As Production begins on Season 2 at Bray Studios in the U.K., the showrunners of Lord of the Rings tee up what’s coming for fans in the press, while Fellowship Of Fans leaks more photos from the set of Rings of Power.

Looks like newly-minted Mordor is being recreated near Hankley Common in the UK, where The Sandman was filmed, with these new leaked set pics for S2.

Moving on to official info about next season, THR describes a windowless room with artwork covering all the walls, describing a plan to introduce more iconic locations, familiar Middle-earth characters and a massive two-episode battle for Season 2 of Rings of Power. THR writes that McKay says the aim of season two is to be “bigger and better” on “every level … by an order of magnitude.” It will take a couple of years to complete S2, which means an estimated release of Fall 2024.

These first few days are kind of a luxury for us because we’re just beginning and the guys are still writing, you know, polishing the script for Season 2.

Lindsey Weber, Producer

Speaking to THR later, co-showrunner Patrick McKay places the Rings of Power’s tale of Sauron in context of the peak TV landscape:

“Like Tony Soprano or Walter White. He’s evil, but complexly evil. We felt like if we did that in season one, he’d overshadow everything else. So the first season is like Batman Begins, and the The Dark Knight is the next movie, with Sauron maneuvering out in the open. We’re really excited. Season two has a canonical story. There may well be viewers who are like, ‘This is the story we were hoping to get in season one!’ In season two, we’re giving it to them.” 

DEADLINE asks McKay if season 2 will retell Sauron’s history and how he got to where he’s at. “I would say that those are all good questions and questions need answering. So hopefully those are new layers of the onion we can peel back.”

Talking about what will happen with the Wizard, Patrick McKay explains to Deadline, “the idea of a Tolkienian journey and adventure with a wizard and a halfling, it seemed to us like a really exciting and enticing new leg of the journey as it is, as it were. The Stranger’s journey and Nori’s journey with him is one of discovery. And for him it’s one of self-discovery. He has learned that he is ostensibly an Istari, you know, which means wizard. And he’s learning something else from the Mystics when they say he is not Sauron, he is the Other, which sort of implies that potentially his destiny is entwined in some way with Sauron’s. But that’s all he knows at this point. And he’s going to have to go on another journey to learn more and maybe a name or his name becomes a part of that journey.”

“Sauron is now a new piece on the board.”

Patrick Mckay

McKay confirms to Deadline that season 2 will feature additional canon characters, including Cirdan the Shipwright who is supposed to carry one of the three elven rings of power.

Talking to Empire Magazine:

“We felt it was very important that season one be about reintroducing Middle-earth in this new era,” says McKay. “Introducing all of these kingdoms, and all of these peoples and all of these characters and knowing what was important to them, and what they had at stake and hopefully doing so in a way that’s, you know, intense and exciting and delightful.”

Cover of THR featuring JD Payne and Patrick McKay

In a wide-ranging profile in Variety, Amazon Prime Studios boss Jennifer Salke is providing all the support Tolkien’s world requires. “We were always going to spend what we needed to spend to get it right. I’m fortunate to be working at this company where we want to be financially disciplined, but nobody wanted to compromise on what this would be visually.”

We want to keep the bar just as high. So it’ll take what it takes. But there’s been some urgency around moving quickly.

Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios

Producer Lindsey Weber says, “Season 2 is fundamentally different in that our main villain is out and about and doing his thing. I think in some ways, it’s going to grittier, more intense, maybe a little scarier. There are things that we saved that were going to be in the final bit of [S1] that we thought, oh, just it’s too big right now to do, to fit that in with everything else and let’s save it, and we’re actually doing some of those things now in Season 2”

Here’s some more leaked set photos for Season 2, taken at Bray Studios near Windsor, UK. Send your Spy Reports anonymously to spymaster@theonering.net