The first season of Amazon’s much-anticipated series adaptation of The Lord of the Rings isn’t even in production yet. The series is currently in pre-production in New Zealand, where the show will be filmed. But whatever Amazon has seen of what’s been developed so far has given them all of the confidence necessary to move forward with an early greenlight for season two.

Shortly after we found out that Amazon was in talks for a Lord of the Rings TV series back in 2017, it was confirmed that they had reached a deal and had committed to a multiple-season adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien‘s classic work. So seeing that season two has been greenlighted, even this early, is not all that surprising. But according to reports their multiple-season commitment didn’t necessarily guarantee a second season—understandable, considering the mind-boggling mountains of coin that would be required to produce the five seasons Amazon committed to—and an official greenlight was still needed.

Midsommar
Blu-ray | DVD | Digital
Director: Ari Aster
Writer: Ari Aster
Cast: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren, Archie Madekwe, Ellora Torchia, Will Poulter
Distributor: Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Release Date: October 8, 2019

If there was a movie that could epitomize living through a great tragedy while being in a toxic relationship, it would have to be Ari Aster‘s ambitious film Midsommar. An unconventional horror to say the least, the film is a slow burn that scares you at just the right moments, and then hits you even harder when you least expect it. Though that slow burn pacing may backfire, there is more than enough from Aster’s deft hand direction and star Florence Pugh’s performance to grab the audience’s attention and never let go. My full Blu-ray review of Midsommar here below.

Amazon has settled on a location for their massive adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien‘s epic tale The Lord of the Rings, and it’s a familiar place to fans.

Amazon Studios has announced that the series will be filmed in New Zealand, where Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings film trilogy and much of his Hobbit trilogy were shot. The series is currently in pre-production, and production is expected to kick off in Auckland, New Zealand sometime in the coming months.

Casting has begun on Amazon’s massive Lord of the Rings series based on J.R.R. Tolkien‘s classic books, and one of the lead roles has now been filled.

It’s being reported that Will Poulter has joined the show as one of the main characters, though it has not yet been revealed which character that is. Poulter is known for his work in Son of Rambow, We’re the Millers, The Maze Runner, The Revenant, Detroit, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, and the recent Midsommar among others.

Midsommar
Director: Ari Aster
Writer: Ari Aster
Cast: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren, Archie Madekwe, Ellora Torchia, Will Poulter
Distributor: A24
Rated R | Minutes: 147
Release Date: July 3, 2019

Hereditary writer and director Ari Aster‘s Midsommar reminds us that, even though his films are redefining the genre, they aren’t for everybody. For his sophomore effort, he creates a world that on the surface looks bright and colorful, but deep down, hides something that is bizarre, strange, and visceral.

It is certainly a stark contrast to what he offered in his directorial debut in terms of vision and tone, but one that can be imbalanced because of its use of black comedy and an uneven narrative. Still, it is one trip that isn’t conventional and scares audiences to their core with the use of shocking imagery and terrific pacing. Check out my review below.