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Rings Of Power Season 2 Could Take Years, Says LOTR Showrunner
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 may still be several years away even though production on the prequel series should be speeding up. The show is being helmed by J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay in the writing duo's first foray as showrunners and is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's novel series and its appendices. The Rings of Power tells the tale of the Second Age of Middle-earth, set thousands of years before Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movie trilogies.
The Rings of Power season 1 premiered on September 1 on Prime Video with the season's first two episodes and was met with considerable success, though the prequel series' debut was a long-time coming. Amazon acquired the rights to Tolkien's works in 2017 for a frankly astonishing price and began developing a television series for a potential five-season run. Production on the series, now titled The Rings of Power, began in 2020 in New Zealand but was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Finally, filming on season 1 wrapped in mid-2021, and the eight-episode season made its debut the next year as the most expensive television show ever made. Now, with only one episode left in season 1, production on The Rings of Power season 2 has already begun in the UK.
For those already anticipating The Rings of Power's return, showrunner McKay teases when it may happen. McKay shared an estimated timeline for season 2's debut with The Hollywood Reporter while giving a behind-the-scenes look at the production, revealing that it may take "another couple years." This estimate is a marked improvement on The Rings of Power season 1's production rate, thanks in part to the relaxing of pandemic concerns.
Why Rings Of Power Season 2 Could Take Years To Make
Naturally, production speeds for the following seasons of The Rings of Power will be quicker than season 1's because the crew has a base to work with, but the show's epic scale will still take time to create. The Rings of Power has set a high bar for itself with its record-breaking viewership for season 1, so season 2 will need to find a way not only to maintain that audience but also to expand it. This means the show's writers and designers will be putting extra care into crafting each new season, despite reports that Prime Video is fast-tracking The Rings of Power's production.
While some Rings of Power fans will be disappointed that there won't be a release next year, this news may be the best plan for the series. Amazon has spent a reported $700 million on The Rings of Power, and if a rushed second season fails to live up to the first's success, the company may choose to cut their losses early, jeopardizing the series' five-season plan. With that in mind, if fans truly want The Rings of Power to honor Tolkien's writings, they'll be willing to wait an extra year or two.
