What’s Going On With ‘Rings of Power’ Season 2?

Some big changes are coming down the pipe for The Rings of Power.

Amazon’s The Lord of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Season 1 is done. It was a divisive show, with a lot of people loving it and plenty more hating it. However you felt about it, the season is now past us. But the show isn’t over. So what’s going on with The Rings of Power season 2?

Season One Had Poor Numbers

via Amazon

Amazon, like many other streaming services, is pretty closed-lipped about its viewership numbers. As such it can be hard to tell just how well a show is doing. According to the studio, the first episode of Rings of Power was viewed by 25 million people on its first day. Following this, Amazon got a lot more secretive about numbers. Many suspected this was due to poor performance.

Recently, we’ve got some new information on numbers. These show that the Rings of Power has a viewership problem. According to The Hollywood Reporter, only 37% of American viewers completed the whole season. Overseas the number was higher at 45%. A 50% completion rate is considered good, but not great in the industry. RoP fell well below that.

There is Going to Be a Second Season of Rings Of Power

If you were hoping for some reason that the show was going to get canceled, then you are in for some disappointment. Elrond and Galadriel will be back.  The Rings of Power was officially renewed for a second season. In fact, season 2 started filming in October 2022. Unless something really strange happens (looking at you, HBO) season 2 is coming.

Amazon Hasn’t Announced When It’s Coming

There’s still no news on a release date yet. Season 1 came out in the fall of 2022, so the soonest we are likely to see season 2 is the fall of this year. However, that might be a quick turnaround, and Amazon streaming isn’t tied to releasing seasons a year apart. Season 2 started filming in October 2022 and reportedly wrapped up in late May 2023. The show still needs to spend plenty of production in post.

The Wheel of Time Season Two is slated to come out in September 2023 and it’s extremely unlikely both will come out at the same time. That puts the earliest release date for Rings of Power at November 2023, but most likely it will be 2024 before we see the show.

The Writers Strike Affected, But Has Not Delayed It

Courtesy of Amazon

The WGA strike has not delayed the production of the show. When the strike started the show had 19 days of planned filming left. Moreover, the show had planned ahead to react to the upcoming strike. Amazon made the decision the push forward with filming and production.

However, as long as the WGA is on strike the showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay will not be involved with it. Some people might see this as a blessing. Other writers on the show are also not currently working on it. We won’t know what effect this has until the show comes out.

It’s Not Going to Be a Reboot

via Amazon

Despite wishful thinking on some people’s parts, The Rings of Power Season 2 is not going to be a major reboot. Amazon hasn’t come out and said that. And they won’t, because the company won’t waste its time denying a random fan rumor. However, the evidence is pretty clear–the bulk of the cast and showrunners are returning. There’s been no news of major story shake-ups. It’s just not gonna happen.

There Will Be Some Major Changes in the New Season

That isn’t to say there won’t be any changes between the two seasons. One change that has been annoying is a pretty major casting switch-up. The actor who plays the fallen Elf Adar, Joseph Mawle, is leaving the show.

Adar was one of the highlights of season 1 and it’s really sad to see Mawle go. Mawle has been replaced by Sam Hazeldine, so Adar will return. No reason has been given for Mawle leaving, but it seems like it’s becoming a thing for Amazon fantasy shows to lose a major actor after season 1.

via Amazon

Another major change is in the filming location. Season 1 was mostly filmed in New Zealand. Season 2 has moved primary filming to the UK. This likely means a lot more is being filmed on soundstages, but also opens up filming around Europe in general. We may see fewer epic landscape shots as a result.

A Host of New Actors are Joining the Show

via Amazon

The Lord of The Rings: The Rings Of Power has a really massive cast already. But like most second seasons, we’re seeing a bunch more actors join the cast. Gabriel Akuwudike, Yasen Atour, Ben Daniels, Amelia Kenworthy, Nia Towle, and Nicholas Woodeson will all be joining the cast. We are still lacking some details on who any of them are playing, but we can expect some new characters to show up in season 2.

Let us know what you are looking forward to in season 2 down in the comments! 

Author: Abe Apfel

Abe is that rare thing, an Austin local born and raised here. Though he keeps on moving around, DC, Japan, ETC., he always seems to find his way back eventually. Abe has decades of experience with a wide range of tabletop and RPG games, from historicals, to Star Wars to D&D and 40K. He has been contributing to BOLS since almost the start, back when he worked at and then owned a local gaming store. He used to be big into the competitive Warhammer tournament scene but age has mellowed him and he now appreciates a good casual match. He currently covers 40K tactics and lore, as well as all things Star Wars, with occasional dabbling in other topics. Abe remains in mourning over the loss of WFB to this day.