What is the Rings of Power season 2 release date? Amazon Prime’s fantasy series based on JRR Tolkien’s work, The Rings of Power, has given fans plenty to talk about and look forward to with magic, battles, and a big reveal. We’re already dying for more.
Luckily, Rings of Power season 2 has been given the greenlight, and the fantasy series officially renewed over at Amazon – with filming for the next chapter in the epic saga already kicking off too. That means more Lord of the Rings characters, including Sauron, dwarves, elves, and a wizard or two, are heading back to our small screens in the near future!
With that in mind, The Digital Fix has put on its Tolkien hat and is ready to answer all your questions about the hit Lord of the Rings show. From the Rings of Power season 2 release date, cast, plot and more, here is everything we know about Amazon’s next outing in Middle-earth.
Rings of Power season 2 release date speculation
As of March 2023, we don’t know The Rings of Power season 2 release date for certain. However, Amazon’s co-head of TV series Vernon Sanders spoke with Collider about a potential Rings of Power release date, giving a promising update.
He said “It would be amazing if we could get Season 2 out within a year of Season 1’s release. It may take a smidge longer than that, but we’re doing everything we can, and we’re going to get better and faster as we go. Certainly, the production, what we’ve learned in Season 1, has taught us things that we’re applying in Season 2, and so far we set a goal for ourselves of when we want that show to be released, and we are on track and on plan.”
That would mean that the Rings of Power season 2 release date could be as soon as September 2023, but it certainly seems that Sanders has his sights set on a release date that comes before 2024. Is that feasible? Filming for season 2 kicked off in October 2022, and with only eight episodes to shoot it wouldn’t be impossible but it would require an exceptionally quick filming window and post-production.
That’s because season 1 of The Rings of Power took 18 months to film and given that TV series is moving filming from New Zealand to England new sets will have to be built and CGI work in post-production will take a long time too. So, despite Sanders’ comments we’re estimating that the Rings of Power season 2 release date will come in early 2024.
Rings of Power season 2 plot speculation
There are plenty of cliffhangers that need answering in the Rings of Power season 2 plot.
The first story point likely to show up in season 2 is with Adar and his orcs, who will likely clash with Sauron as he returns to Mordor. In season one, it was revealed that Halbrand was, in fact, Sauron, and the last we saw of the disguised dark Lord, he was walking through the fiery Southlands where Adar resides. We previously saw the two come to blows, and there is obviously a dark history between them that we can’t wait to learn more about.
Speaking about Halbrand’s identity, Galadriel must be fuming after his betrayal, and the hunt for Sauron is likely to kick up a gear. The two had a semi-romantic relationship, and nothing is scarier than a badass elf scorned. However, Galadriel may be shifting on the romantic interest front.
In season 1, it was hinted that she believed her husband Celeborn was dead, but as he appears in the Lord of the Rings movies and the two are meant to have a child together (who will be Elrond‘s wife and mother of Arwen) we are sure that he is alive and will likely show his face to his wife again…Do I sense a love triangle brewing? It’s all very spicy, isn’t it?
The other big plot point is the Rings of Power. Three Rings of Power have been made, meaning that we will see either the Seven Dwarf Rings or Nine Rings of Men being created in the second season. Elrond and Durin will likely work together on this front, as we suspect the half-elf will tell his bestie about the creation of the three Elf rings. We are also expecting to see Durin come to blows with his father once again, as more Mithril will be needed too.
Speaking at a press conference (via RadioTimes), showrunner Patrick McKay said: “The second season is very much about more rings. The song at the end [of season 1], by Fiona Apple – which is like a crazy dream come true – suggests there’s Three, then there’s Seven. Why would the Dwarves be desperate for rings? And how do they get seduced? And how do they get fooled? And then Men is an even more complex story.”
“There are Nine leaders of Men who want power, and so each of those rings and the forging of them is not just like, ‘Now the magic thing got made’, but a story to be told,” he continued. “And I think there are other stories to be told as well, but certainly, we’ve kicked it off, and next season is gonna go deeper into it.”
On top of all the above information, we also have the Stranger and the Harfoot Nori travelling for some mysterious reason, and of course, Numenor looks as if it will have its hands full with a power struggle following its king’s death. So yeah, it looks like The Rings of Power season 2 will have an exciting and packed plot, to say the least.
Rings of Power season 2 cast
It is safe to say the majority of actors from the first season will return for the the Rings of Power season 2 cast.
This means that fans can look forward to seeing Morfydd Clark as the elf Galadriel, Robert Aramayo as Elrond, Daniel Weyman as The Stranger, and Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir again and more. On top of that, it was also announced on Twitter that seven new Rings of Power cast members would be joining the already huge cast. They’re listed below, but they aren’t currently attached to any characters except for Sam Hazeldine who will replace Joseph Mawle as Adar.
The latest batch of casting announcements in March 2023 saw three exciting stars join the team. Ciaran Hinds, known for his role as Game of Thrones character Mance Rayder, and the DC villain Steppenwolf, will play an unknown character in Middle-earth. Joining him will be Rory Kinnear, who you’ll recognise from the James Bond movies. Tanya Moodie is also in, and you’ll have seen her in the Star Wars movie The Rise of Skywalker.
Here is the main cast list for Rings of Power season 2:
- Morfydd Clark as Galadriel
- Charlie Vickers as Halbrand/Sauron
- Robert Aramayo as Elrond
- Daniel Weyman as The Stranger
- Markella Kavenagh as Nori Brandyfoot
- Benjamin Walker as Gil-galad
- Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor
- Owain Arthur as Prince Durin
- Sophia Nomvete as Princess Disa
- Peter Mullan as King Durin III
- Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir
- Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn
- Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo
- Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Regent Míriel
- Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn
- Lloyd Owen as Elendil
- Maxim Baldry as Isildur
- Ema Horvath as Eärien
- Leon Wadham as Kemen
- Gabriel Akuwudike
- Yasen ‘Zates’ Atour
- Ben Daniels
- Sam Hazeldine as Adar
- Amelia Kenworthy
- Nia Towle
- Nicholas Woodeson
- Ciaran Hinds
- Rory Kinnear
- Tanya Moodie
It does seem that season 2 will be seeing fewer Harfoots, though, I’m afraid. Nori and the Stranger left the small-statured lot at the end of season 1, so it’s unlikely that their paths will cross for quite some time. One of the only deaths in the series so far was the Harfoot named Sadoc Burrows (Sir Lenny Henry), so I don’t think the rest of the Harfoots will be following the Stranger or Nori anytime soon.
Besides these returning faces above who managed to survive The Rings of Power season 1, we are expecting to see more new characters as well. Cirdan the Shipwright will be making his entrance, but the biggest anticipation is Celeborn – Galadriel’s husband. We expect Rings of Power season 2 to reveal that he isn’t actually dead, and reunite him with his wife.
Behind the scenes, the directors for Rings of Power season 2 have been confirmed and the good news is that the best director from season 1 is returning in a bigger, beefed up role. Charlotte Brändström will direct four episodes and take on an executive producer role, while Sanaa Hamri and Louise Hooper will take on two each.
Brändström directed Udûn, which was undoubtedly up there with the best of Rings of Power season 1 so we’re hoping she can bring some more of that magic back with Rings of Power season 2.
How to watch Rings of Power season 2
Rings of Power season 2 will be streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime, just like Rings of Power season 1. All future seasons of the series will also debut on the streaming service, which has reportedly poured billions of dollars into the creation of the show.
Rings of Power season 2 trailer speculation
As it stands there is no Rings of Power season 2 trailer, but because the TV series is now officially filming we can expect the first images to be coming through soon. Not long after that, a trailer should drop and give us our first proper look at the next set of adventures in Middle-earth.
And there you have it, fantasy folks! Everything you need to know about The Rings of Power season 2 release date. For more killer stories, here are our guides to The Witcher season 3, and if you want to catch up with your favourite Game of Thrones characters, then check out our guide to the House of the Dragon season 2 release date.
Alternatively, stick with Middle-earth and learn about the new Lord of the Rings movie with our guide to the War of the Rohirrim release date, as well as our explainers on its characters including Eowyn, Helm Hammerhand, Frealaf Hildeson, and Freca.
