The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Season 2 Has Hit A Major Production Milestone
Despite the critical discourse that has dogged Amazon Prime's "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," the series based on J. R. R. Tolkien's work has managed to hold its own. According to AV Club, the Nielsen Ratings — the leading audience measurement and analysis system in the United States — have proven that "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" has not only succeeded in holding onto a viewership base but has also garnered a larger, consistent viewership than its competitor, HBO's "House of the Dragon." While the latter seems to surpass the former in terms of critical impressions, this victory is no small feat for Amazon.
This news also further proves that Amazon wasn't just throwing money at the wall when they announced an early renewal for "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" back in 2019, long before the first season was even released (via Deadline). A few weeks ago, the showrunners — J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay — promised that production for the second season was almost upon us. Well, thankfully for fans, the wait appears to be over.
Season two of The Rings of Power is officially in production
As shared by The Hollywood Reporter, production for the second season of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" has officially begun. The creative team has set up shop at Bray Studios, just outside of London. This is something of a change for the series, as the first season was filmed in New Zealand. This shift in recording location has been attributed to Amazon's interest in reducing expenditures, as filming in the U.K. is more economical than filming in New Zealand.
Not everything is different, however, as the second season is scheduled to feature eight episodes, just like the first. As of this writing, the first season still has a few episodes left to air, so the full cast for the second season has yet to be officially released. Considering the events which occurred at the end of the sixth episode, the creative minds at Amazon would probably discourage any reports that would spoil their explosive cliffhanger. That being said, viewers should anticipate the bulk of the main cast to return, including Morfydd Clark, Robert Aramayo, and Daniel Weyman.