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Jul 31, 2023

‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2: Everything we know about the release date, filming and more

“The Rings of Power” Season 1 premiered last September with mixed reactions. But

"The Rings of Power" Season 1 premiered last September with mixed reactions. But the show had a decent amount of viewership: 25 million viewers tuned into the first episode worldwide, per Insider. The show, according to Amazon, created "more Prime signs-up globally than any other Amazon original."

If you’re a fan of the show, you’re probably ready for Season 2, but it might be released later than you’d like. Here's everything we know about "The Rings of Power" Season 2.

While "The Rings of Power" Season 2 is certainly happening — Amazon renewed the series for a second season and the showrunners have planned out five seasons total, according to IndieWire — fans won't see it come to screen anytime soon.

According to RadioTimes, "The Rings of Power" Season 2 will most likely premiere in 2024. As showrunner Patrick McKay told The Hollywood Reporter, they’ll be working on Season 2 for "another couple years."

But filming for Season 2 is already underway, per RadioTimes. The second season began filming in the U.K. in October 2022.

But fans should be assured: "The Rings of Power" showrunners have every moment of all five seasons planned out.

Showrunner JD Payne told Empire Magazine, "They knew from the beginning that was the size of the canvas … this was a big story with a clear beginning, middle and end."

"There are things in the first season that don't pay off until Season 5. We even know what our final shot of the last episode is going to be," Payne said.

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For those who weren't a fan of the first season, showrunners promise that they’ll love "The Rings of Power" Season 2, per Insider.

"There may well be viewers who are like, ‘This is the story we were hoping to get in season one!’" McKay told The Hollywood Reporter. "In Season 2, we’re giving it to them."

While die-hard J.R.R. Tolkien fans might have decried the show, critics had mixed things to say about "The Rings of Power." The show received a score of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes — but got a 38% audience score.

IGN reviewed the series, saying, "‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ largely succeeds by staying faithful to J.R.R. Tolkien's themes and tone, if not all the specifics of his canon. Some inconsistent plotting and unnecessary misdirection slows it down, but doesn't derail the story, and when it reaches its climax in the sixth episode it all comes together brilliantly."

Forbes wrote of the series: "Perhaps worse, Amazon's ‘adaptation’ is badly made TV with a nonsensical story built on wild coincidences, contrived plotlines and a blatant disregard for the various building blocks that make any story complete."

"But if the ambitious first season does not reinvent the ring, it is a breathtaking reproduction that adds a few new filigrees," James Poniewozik wrote for The New York Times. "More important, it manages, eventually and occasionally, to create its own swashbuckling, storytelling magic."

"The Rings of Power," much like Tolkien's work, has a sprawling and expansive cast with multiple story lines. So which members of "The Rings of Power" Season 1 cast will return for Season 2?

While some have not been confirmed, it's reasonable for fans to expect any characters who survived Season 1 to return:

Morfydd Clark as Galadriel.

Robert Aramayo as Elrond.

Charlie Vickers as Sauron.

Markella Kavenagh as Elanor Brandyfoot.

Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir.

Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn.

Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo.

Maxim Baldry as Isildur.

Daniel Weyman as the Stranger.

Owain Arthur as Durin.

Sophia Nomvete as Disa.

But there are characters from Season 1, such as the Harfoot community, that seem like their storyline has come to an end — for now. Fans should be happy to hear that there are new additions to Season 2 cast, according to Collider.

"The Rings of Power" showrunners have hinted at introducing major characters to Season 2, such as Círdan, an Elven ringbearer. When asked about "The Rings of Power" Season 2 cast, McKay told RadioTimes, "I think it's come out that Círdan is going to be a character next season. So he's a ring bearer, as they say."

While "The Rings of Power" wrapped up a few plot points nicely — with a major twist about Sauron's identity — there are loose plot points to explore in Season 2.

Showrunners hinted that "The Rings of Power" Season 2 will paint Sauron as an "antihero," per The Hollywood Reporter. McKay likened Sauron to other TV antiheroes, such as Tony Soprano and Walter White.

"Season 1 opens with: Who is Galadriel? Where did she come from? What did she suffer? Why is she driven?" Payne said. "We’re doing the same thing with Sauron in Season 2. We’ll fill in all the missing pieces."

"So the first season is like ‘Batman Begins,’ and the ‘The Dark Knight’ is the next movie, with Sauron maneuvering out in the open," Payne said. "We’re really excited. Season 2 has a canonical story."

In light of the recent Writers Guild of America strike, "The Rings of Power" is one of many shows to be affected. But, according to Variety, the show continued production "without the services of executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay."

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Sources told Variety that "The Rings of Power" Season 2 had only 19 days of filming left at the beginning of March, so it's possible that production has wrapped up by now. According to some chatter on Twitter, "The Rings of Power" has already finished filming — but show creators haven't confirmed. The show started filming in October 2022, according to Collider.

According to Variety, "Payne and McKay also planned in advance with the production team for a possible writers strike to make their absence from the show as seamless as possible."

According to Common Sense Media, "The Rings of Power" is appropriate for kids aged 12 and up. The show contains the following:

Strong fantasy violence.

Scary images.

Blood.

Mild language.

While the show has depictions of violence, swordplay and combat, you’ll find that the violence and mature themes in "The Rings of Power" are similar to those in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.