Rings of Power season 2 “a couple of weeks” away from filming
The showrunners gave an update as the Amazon series premieres.
Prime Video unleashes its mega-budget adaptation of JRR Tolkien's Middle-earth on viewers this weekend, and the streamer is wasting no time in getting a second season off the ground.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was awarded an early season 2 renewal back in November 2019, which will be filmed in the UK as opposed to the franchise's traditional home of New Zealand.
In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay gave an update on the show's timeframe, revealing that they'll be preparing to shoot new episodes later this very month.
"We've written our drafts [for season 2]," began Payne. "We are a couple of weeks away from starting production."
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In order to avoid the kind of disappointing finale that almost torpedoed the entire Game of Thrones franchise, the writing duo have gone into The Rings of Power knowing exactly what the final shot of the series will be.
However, they assure us that there will still be room for improvisation and surprises over the course of the show's run, as they intend to explore as many corners of Tolkien's vast fantasy world as possible.
McKay explained: "The metaphor we always use is like a road trip. If you're going to drive from London to Bristol, it's a couple of hours, and we're going to stop here and get gas, or we're going to stop there and get lunch.
"Then, maybe you see, 'Oh, there's an overlook here, I want to look at this beautiful view. And actually, what if we went along this way?' But you're still going to start in the same place and end in the same place."
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power stars a large ensemble cast including Morfydd Clark and Robert Aramayo as original trilogy characters Galadriel and Elrond.
Additional reporting by Steve O'Brien
Read more on The Rings of Power:
- Rings of Power release schedule: When are Lord of the Rings episodes out?
- How to watch The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies in order
- Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power review – Dazzling prequel doesn't let Tolkien fans down
- Meet the cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
- What is Valinor in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
- Who is Halbrand in The Rings of Power? Theories for Charlie Vickers’s character
- What are Harfoots? The Rings of Power Hobbits and history explained
- Who is Morgoth in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
- Who is The Stranger in The Rings of Power? Daniel Weyman role theories
- Who is Galadriel’s brother? Meet Finrod actor Will Fletcher
- What is the Second Age of Middle-earth? Rings of Power timeline explained
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episodes 1 and 2 are available now on Amazon Prime Video – you can sign up for a free 30-day Prime Video trial.
If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
