Lord Of The Rings: Rings Of Power BTS Photo Reveals The First Look At A Huge War

Amazon Studios has been stubbornly silent regarding "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" Season 2. However, inevitable leaks and rumors have steadily trickled out regarding the next part of the show's Second Age story. On April 18, fan site Fellowship of Fans went beyond text-based scoops by releasing a behind-the-scenes photo on X (formerly known as Twitter), claiming it was shot while filming an important battle.

🚨Exclusive: First behind-the-scenes look at the Battle of Eregion for 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 #TheRingsOfPower #TROPspoilers pic.twitter.com/29ZnyJymeh

— Fellowship of Fans (@FellowshipFans) April 18, 2024

The image shows several actors and crew members on set, including two Orc actors resting on a tree stump next to an Elven warrior in full armor. Other Orcs, Elves, and regularly dressed present-day humans are walking around. One blond-haired woman in a puffy crew coat is shown from behind. Her identity is uncertain, but she looks similar to Charlotte Brändström. The Swedish director helmed two Season 1 episodes and was said to be directing half of Season 2 when "The Rings of Power" revealed the season's full slate of directors.

There has been a long break between Seasons 1 and 2 already. The former ended in October 2022. The latter should come out this year, as confirmed in a February report about the "Rings of Power" showrunners signing a new deal with Amazon Studios — although it remained vague, only saying that Season 2 "is expected to debut later this year."

The new BTS image is a fun reminder of the Middle-earth mayhem that will occur sometime in the next few months.

A scene depicting Elves and Orcs fighting is nothing new for a Middle-earth adaptation, but this particular BTS photo comes with the caption, "First behind-the-scenes look at the Battle of Eregion for 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2." Last August, Fellowship of Fans reported that "Rings of Power" Season 2 features unexpected characters sharing the battlefield over a two-episode battle.

So, what is the Battle of Eregion? The new caption refers to a key moment in the Second Age timeline, which likely takes place soon.

"The Lord of the Rings" focuses on the Rings of Power era's ending. In contrast, "The Rings of Power" is set when that jewellery-powered epoch begins. Season 1 shows the forging of the Three Elven rings (an event that changed the Tolkien timeline). We'll probably see the other 17 Rings of Power show up before long, and in the source material, it's right after the forging of all 20 Rings that the War of the Elves and Sauron breaks out. This is a knock-down, drag-out struggle in which Sauron initially focuses his attack on the Elves living in Eregion.

The Dark Lord's primary objective is to claim the Rings of Power, but before he can do that, he has to invade the region and defeat its inhabitants and their allies. The latter includes Elven reinforcements under the command of Elrond (Robert Aramayo), and the nearby Dwarves of Khazad-dûm. This concentration of forces leads to the Battle of Eregion referenced in the BTS photo.

Along with the Eregion overtones, several minor elements of the leaked photo are notable. For instance, the Elf features a Noldorin helmet similar to those seen in the intro to Peter Jackson's "The Fellowship of the Ring."

The Elf in the picture also has long hair (something that was visible in another "Rings of Power" BTS photo tease in September 2023). In Season 1, the lack of longer hair on the immortal protagonists was a major sticking point for many diehard Tolkienites, and many Twitter users have heartily approved of the shift in appearance.

It's also worth noting that there's a coffee cup tucked away in the bottom left-hand corner of the frame. Of course, this is when the cameras aren't on, so we're probably not looking at another "Game of Thrones" Starbucks blunder.

The photo is a fun peek behind the curtain of one of Amazon Studios' biggest productions. While epic in scale, the show still has a lot to prove to its audience in Season 2. The Season 1 reception was tepid at its best moments and polarizing at its worst. It divided critics and fans, evidenced by its 83% Critics and 38% Audience Rotten Tomatoes scores. The new photo has once again stirred up commentary from all directions. Twitter user Lilith poked at a common criticism of Season 1's undersized scenes by saying, "This must be the entire elven army." Others are more positive. Twitter user ash commented, "[L]ooks really good omg."