Amazon’s ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Series Finds New Lead In ‘Game Of Thrones’ Star Robert Aramayo

There’s now a second link between Amazon’s upcoming Lord of the Rings series and Game of Thrones, the smash HBO hit that’s desperately missed by so many fantasy fans. According to Deadline, Game of Thrones star Robert Aramayo has been cast as the lead in Amazon’s highly-anticipated LotR series for its online streaming service.

Aramayo will be replacing Will Poulter (The Maze Runner), who had to drop out of the series due to scheduling conflicts. When Poulter was attached to the show, his character was described as a “young hero” named Beldor. It was previously reported that another familiar face from Game of Thrones, Joseph Mawle, would be starring as a character named Oren, the series’ main villain. Mawle played hero Benjen Stark on Game of Thrones.

In Game of Thrones, Aramayo didn’t get a ton of screentime, but the 27-year-old British actor did play one of the show’s key characters in some of its most revelatory scenes. He appeared as the younger version of Sean Bean’s character, Ned Stark, in flashbacks that divulged important details about Ned’s past. These revelations impacted the entire trajectory of the series. Interestingly, Bean has also played a Lord of the Rings character. He starred as Fellowship of the Ring member Boromir in Peter Jackson’s trilogy of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic series of novels.

Aramayo’s star has definitely been on the rise. In addition to appearing on Game of Thrones, he had a small role on the popular Netflix series Mindhunter. He played Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. on that series, a character based on the real-life serial killer. Aramayo will also appear in the upcoming Netflix miniseries Behind the Eyes.

In response to Aramayo’s casting, many Twitter users predicted that he’ll be playing a younger version of Bean’s LotR character. However, while Amazon’s series will be set during a time period before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring, Boromir does not appear on The Hollywood Reporter‘s current list of characters and cast members. According to the list, His Dark Materials star Morfydd Clark will play a younger version of Galadriel, Cate Blanchett’s powerful elf character from the LotR saga and The Hobbit film series. Australian actress Markella Kavenagh (Picnic at Hanging Rock) has reportedly been cast as the series’ female lead, a character named Tyra. However, it should be noted that Amazon has not yet confirmed any casting reports.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series will be shot in New Zealand. It’s expected to be the most expensive series ever made, with a budget of over $1 billion. No release date has been announced, but Amazon has already renewed the series for a second season.