A LORD of the Rings actress has called for a female Gandalf in the new TV series as she claims "magical powerhouses are women".

A prequel to the JRR Tolkein books is currently in the works at Amazon Prime.

5 A Lord of the Rings actress has called for a female Gandalf in the new TV series Credit: New Line

New Zealand actress Robyn Malcom, who played a Rohirrim woman in Peter Jackson movie The Two Towers, believes the show should introduce a female Gandalf.

The character was played by Sir Ian McKellen in the original trilogy before he reprised the role for The Hobbit series of movies.

But speaking to Stuff, Robyn said: "Those old legends, those old mythical stories, they’re so based within a patriarchal landscape.

"Why not look at the magic of a matrilineal world, where the magical powerhouses are women?"

5 Robyn Malcom played a Rohirrim woman in Peter Jackson movie The Two Towers Credit: Getty Images - Getty

5 Sir Ian McKellen played the wizard in the Peter Jackson film trilogies Credit: New Line

Robyn had some big suggestions when it came to which actress could take on the wizard role, saying: "If you need a big star and somebody that everybody knows and everybody already thinks of in Ian McKellen terms, then of course you go to Dame Judi [Dench] or Eileen Atkins or Maggie Smith."

Arguing her case further, she added: "We've had female Hamlets, why not?"

The Lord of the Rings prequel series has been touted as the next Game of Thrones, so it's no surprise it has signed some of its writers for the project as well as from Breaking Bad.

Amazon won the rights to produce at least five seasons of the show back in 2017, which should be easy to do considering the sheer volume of material in the Tolkien books.

5 The Amazon Prime series will focus on the 3,441-year period before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring which is known as the Age of Númenor

The series will be set during the 3,441-year period before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring which is known as the Age of Númenor, or the Second Age.

Amazon Studios boss Jennifer Salke previously revealed production on the series will start in 2020 and will be filmed in New Zealand - just like the Peter Jackson films.

There has been no official confirmations regarding the cast, but British actor Will Poulter has been tipped to play a lead character called Beldor.

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5 Sir Ian hasn't ruled himself out of returning as Gandalf

Reports also suggest Australian actress Markella Kavenagh will play another lead character called Tyra.

Sir Ian hasn't ruled himself out of returning as Gandalf for the TV series either, telling Graham Norton back in 2017: "I haven’t said yes because I haven’t been asked.

"But are you suggesting that someone else is going to play it? Gandalf is over 7,000 years old, so I’m not too old.”

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