While it’s already in the works, it will be some time before The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 releases. Game of Thrones has had an enduring impact on the television industry, proving the interest in long-form fantasy TV shows. Studios and networks have naturally worked to fill the gap left by Game of Thrones‘ cancelation, and Amazon Studios’ The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power — inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s notes and appendices — has one of the biggest contenders.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings. The Prime Video series is an origin story of sorts for the One Ring forged by Sauron to rule them all, as covered briefly in the opening of The Fellowship Of The Ring. The Rings of Power Season 1 served as something of a “mystery box,” focusing on apparently original characters whose true identities were in fact deeply established in Tolkien’s lore. With those secrets now revealed, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will enter one of the most exciting periods in Middle-earth’s history.
Latest Rings of Power Season 2 News
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 began production in October 2022, but just as with the first season, Amazon is being secretive about what’s to come. The second season will see some changes, including the recasting of fallen elf Adar and a shift in filming locations as the Lord of the Rings franchise leaves its longtime home of New Zealand. Many new actors and characters will also be joining The Rings of Power for season 2. While few names have been confirmed, it is known that the ancient elf Cirdan will be one of the new faces. Amazon also revealed in December 2022 that The Rings of Power season 2 will, like season 1, will consist of 8 faster-paced episodes, and that this season will have an all-female directing team of Charlotte Brandstrom, Sanaa Hamri, and Louise Hooper.
The Rings Of Power Season 2 Is Currently In Production
Production on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 has already begun, although the Amazon Studios series has moved from New Zealand to the United Kingdom. Showrunner Patrick McKay explained this felt appropriate given Tolkien was “writing about his own backyard,” and it didn’t feel right to shoot on the other side of the globe. “Suffice to say,” he added, “in the story, in Tolkien’s world, journeys to other lands are a major recurring theme.” With that in mind, The Rings of Power season 1 ending with the Stranger (strongly hinted to be Gandalf) traveling to the never-before-seen lands of Rhûn in the east could be a hint most of the story will be set in new locations.
The Rings Of Power Season 2 Release Date
Viewers will likely have to wait a while to return to Middle-earth, and a 2023 release date is unlikely. According to McKay, production on The Rings of Power season 2 may take “another couple years“. The show operates on an epic scale that will take time to recreate, and hopefully, Amazon will choose not to pull back on the lavish visual effects, which will themselves take a considerable amount of time to make. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was the most expensive TV series ever made, with the first season alone costing a staggering $462 million, and it’s likely season 2 will be a similarly monumental effort.
What We Know About The Rings Of Power Season 2’s Story
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 will continue to tell the story of Middle-earth’s Second Age. Season 1 ended with the three elven rings forged at last, but with a major twist; it seems that, unlike in Tolkien’s novels, mithril is the key to making the rings. The forging of more rings will require more mithril, meaning the ongoing story of Khazad-dûm and the Balrog that lurks beneath the mines will surely be important.
Meanwhile, Gandalf is journeying to the lands of Rhûn, an area Tolkien never really explored, giving the writers and showrunner a great deal of room to maneuver. Few plot details have been confirmed, but there have been reports of a massive, two-episode-long battle sequence. This may well be instigated by Sauron, whose identity has been revealed and who will presumably take control of the Orcs in Mordor.
Rings of Power Season 2 Cast
It is expected that most of the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cast will return, including Morfydd Clarke as Galadriel, Markella Kavanaugh as Nori, and Robert Aramayo as Elrond. Amazon has also confirmed eight new names joining he cast in currently undisclosed roles, including Oliver Alvn-Wilson, Stuart Bowman, and William Chubb (via Deadline). Among the new cast members is Kevin Eldon, already experienced with high-fantasy settings thanks to his portrayal of Camello — the stage performer portraying Ned Stark seen by Arya — in Game of Thrones.
But the biggest casting news is the recasting of Adar, with Sam Hazeldine replacing Joseph Mawle in the villainous role. It is currently unknown whether the change in appearance will be part of Rings in Power season 2’s story or is simply a case of an actor becoming unavailable. Amazon’s Vernon Sanders didn’t offer much of an explanation when interviewed. While he lauded Mawle’s performance, the only explanation he could give was “unfortunately, it didn’t work out” (via Gamespot).
New Characters Who Can Join Rings Of Power Season 2
There have already been reports the Amazon TV show is looking to cast Cirdan, an Elven lord who becomes one of the Keepers of the Three Rings. Meanwhile, eyebrows were raised when Galadriel claimed her husband had been killed in season 1, episode 7, as that seems like a massive breach with Tolkien canon. However, in the scene Galadriel simply said it was the last time she ever saw him. Morgoth twisted at least one elf to his own purposes, Adar, and it’s possible he tried to do so with Galadriel’s husband, Celeborn.
Looking beyond this, it wouldn’t be a surprise to start seeing the people destined to become Nazgûl appear in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2. Tolkien named one of the Nazgûl “Khamûl The Easterling,” so it’s possible Gandalf’s journey east will mean he and Nori cross paths with that particular future Ringwraith. The journey east is sure to allow for a lot of original characters, making it very interesting to see what approach this story takes.
It’s Still Too Early To Judge Amazon’s Rings Of Power
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is one of the most expensive TV shows ever made, with hundreds of millions spent per season, and it’s clear that Amazon was hoping the series would be a major tent pole success and drive subscribers towards the Prime Video service. While all indications are that The Rings of Power season 1 garnered a lot of viewers, it was somewhat overshadowed by HBO’s own Game of Thrones follow-up, House of the Dragon.
Fan and critical response to The Rings of Power was also lukewarm, with praise for the prequel series’ visual achievements balanced by criticisms of its writing and deviations from Tolkien’s ideas. The Rings of Power season 2 could be under a lot of pressure to increase viewership numbers while winning over skeptics of Amazon’s version of Middle-Earth. Game of Thrones is itself an example of a show that took a few seasons to really become a crossover hit, so The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power could still find success as a slow-burn fantasy drama.
The New LotR Movie Isn’t Connected To Rings Of Power
Reports began circulating in early 2023 that a new trilogy of Lord of the Rings movies was in development. Casual viewers could be forgiven for thinking this is an extension of Amazon’s The Rings of Power. However, Rings of Power and the new Lord of the Rings movies aren’t connected. The upcoming LotR movies are coming from Warner Bros. and New Line, a continuation of Peter Jackson’s original trilogy and the three The Hobbit movies which followed. Amazon isn’t involved in any way, and the two projects share nothing beyond the spiritual kinship of both being Tolkien adaptations.
There is also speculation about what new LotR movies mean for The Rings of Power season 2. Amazon Studios’ Jennifer Salke has already spoken up on this, and isn’t worried about Rings of Power sharing the Tolkien fandom with a new feature-length trilogy. Speaking to Variety, Salke confidently stated “We love our original series. We’re extremely proud of it, and invested long term. So, we definitely think there’s enough fan love to sustain ours for a long time.” It’s clear that the creative team behind The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 welcomes the competition despite season 1 being received far less warmly than was expected, which is only a good sign of things to come.
