Lord of the Rings series bulks out Middle-earth cast with 20 new actors

The Lord of the Rings series has filled out its cast considerably. Twenty actors from around the world – including British comedians, Westworld alumni, and an actor who has recently starred alongside Ben Affleck on the big screen – are all set to join Middle-earth. Plus, there’s one very intriguing new cast member who has previous with the franchise.

Amazon Studios announced the mass influx of talent coming to The Lord of the Rings series, which is set during the Second Age of Middle-earth thousands of years before Frodo's journey to Mount Doom. We don’t know who each will be playing yet, but the likes of The Accountant actor Cynthia Addai-Robertson and Years and Years’ Maxim Baldry are joining the show, which is currently filming in – where else? – New Zealand.

Joining them is legendary British comedian Sir Lenny Henry (who has also appeared in Broadchurch in recent years) and Peter Mullan, best known to HBO fans for his role as James Delos in Westworld.

Now, deep breath: there’s plenty more. Ian Blackburn (Shelter), Kip Chapman (Top of the Lake), Anthony Crum (The Wild), Maxine Cunliffe (Power Rangers Megaforce), Tryston Gravelle (The Terror), Thusitha Jayasundera (Broadchurch), Fabian McCallum (You, Me & The Apocalypse), Simon Merrells (Good Omens), Geoff Morrell (Top of the Lake: China Girl), Lloyd Owen (The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles), Augustus Prew (Kick-Ass 2), Alex Tarrant (Tatau), Leon Wadham (Power Rangers Beast Morphers), Benjamin Walker (Jessica Jones), and Sara Zwangobani (Home and Away).

Last but not least is Peter Tait, who appeared in The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King as Shagrat, a Black Uruk who discovered Frodo after the Hobbit had been poisoned by Shelob. Could he be playing a similarly monstrous role? We’ll have to wait and see.

On the news, Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay said: “The world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is epic, diverse, and filled with heart. These extraordinarily talented performers, hailing from across the globe, represent the culmination of a multi-year search to find brilliant and unique artists to bring that world to life anew. The international cast of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings series is more than just an ensemble. It is a family. We are thrilled to welcome each of them to Middle-earth.”

Finally, it seems, the Lord of the Rings series is putting everything together. No release date yet for The One Binge to Rule Them All – but this is promising news for those hoping to hear something very soon. In the meantime, check out the best shows on Amazon Prime right now.