Amazon Has A New Lord Of The Rings Director

Amazon’s upcoming Lord of the Rings series has a lot of fans watching with equal parts fear and fascination. The news that the series would be taking place in the Second Age of Middle Earth, thousands of years before the Third Age, was encouraging because there’s no way it can intersect with the events of the trilogy, both the books and Peter Jackson’s movies. And now we have some more encouraging news: Charlotte Brändström has signed on as a new Lord of the Rings director for two episodes of the series. 

Who is the new Lord of the Rings Director 

You might recognize Brändström’s name from her recent work on The Witcher series on Netflix. Brändström directed two of the most memorable episodes in an already standout series: “Rare Species” and “Bottled Appetites,” or the episode with the dragons and the one where Geralt is sleepy Yennefer tries to absorb a Djinn. Brändström has also worked on a few episodes of Jupiter’s Legacy, The Man in the High Castle, and Madam Secretary so she has some great experience in fantasy and political depth. 

Image via Netflix

Overall, it sounds like Brändström is a great fit as a director for the new LOTR series, particularly one set in the Second Age which may deal with the rise of Sauron and the resurgence of evil in Middle Earth after the banishment of Morgoth and the end of the brutal war for the Silmarils. Essentially, the stakes in this series have the potential to be high, even if we know some of the characters who may be alive during the time this LOTR series takes place are alive in the events of the books. A lot of the stories and songs characters in the original series talk about are going to take place during this series, and it’s going to be really satisfying to see them come to life. 

Where we hope the series will go–literally 

One of the most beloved aspects of Middle Earth is also one of the most contentious and skimmed parts of the trilogy: the world building. Tolkien built such a full and fascinating world that, if you didn’t absolutely study the original trilogy, The Silmarillion, and every other tangential work, you might leave Middle Earth with a list of names and a vague awareness that there was a huge world you just couldn’t quite see. The synopsis of the upcoming series indicates we’ll get to see and see again some of the most interesting locations in Middle Earth, with specific mention of Númenor, the Misty Mountains, and the Elf-capital Lindon but hopefully many more beyond that. 

Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series has a lot of potential and a massive budget to back it up, and the synopsis seems like it could make for something uniquely satisfying. With Brändström at the helm for two of the episodes, we’re excited for what’s in store. 

As for the characters, unfortunately we won’t be seeing some old favorites like Gandalf, but he’ll be there in spirit. Literally. Gandalf is a Maiar, so he’s an actual spirit before he gets sent to Middle Earth as one of the five Wizards. 

What are your thoughts about Amazon’s LOTR series? Tell us below in the comments, and thanks for reading!

Featured image via Amazon

Jessica Kanzler is a freelance writer and editor who lives with her wife and cats. Jessica has bad taste in tv and an MA in Rhetoric, Writing, and Digital Media studies. Talk to her about Frasier on Twitter @Jessicaakanzler