We have breaking news from Amazon Prime’s upcoming Middle-earth streaming series that is bound to make every Tolkien fan sit up in their seats and take notice. The character of Galadriel has apparently been cast, and will have a significant role in their adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s unpublished and posthumously published writings, which detail the ancient histories of Middle-earth. Galadriel, who appears prominently in Tolkien’s works as a military commander and authority figure, was inevitably going to be a lead character in the series, but the casting is shockingly unexpected.
Morfydd Clark, a Welsh actress best known for her role in His Dark Materials, has apparently landed the coveted role of the immortal Elven lady portrayed by Cate Blanchett in Peter Jackson’s The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. Clark bears a striking resemblance to the ethereal Australian actress in whose footsteps she will follow, giving us a clear indication that Amazon Prime is looking to establish continuity between their new series and Jackson’s classic films.
The character of Galadriel, whom we will meet at a crucial point in her long and complicated life, is best known for her grace, elegance and patient wisdom, founded on centuries of experience fighting wars against the forces of darkness: but Galadriel is not all about moral purity and Elven excellence – in the Second Age of Middle-earth, when the Amazon series is set to take place, Galadriel is still recovering from the traumas of an age-long battle against the first great evil, Morgoth, and is seeking a new dominion in the wide, unclaimed expanses of Middle-earth after having turned down the forgiveness of the Gods for her part in aiding a rebellion against divine wisdom. The Galadriel whom we will meet in the show is bold, headstrong, and brash – nothing like the cool, collected woman we see in the Third Age.
How do you feel about this exciting new development? Share your thoughts in the comments below!