With Amazon currently developing their hugely anticipated Lord of the Rings TV series, now comes word on who’ll be tasked with writing this new take on an all-time genre great.

Courtesy of their TCA panel, Amazon has announced that the duo of JD Payne and Patrick McKay have been brought in to pen the series. Payne and McKay have recently put together the screenplay for the upcoming Star Trek 4.

In an official statement from Payne and McKay, the pair enthused, “The rich world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is filled with majesty and heart, wisdom and complexity. We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Amazon to bring it to life anew. We feel like Frodo, setting out from the Shire, with a great responsibility in our care – it is the beginning of the adventure of a lifetime.”

This small-screen take on Lords of the Rings is expected to end up as the most expensive TV show in history by the time all is said and done, with the rumoured rights and production costs believed to be around the $500 million mark.

As ever, expect more on Lords of the Rings as it continues to develop.