team, suggesting the series could include sex scenes.

This listing has some fans worrying that the Amazon show may be taking inspiration from HBO’s hit fantasy series Game of Thrones, which never shied away from sexual content.That fit in with George R.R. Martin’s lurid, dark, low fantasy world. It’d be less at home in the chaste, high-fantasy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Fans likely won’t know for sure until the series finally debuts.

In September, Morfydd Clark, who plays the elf Galadriel in the series, spoke to the production’s immense scale. “I feel like I’ve got my fix of the massive stuff by doing Lord of the Rings,” Clark said. “The amount of [people working] on this show is continually mind-blowing. One guy’s job consists just of seeing how dust reacts to footsteps and breath! That would never have even crossed my mind before. Other than something like Marvel, I don’t think things could get much bigger than this.”

Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series is a prequel to JRR Tolkien’s novels, taking place during the Second Age of Middle-earth, the era that ends with Sauron’s by an alliance of Men and Elves. Robert Aramayo plays the heroic Beldor opposite Joseph Mawle, as the show’s villain, Oren. The cast also includes Markella Kavenagh, Ema Horvath, and Maxim Baldry. In November, Amazon renewed the Lord of the Rings series for its second season ahead of production.

Amazon tasked Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom director J.A. Bayona with directing the pilot episode of the series. “JRR Tolkien created one of the most extraordinary and inspiring stories of all time, and as a lifelong fan it is an honor and a joy to join this amazing team,” said Bayona when the news broke. “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.”