For Amazon, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power represents quite an extensive commitment (and an expensive one too). After beating out the competition (including Netflix) to acquire the rights to produce TV programs inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels, the streamer got to work on producing a series that would encompass an epic saga that takes place throughout Middle-earth long before the events of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Aside from introducing new characters, The Rings of Power is set up to tell a story that will run for five seasons. And with the show having just wrapped up its successful first season, fans are already wondering how soon Amazon will release season two. And unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’s happening anytime soon, even if production had already begun after the show moved from New Zealand to the U.K.
Showrunners Promise Season 2 Is ‘Bigger And Better,’ But It’s ‘Another Couple Of Years’ Away
Now that they’re already working on season 2 after Amazon, showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay are ready to get back in the swing of things. And for them, the upcoming season will be “bigger and better” on every level … by an order of magnitude.”
“Some people had nice things to say about the pilot and second episode, or they didn’t have nice things to say, but I hope they stay for more episodes,” McKay added. “The bar has to keep going up.”
That said, the showrunners also revealed that season 2 will likely not air anytime soon as it is still “another couple of years” away. And while that may seem like a long wait, Payne and McKay have also assured that the team behind the show has already found its rhythm so that they should be able to crank out episodes at a quicker pace.
At the same time, they’re taking to heart some lessons they learned while working on the first season. “There are things that didn’t work as well in season one that might have worked in a smaller show,” McKay explained. “It has to be about good and evil and the fate of the world or it doesn’t have that epic feeling you want when you’re in Tolkien.”
In addition, Payne explained, “One of the big things we learned was even when it’s a small scene, it always has to tie back into the larger stakes.”
What Can Fans Expect In Rings Of Power Season 2?
While season 2 may take some time, Payne and McKay have hinted that season 1 is supposed to be a setup for what’s to come.
“We're always looking for ways to plant seeds that can hopefully grow into trees later down the road,” McKay explained. “We’ve tried to approach the architecture of the entire Second Age as a long-term creative project, so there are canon characters all over Season One.”
And after everything that happened in the first season, Payne also explained that “there has to be reckoning.” “Even knowing that Sauron was partially involved in the science behind the making of the rings, we see her give the go-ahead to make the rings anyway,” he continued.
“She also has to bear some responsibility; ‘I empowered the Dark Lord. I saved his life on a raft. I was party to him coming from obscurity to head an army.’
Will There Be In New Characters In Rings Of Power Season 2?
The showrunners have also teased that someone special from Galadriel’s past may also show up at some point. “We asked ourselves: what are the core relationships for Season One Galadriel?” Payne explained. “As far as Celeborn goes, we wanted to let people know that this is a part of her that could become important later on.”
They’ve also made it clear that the character is presumed gone in their story, although his whereabouts remain a mystery. “We didn't take him off the board and say he's dead,” Payne pointed out.
“She says, ‘I never saw him again’ and we leave it as an ellipsis. But if and when that comes back, that would be like a freight train crashing into her, if the love of her life is still around.”
And although the appearance of Celebron is unconfirmed, they did reveal that Círdan, one of the noblest Sindarin elves will be introduced during the second season. The part has already been cast, and they intend to reveal the show’s newest star later on.
As for the identity of the Stranger who is confirmed to be a wizard, Payne and McKay refuse to say if he is Gandalf as it’s all part of the story. “He’s on his own journey of self-discovery,” McKay said of the character.
“He has not yet discovered any name. He doesn’t know, and neither does Nori (Markella Kavenagh). That’s going to be part of their story moving forward, if and when he does learn his name, or a name.”