J.A. Bayona is directing and producing Amazon's "Lord of the Rings" Series

LotR is one of my favorite film series (along with JP obviously), and I think Bayona is a strong storyteller and visualist, so this seems like a strong combo to me!

J.A. Bayona to direct LotR first 2 episodes and executive produce series

Giving his experience on The Impossible and Fallen Kingdom, no wonder they choose him for a series that will probably deal at one point with the Akallabeth (the destruction and submersion of Numenor).

The only thing missing is BDH as the last queen of this insular realm, Tar-Míriel (http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tar-M%C3%ADriel)   LoL

Liam Neeson (from "A Monster Calls") as Ar-Pharazon the Golden?

I don't know. Since the series will probably span over several decades if not centuries in the case where the show creators want to depict all the main events of the second age (The crafting of the rings of power, War between Sauron and the Elves in Eregion, Numenorean imperaliasm, Sauron bending the knee to Pharazon...), I think they will more likely pick up an actor in his thirties or forties for the role of Ar-Pharazon and age him over the course of the series (just like they did for Travis Fimmel in Vikings).