It’s time to dust off those swords. Prime Video has confirmed The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two release date as 29 August 2024. The latest premiere information arrived alongside a stunning first teaser trailer for the upcoming season of the Tolkien TV series adaptation, which was reportedly Prime Video’s ‘most expensive’ production ever. With an all-new story set to drop on Middle Earth, here is everything you need to know about The Rings of Power season two.
The Rings of Power Season 2 Release Date
As mentioned, season two of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will premiere on Prime Video on 29 August 2024. For fans, the wait between instalments has been long, but not nearly to the degree we’ve seen with other series. Titles like Netflix’s Stranger Things and Disney+ hit The Bear have faced enormous delays due to the recent writers’ strike, pushing production schedules back upwards of a full calendar year.
Conversely, The Rings of Power follow-up managed to avoid much of the production turmoil due to its unique filming contracts and choice of location. Prime Video reported that production was able to continue in the UK during the writers’ strike in the summer of 2023, allowing the release to move forward seemingly without hurdle. The episode release rollout hasn’t yet been outlined, but season one premiered September 1, 2022, with two episodes, followed by a new episode every week until October 24.
What We Think The Rings of Power Season 2 Will Be About
While The Rings of Power season two plot points have not yet been confirmed, it’s likely that the new instalment will follow a familiar path. Season one teased a more powerful and contentious villain, promising to dial up the dark magic in trademark Tolkien style. Importantly, it won’t be a carbon copy of the much-loved Peter Jackon series. Production designer Ramsey Avery told Deadline’s craft series The Process that the Prime Video series was designed to enhance The Lord of the Rings lore rather than recycle it.
“We weren’t trying to reproduce what had been seen in the (Peter Jackson) movies, or what was seen by some other concept artist for Tolkien’s work,” Avery said during an episode of Deadline’s craft series The Process. “So, it was all coming up with fresh and new ideas that told a very specific story.”
The official logline for The Rings of Power season two does outline a few key elements to watch out for when it does finally hit screens. According to the Prime Video synopsis, the new season will mark the return of Sauron, as was alluded to in the season one finale.
“Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will,” the official description reads.
“Building on season one’s epic scope and ambition, the new season plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity. Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other.”
The Rings of Power Season 2 Trailer
As mentioned, Prime Video dropped the first teaser trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two in May. The first look at the upcoming season hinted at Sauron’s return. suggest perilous times are in store for Middle-earth.
Plunging us straight into the action, the clip has a decidedly more intense and ominous tone compared to the first season. It focuses on the rise of the fearsome and powerful villain during Middle-earth’s Second Age, as Sauron (Charlie Vickers), who disguised himself as Halbrand in the first season, now assumes a new guise to aid Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) in the forging of the titular rings of power.
As per the logline, Charlie Vickers’ Sauron is “appearing in a new form—one that will help him deceive the denizens of Middle-earth”. Further to that, the new season promises to dig deeper into J.R.R. Tolkien’s Second Age. showcasing “the ascending evil presence of Sauron as he continues his vengeful quest for complete power.”
We also see menacing creatures, from orcs to creeping tree vines and oozing morass, appear to pollute the land and as Khazad-dûm Prince Durin (Owain Arthur) warns in the opening minutes, “An evil, ancient and powerful, has returned”.
The Rings of Power Season 2 Expected Cast
The good news is that The Rings of Power trailer appears to confirm the presence of a number of key cast members. Prime Video has been relatively tight-lipped about the cast for season two of the hit series, however, we now know a little more about who will be on board.
Season one veterans Morfydd Clark, Robert Aramayo, Ismael Cruz Córdova and Maxim Baldry are all set to return, alongside a few new faces that are primed for battle. Here is the expected cast for season two of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power:
- Charlie Vickers – Sauron
- Morfydd Clark – Galadriel
- Robert Aramayo – Elrond
- Owain Arthur – Prince Durin IV
- Ismael Cruz Córdova – Arondir
- Ema Horvath – Eärien
- Benjamin Walker – High King Gil-Galad
- Peter Mullan – King Durin III
- Markella Kavenagh – Nori Brandyfoot
- Maxim Baldry- Isildur
- Sophia Nomvete – Princess Disa
- Gabriel Akuwudike
- Yasen ‘Zates’ Atour
- Ben Daniels
- Amelia Kenworthy
- Nia Towle
- Nicholas Woodeson
- Oliver Alvin-Wilson
- Stuart Bowman
- Gavi Singh Chera
- William Chubb
- Kevin Eldon
- Will Keen
- Selina Lo
- Calam Lynch
The teaser also offers glimpses of the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) wielding a wooden staff and teases iconic Lord of the Rings elements like Mount Doom, a Great Eagle, a possible Watcher in the Water (or its ancestor), and even a haunting glimpse of Sauron’s central fortress in Mordor, Barad-dûr.
Season two of The Rings of Power sees J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay return as showrunners and executive producers, while Charlotte Brändström joined by Sanaa Hamri and Louise Hooper as directors for this season. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two hits Prime Video on August 29.
