Lord Of The Rings TV Show Loses Will Poulter

Amazon's big-budget and highly anticipated Lord of the Rings TV show has lost one of its top-billed actors. Variety reports that Will Poulter is leaving the project due to scheduling conflicts. Amazon never confirmed reports that Poulter--who starred in The Maze Runner series, Bandersnatch, and Midsommar--had joined the show in the first place.

However, it was widely reported that Poulter was among the first cast members to sign on for the project. Variety reports that Amazon is now looking for his replacement. It is unknown what role he was playing on the Amazon TV show.

Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Maxim Baldry, and Ema Horvath are also reportedly signed on for roles on the show, though, again, Amazon has said nothing official as of yet.

The new Lord of the Rings show is being written by JD Payne and Patrick McKay, with former Game of Thrones series producer Bryan Cogman also contributing to the program. Jurassic World: Forbidden Kingdom director JA Bayona is set to direct the first two episodes of Season 1, which is filming in New Zealand. In November, Amazon announced that the untitled show was renewed for a second season.

Plot details for the show are being kept under wraps, but Amazon has confirmed it is set in the Second Age, which is the multiple thousand year period that covered major events like the forging of the Rings of Power, including the One Ring. It also covers the War of Sauron, the beginning of the Ringwraiths, and when the island Numenor sank into the ocean. The Second Age was also when the Elven city of Rivendell was developed, and when the first battle where men, elves, and dwarves fought together for the first time against Sauron.

In other news, a new Lord of the Rings video game focused on Gollum is in development at Daedalic Entertainment, while a new Lord of the Rings MMO Is coming from Amazon.