'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings Of Power' Undergoes Major Casting Change For Season 2

As reported by The Blast, "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" already kicked off its production for Season 2 earlier in October. However, it looks like the series is already undergoing some big casting changes and additions for its new season. As announced by Amazon, the role of the Orc leader, Adar, has been recast for the show for Season 2, with original actor Joseph Mawle ("Game of Thrones," "Ripper Street") exiting the series.

Taking over for Mawle as Adar in Season 2 is actor Sam Hazeldine ("The Witcher," "Peaky Blinders"). Mawle issued a statement on his Twitter account earlier commenting on the news.

Mawle wrote, "I loved my time exploring middle earth and diving into Tolkien’s mythology. I’m so honored that the character was liked." The actor continued, "He cared deeply about telling you his story. Though as an actor it remains my wish, my job description is to explore new characters and worlds. Wishing all the best to cast and crew for S2, I’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines."

https://twitter.com/realjosephmawle/status/1598380117872545818

No reasoning for Mawle's exit is clear at the moment. The character he portrayed, Adar, was an original creation for the series who does not appear in the lore of "The Lord of the Rings" books or author J. R. R. Tolkien's mythology for "Middle-earth."

In the series, Adar is one of the first elves corrupted by Morgoth and is seen as a "father" of the Orcs.

On top of Mawle's exit, the series has added a group of new cast members for the upcoming second season. Joining the show are Gabriel Akuwudike ("Hanna," "Ridley Road"), Yasen "Zates" Atour ("The Witcher," "Young Wallander"), Ben Daniels ("The Crown," "The Exorcist," "House of Cards"), Amelia Kenworthy, Nia Towle ("Persuasion," "The Ocean at the End of the Lane"), and Nicholas Woodeson ("Rome," "Paddington 2").

There is no word yet on their roles for Season 2. The show was a massive, costly gamble for Amazon, with two seasons of the show costing a reported $1 billion. Deadline reported that the first season had a budget of $465 million, on top of a $250 million cost to the Tolkien Estate to license the rights.

The show did draw big numbers following its September 1 premiere in the United States, drawing 1.25 billion minutes of viewing time, outdrawing streaming viewers for HBO's "House of the Dragon" for that week.

According to an announcement by Amazon Studios Head of Global Television Vernon Sanders, the first season of the series is the top "Original" series for Prime Video in every region and has drawn more than 100 million viewers across the globe.

The series details the realm of Middle-earth during its Second Age set thousands of years before the events of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" book trilogy. The first season of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" is now available to stream in full on Amazon Prime Video.