The time has come and season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is right around the corner with an official release date of August 29th and a trailer already out, fans are ready to see what is next over in Middle Earth for our ensemble of elves, orcs, Harfoot, dwarves, wizards, and men. There were a number of new revelations uncovered to the press during this set visit that we were excited to learn about and now it’s time to share eight of the big takeaways we uncovered during the set visit for season 2 of Rings of Power.

Season 2 Moved From New Zealand to the United Kingdom

There were various locations in the UK where season 2 was filmed.  During our press set visit days, we were in Windsor. A far departure from New Zealand, which is also where many of the Lord of the Rings films were shot.

New Season. New Sets.

A new season 2 also has new sets according to supervising art director Martin Foley.  Two-thirds of the sets in season 2 will be completely new sets. Sets were sent over from New Zealand to England and they tried to reuse elements from previous sets and recycle. 70 containers came from New Zealand. Showrunner Patrick McKay has also shared that this season is going to be more ambitious than season 1. With the series successfully reaching over 100 million viewers worldwide, the creators are ready to raise the bar. Their makeup team also has a pretty large inventory of prosthetics with 1,500 different kinds used for season 2.

All of the Principal Cast Perform Their Own Stunts

According to Supervising Stunt Coordinator Ben Cooke, actor Ismael Cruz Córdova who plays Arondir, worked with the stunt team for 4 weeks to hone in on a specific scene. The actors will meet with the stunt team 3-4 times per week, according to Cooke. This can be grueling on a performer’s schedule. The time and effort that Ismael as well as many of the other actors on this series put into their stunts is hard and dedicated work which often goes unnoticed. And while actor Cynthia Addai-Robinson couldn’t disclose specifically what stunts she performed for season 2, she did say they are continuing doing their own stunts into the second season.

Season 2 Is The Villains’ Journey

While season 1 was all about the heroes, this season of Rings of Power is all about the villains. According to Executive Producer Lindsey Weber, Sauron is out and about and the people of Middle Earth have to confront the fact that he’s back. The stakes are high and the storytelling this season compared to last will be much darker.

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Season 2 Will Show More Conflict, Intrigue and Darkness

Rings of Power showrunners Patrick McKay and JD Payne confirm that season 2 is going to be about villains.  Season two is darker, because journeys have to go to darker places before they go forward. They refer to the season as “peak bleak”, but it’s not for nihilistic purposes, but to show the complexities of these villains. This includes understanding that there are redeeming qualities in spite of their thirst and quest for power.  Sauron for example, in his own twisted way thinks he’s healing Middle Earth with his evil motives. Season 2 will come with more conflict, intrigue and darkness as the people of Middle Earth have a new threat to deal with.

The Plan Was Always To Tell A 5-Season Story

JD Payne says that it was always the plan to tell a 5-season story. He states that they are currently in the 5th inning of the second piece of the plan. He also adds that he has all kinds of ideas for the 3rd, 4th and 5th seasons for Rings of Power.

Season 2 Was Largely Written Before Season 1 Came Out

Patrick McKay stated that the sophomore season of Rings of Power was actually written before season 1 came out. However, season 2 was produced after season 1 came out, which speaks to the timing of writing for this show versus producing it.

TV Showrunners Patrick McKay and JD Payne Pay Attention to Fan Feedback

Payne states that they see how people respond to the show and that has informed their learning process as they craft and cultivate the narrative for the series. Payne also adds that season 2 expands on the strengths of season 1. McKay states that they read what the press writes about the show, they read reviews, and they read what the fans say about the show. They take in the criticism, but they lean into positive feedback as well and it’s helped their process as writers.

Prime Video has announced that Season 2 will debut globally on Thursday August 29, 2024, in more than 240 countries and territories and multiple languages.