The Rings of Power, a Middle-earth series on Amazon Prime, has given viewers a lot to discuss and anticipate with its magical combat and major plot twists. We need more of this immediately after the first season. Thankfully, Amazon Prime Video has extended one of the best fantasy shows in years with Rings of Power for a second season, and production on the next chapter of the epic narrative has already begun. That means Sauron, dwarves, elves, and maybe even a wizard or two will return to our TV screens in the not-too-distant future!
Keeping this in mind, The Digital Fix has donned its Tolkien hat and is now available to respond to any inquiries you may have regarding the immensely popular Lord of the Rings television series. Here is all we know about the upcoming season of Amazon’s finest TV series, Rings of Power, including its release date, cast, and plot details.
The Rings of Power Season 2 Release Date
There is no word yet on when Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will be made available to fans, but they should be prepared to wait a long time. The show’s creators, Patrick McKay and J. D. Payne, intend for it to run for five seasons, but so far Amazon has only purchased season two. Because of the magnitude and difficulty of the production, the show is not expected to premiere until the latter part of 2024 at the earliest. Season 2 production is expected to take longer than Season 1, however lessons learned from the first season have raised hopes that the second season can be made in less time.
The Rings of Power Season 2 Production Details
Season 2 of The Rings of Power has begun filming, despite the fact that production of the Amazon Studios series has relocated from New Zealand to the United Kingdom. Because Tolkien was “writing about his own backyard,” showrunner Patrick McKay believed it wasn’t right to film in another part of the world. Tolkien’s story and universe feature prominently in his comments on the importance of travel. One possible clue that most of the story will take place in new settings is that season 1 of Rings of Power ends with the Stranger (Gandalf?) heading to the unexplored realms of Rhûn in the east.
Season 2 of Rings of Power is presently under production, and it hasn’t been easy. A horse on the Rings of Power set collapsed and died from heart failure. Amazon Prime released a statement saying, “We are deeply saddened to confirm that a production horse died on March 21st.” The horse had shown no signs of illness prior to its unexpected death. The morning horse exercise before rehearsals was interrupted by the incident. The production had not yet begun, therefore the trainer had not changed into costume. There was a vet there, and someone from the American Humane Association as well.
The Rings of Power Cast and characters
- Morfydd Clark as Galadriel: an Elven warrior who believes evil is returning to Middle-earth. The showrunners based her depiction on a letter in which Tolkien described a young Galadriel as being of “Amazon disposition”.
- Lenny Henry as Sadoc Burrows: a Harfoot elder. Henry described the Harfoots as “the traditional Tolkien little guy… the little people in this world provide comedy but also get to be incredibly brave”.
- Sara Zwangobani as Marigold Brandyfoot: a Harfoot and Nori’s stepmother
- Dylan Smith as Largo Brandyfoot: a Harfoot and Nori’s father
- Markella Kavenagh as Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot: a Harfoot with a “yearning for adventure”
- Megan Richards as Poppy Proudfellow: a curious Harfoot
- Robert Aramayo as Elrond: a half-Elven architect and politician. Elrond goes from being optimistic and eager to world-weary and closed-off throughout the series.
- Benjamin Walker as Gil-galad: the High King of the Elves who rules from the realm of Lindon. Walker highlighted the character’s “odd gift of foresight. He’s prescient, and… can kind of feel the pulse of evil rising.”
- Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir: a Silvan Elf with a forbidden love for the human healer Bronwyn, similar to Tolkien’s love stories about Beren and Lúthien and Aragorn and Arwen
- Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn: a human mother and healer who owns an apothecary in the Southlands
- Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo: Bronwyn’s son
- Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor: the Elven smith who forges the Rings of Power, he is a “brilliant artisan” known throughout Middle-earth
- Daniel Weyman as the stranger: one of the Istari who falls from the sky in a flaming meteor and befriends Nori
- Owain Arthur as Durin IV: the prince of the Dwarven city of Khazad-dûm
- Charlie Vickers as Sauron: the former lieutenant of the Dark Lord Morgoth who disguises himself as the human Halbrand to deceive Galadriel and the rest of Middle-earth
- Sophia Nomvete as Disa: Durin IV’s wife and princess of the Dwarven city of Khazad-dûm. Disa and the other female Dwarves have facial hair, but they don’t have large beards like the male Dwarves in the series.
- Lloyd Owen as Elendil: a Númenórean sailor and Isildur’s father who will eventually be a leader in the last alliance between Elves and Men
- Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Míriel: the queen regent of Númenor, an island kingdom ruled by Men descended from Elrond’s half-Elven brother Elros
- Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn: a Númenórean advisor to queen regent Míriel
- Maxim Baldry as Isildur: a Númenórean sailor who will eventually become a warrior and king. The writers wanted Isildur’s story to end in tragedy rather than foolishness as in the source material.
- Ema Horvath as Eärien: Isildur’s sister, who was created for the series
Joseph Mawle and Sam Hazeldine as Adar: a fallen Elf and the leader of the Orcs - Leon Wadham as Kemen: Pharazôn’s son
The Rings of Power Season 2 Expected Plot
Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings will continue the story of the Second Age of Middle-earth, titled The Rings of Power. At the end of Season 1, the three elven rings were constructed, but with a big twist: it seems that mithril is the key to manufacturing the rings, rather than gold or silver as described in Tolkien’s books. As more rings are forged, the continuing tale of Khazad-dûm and the Balrog that lurks beneath the mines will become increasingly significant.
Meanwhile, Gandalf is venturing to Rhûn, a region Tolkien seldom touched, leaving a lot of latitude for a creative license on the part of the show’s creators. There has been talk of a huge fight that spans two episodes, but few specifics have been revealed. Since Sauron’s true identity has been exposed, he is likely to assume leadership of the Orcs in Mordor and could be behind this development.
Actor Morfydd Clark has teased that his portrayal of Galadriel will change drastically in season two. She was shrewd and kept most of the plot and storylines secret, but she did share some details about her role in a recent interview. Galadriel spent the first season looking for Sauron to avenge the death of her brother. This will give this well-liked character a fresh perspective on life. Despite the gloom, she is now “thinking about the world” and “finding joy in things.” Clark said, “That’s been a lot of fun to experiment with.