Lord Of The Rings star axed from Amazon Prime Video prequel series after filming episodes

The upcoming Lord Of The Rings television series has axed one of its cast members after shooting the first episodes of the Amazon Prime Video show.

Tom Budge announced on social media that he had been dropped from the big-budget project, claiming that bosses decided to ‘go in another direction’.

It’s not yet known what character Tom had been cast as and how big his role played in the production.

Taking to Instagram to share the news, he wrote: ‘Hello loves, It is with great sadness that I am writing to tell you I have departed Amazon’s “Lord Of The Rings” television series.

‘After recently seeing the first episodes shot over the last year Amazon has decided to go in another direction with the character I was portraying…

‘I must thank the creative team for their encouragement towards trying something that I believed was new, exciting and beautiful.

‘And I sincerely thank the extraordinary cast and crew for their love, support and friendship over what has been a very difficult and unusual experience. Alas, some things just cannot be.

‘Destiny my mother, I thank thee.’

The news of Tom’s departure from the series comes two months after Amazon released the show’s synopsis.

‘Amazon Studios’ forthcoming series brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history,’ it reads.

‘This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.’

It continues: ‘Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.

‘From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.’

The Lord Of The Rings prequel has been shrouded in secrecy since it was announced way back in 2017.

It’s been claimed that the new series has a record-breaking $1billion (£736million) budget, making it the most expensive series of all time.

As it stands, no release date has been announced, but with filming appearing to be completed, fans could potentially see the show launch this year. 

Metro.co.uk has contacted Amazon Studios for comment.

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