Amazon hires Star Trek writers for its Lord of the Rings show

In an attempt to dominate the world of fantasy television, Amazon is making a fantastically expensive Lord of the Rings show, and it just took a big step forward. Speaking at the Television Critics Association press tour, Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke revealed the company has hired writers JD Payne and Patrick McKay to work in the writers room, per Deadline. Payne and McKay released this touchy-feeling statement:

"The rich world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is filled with majesty and heart, wisdom and complexity. We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Amazon to bring it to life anew. We feel like Frodo, setting out from the Shire, with a great responsibility in our care — it is the beginning of the adventure of a lifetime."

JD Payne and Patrick McKay are up-and-comers in the industry; their most noteworthy credits include work on 2016’s Star Trek: Beyond and an unnamed Star Trek sequel, as well as work on the upcoming Godzilla vs. Kong. Amazon selected the pair from a shortlist of candidates; J.J. Abrams himself may have put in a good word for them, according to Deadline. We’re also not 100% sure they’re showrunners — Salke was vague as to the particulars — but at the least, they’re the first among equals.

So the Lord of the Rings show is coming together, although we still don’t know exactly what it’s about; the prevailing rumor is that it will follow the adventures of a young Aragorn. We also don’t know if Peter Jackson, the guy behind the hugely popular movie trilogy, is involved.

Personally, I’m all for handing over the series to a new team. After all, it wasn’t so long ago that HBO let a pair of relative unknowns make Game of Thrones, and that turned out alright.

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h/t The Verge