When it comes to some of the best fantasy shows of the last few years, a few instantly pop up, from House of the Dragon, which is set to get a Season 2 soon enough, to The Witcher on Netflix (despite its sudden re-cast of Geralt). However, one that became quite big in 2022 was The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Amazon, and wouldn’t you know, it received a Season 2.
However, with such an epic and long tale that is The Lord of the Rings franchise, there is so much more story to tell, and for fans of the show, they might be wondering when we get to see that story again. Here are five quick things that we know about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2, and what you can expect when this show comes around again on our screens.
The Lord Of The Rings: Rings Of Power Season 2 Doesn’t Have A Release Date Yet – But It Is Filming As Of October 2022
Obviously, there was no way we were going to be getting Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power at the end of our 2022 TV schedule. To be honest, I don’t even know if Season 2 will be around for the 2023 TV premiere schedule, considering the first season took over a year to film and produce. It is one of the most expensive TV shows, after all. With that, we have no idea when Season 2 of the fantasy show will come out.
However, we can at least confirm that filming is happening. According to The Hollywood Reporter, as of October 2022, Season 2 had started filming in the United Kingdom, right before the first season’s ending aired. So, we can at least confirm that filming is underway.
This isn’t that much of a surprise, as it does sometimes take time for shows such as this to film and get everything together. Between the seventh and eighth season of Game of Thrones, fans needed to wait almost two years before we got anything new. The same happened for The Witcher. It’s most likely going to be the same for House of the Dragon Season 2, and even for The Sandman on Netflix. It just takes time to produce fantasy shows – and sadly, I barely have the patience to deal with that.
Adar Will Be Recast With Sam Hazeldine
For fans who have seen the whole show, you might remember one of the main antagonists, the Orc leader, Adar. But, the news is that he’s going to look a little different when Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power comes around. According to a press release from Amazon, it’s been confirmed that Sam Hazeldine is set to take on the role of Adar, replacing Joseph Mawle.
This isn’t that much of a surprise. According to Deadline, Mawle hadn’t taken part in any of the worldwide promotion events when the first season was airing, and the decision was made months ago to recast the character.
Even so, Hazeldine has done plenty in the industry, including having roles in shows like Peaky Blinders and Slow Horses, and was even in The Sandman, another fantasy series. He was even in the Ridley Scott movie, The Last Duel, so he has plenty of work to back his talent. I, for one, can’t wait to see what he does with this role.
Several New Actors Have Been Added
Also announced in that press release is that several new actors have been added to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, further expanding the world of J.R.R. Tolkien. While we’re not sure who the characters are going to be, we do know who the actors are – Yasen ‘Zates’ Atour, Ben Daniels, Gabriel Akuwudike, Amelia Kenworthy, Nia Towle, and Nicholas Woodeson.
Six new actors have joined the show, and it’s sure to be a doozy. All of them have done so much in the TV industry already. Akuwudike has been in shows like Ridley Road and War of the Worlds. Atour had a role in The Witcher. Daniels is known for the recurring parts he’s had in many TV shows, including House of Cards, The Crown, The Exorcist, and more. These are just some of the well known series that these actors have done.
We’re not sure who is going to be back from the main cast yet, as no official cast list has come out, but we can pray that mostly everyone is going to return to their roles.
Season 2 Is Going To Tell An Important Part of Sauron’s Backstory
You’re not a Lord of the Rings fan if you don’t know who Sauron is, and in Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, it looks like we’re going to be getting a little bit of backstory on this crazy antagonist.
In an interview that was done with Empire, the main cast answered some burning questions about the show and teased a little bit of what’s to come in the second season. Charlie Vickers, who plays Sauron in the show, said that part of what he’s shot is reminiscent of Galadriel at the very beginning of Season 1, and will reveal a bit of Sauron’s backstory:
You know how we see Galadriel at the start of Season 1? Part of the sequence that I’ve shot is the early story of Sauron in the next season, and that’s the shot, but I’m not gonna go into specifics.
For those who don’t recall, at the very beginning of Season 1, Galadriel was searching for Sauron in remembrance of her brother who had died fighting the villain, and discovered Sauron’s mark on an abandoned fortress, which starts off this whole entire series, so I’m really excited to see what will come next.
J.D. Payne And Patrick McKay Will Continue To Act As Showrunners
Unsurprisingly, it’s been confirmed that both J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay are returning as co-showrunners for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power with the press release. The two brought the story to life for the first season and now, they are back to do it a second time.
What are you the most excited about when it comes to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2? It’ll be some time before we even get to see it, but hopefully we’ll get more news before too much longer.
