Game Of Thrones Actor Gets Cast As Lead Villain In Lord Of The Rings Series

Amazon's Lord of the Rings series is coming along nicely.

Last week, word came out that Years and Years actor Maxim Baldry had been added to the cast list for the upcoming small-screen adaptation of JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Today, we've come to learn that Amazon has decided to tap Game of Thrones actor Joseph Mawle as the series' lead villain.

According to a report by Deadline, Amazon has just cast Joseph Mawle as The Lord of the Ring's Oren. We're not sure if the name is supposed to be a placeholder for a villain like Sauron, Morgoth or Saruman, however, it seems like the actor is meant to take on a major role in the series.

For those who aren't familiar with Mawle, the actor is best known for his Game of Thrones role as Benjen Stark, the brother of Ned Stark (Sean Bean) who had saved Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) beyond the Wall.

Mawle will be joining The Maze Runner's Will Poulter who's set to play the young hero Baldor and the acting newcomer Markella Kavenagh who's set to play Tyra. There aren't that many details about the series just yet, however, we're expecting more details to make their way online once the film begins production.

What's surprising is that none of the names given to the actors don't seem to hold any ties to previously established lore of Tolkien's Middle Earth. Either Amazon is using nicknames for its cast list, or the series is going to feature a completely original story. We wonder whether fans are going to like a show that deviates from its source material.

Amazon's The Lord of the Rings series has yet to receive a release date. We'll update everyone as soon as we get word.

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