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The Rings Of Power Season 2: Release Date Speculation, Cast, Story & Everything We Know

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Summary

  • The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 is in the works despite mixed reception of the first season, showing Amazon’s commitment to the fantasy TV genre.
  • Changes made by Amazon to characters and lore in The Rings of Power season 2 have raised skepticism among Tolkien scholars and fans.
  • The release date for The Rings of Power season 2 is not confirmed yet, with production estimated to take a couple more years, possibly premiering in 2025-2026.


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It will be some time before The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 release date arrives, but it is on the way, as the mixed reception of the first season hasn’t stopped Amazon from plowing ahead with their Lord of the Rings adaptation. 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 vacuum after it concluded, and Amazon Studios’ The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power — inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s notes and appendices — has been one of the biggest contenders.

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 Rings of Power season 2 will enter one of the most exciting periods in Middle-earth’s history.


Latest Rings Of Power Season 2 News

Morfydd Clark as Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Filming on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been ongoing during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and much of the Rings of Power season 2 news has come directly from the set via first-look and behind-the-scenes photos. In September 2023 fresh images from the Rings of Power season 2 set inadvertently confirmed that Amazon is continuing to make retcons and alterations to Tolkien’s characters.

A statue of Fëanor, one of the first Elven conquerors to depart from Valinor to Aman, has been spotted in one of the Rings of Power season 2 set photos. Fëanor was an integral figure in The Silmarillion, and while not a Sauron-level antagonist his creation of the three Silmaril jewels kicks off a period of destruction and strife. Amazon seems to be retconning Elven history to paint Fëanor as a heroic and respected ruler, when in Tolkien’s canon the High King of the Ñoldor was a headstrong and reckless figure.

While this may seem like a small change, the Noldor in Tolkien’s canon were exiled from Valinor due to Fëanor’s actions. This shame had a great impact on Galadriel and the other Noldor elves — it’s possible their self-positioning Middle-earth’s caretakers is an attempt by the immortal beings to make amends. Changing them to valiant defenders who left Valinor to defend the world from Morgoth removes a lot of the nuance from Tolkien’s rich Middle-earth history. It’s one of many changes Amazon has made for The Rings of Power season 2 that Tolkien scholars and LOTR fans are highly skeptical of.

The Rings Of Power Season 2 Is Confirmed

Galadriel in Rings of Power episode 8

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 was when Amazon ordered the show as, and filming began in 2022. Production on The Rings of Power season 2 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” (via Variety).

The Rings Of Power Season 2 Release Date

Joseph Mawle as Adar and Mordor in The Rings of Power

There’s no confirmed release date for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 yet. Viewers will likely have to wait a while to return to Middle-earth. According to McKay in 2022, production on The Rings of Power season 2 may take “another couple years.” The next season of Rings of Power would arrive in 2025-2026 based on this estimate, although a late 2024 premiere isn’t impossible.

Rings Of Power Season 2 Cast

Joseph Mawle staring into the distance as Adar in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

It is expected that most of the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cast will return for season 2, including Morfydd Clarke as Galadriel, Markella Kavanaugh as Nori, and Robert Aramayo as Elrond. Amazon has also confirmed eight new names joining the cast in currently undisclosed roles, including Oliver Alvn-Wilson, Stuart Bowman, William Chubb, and Kevin Eldon (via Deadline). Eldon in particular is already experienced with high-fantasy settings thanks to his portrayal of Camello in Game of Thrones.

Also joining the Rings of Power season 2 cast are Ciarán Hinds, known for his role as the king of the Wildlings, Mance Rayder, from Game of Thrones. Rory Kinnear, best known as Bill Tanner from Daniel Craig’s Bond trilogy, will also feature, as will Tanya Moodie (Star Wars’ General Parnadee). Sam Hazeldine will be replacing Joseph Mawle as Adar in the Rings of Power season 2 cast. 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).

Related: Rings Of Power Season 2: Every New & Returning Character

What We Know About The Rings Of Power Season 2’s Story

The Rings of Power Three Elven Rings

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 story will continue to tell the story of Middle-earth’s Second Age. Season 1 ended with the three elven rings forged and, unlike in Tolkien’s novels, mithril is the key to their creation. 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 but seems to be significant in the Rings of Power season 2 story.

There have been reports of a massive, two-episode-long battle sequence (via Winter is Coming). This may well be instigated by Sauron, whose identity has been revealed and who will presumably take control of the Orcs in Mordor in season 2. As for Galadriel, actor Morfydd Clark has said that The Rings of Power season 2 will see a very different version of her character. Galadriel has a new outlook after the events of the prior season, and it will come across in her character. “And now she’s kind of thinking about the world and like, finding joy in things a bit more, despite the darkness. So that’s been really fun to play with,” Clark revealed.

Related: The Rings Of Power Season 2 Story (As We Know It)

It’s Still Too Early To Judge Amazon’s Rings Of Power

Gil-Galad holding his spear in 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. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power could still find success as a slow-burn fantasy drama, and season 2 could be where the show’s narrative picks up momentum.

The New LotR Movie Isn’t Connected To Rings Of Power

Morfydd Clark as Galadriel and a palantir in The Rings of Power and Christopher Lee as Saruman in Lord of the Rings

Warner Bros. announced a new trilogy of Lord of the Rings movies was in development. 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 franchise. Amazon isn’t involved in any way, and the two projects share nothing beyond the spiritual kinship of both being Tolkien adaptations.

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.

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