The LOTR on Prime twitter account popped up on Tolkien Reading Day with some juicy quotes from The Council of Elrond chapter of the Fellowship of the Ring.
Since we all love to hope that Amazon’s marketing people do nothing without purpose (as opposed to just doing nothing), Webcrawler, a frequent poster on the TORn Discord and a keen dissector of spoilers is here with some analysis of how it might all link back to some big story developments in Season 2 of The Rings of Power. ~ Staffer Demosthenes
p.s. There are potential spoilers below based on various leaks and rumours we’ve heard over the last little while. As always, keep in mind that rumours can sometimes turn out to be not correct. It’s the nature of the beast.
Mae Govannen Friends,
Exciting times in the world of Tolkien this past week; The Rings of Power account on X (formerly Twitter) finally came out of hibernation to make a post for Tolkien Reading Day.
We still await with hope the imminent arrival of a trailer and a release date for Season 2 of Amazon’s The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power. In the meantime, these are some very interesting quotes to select, based on what we expect to be covered in Season 2. We’ve previously covered some theories and rumors regarding Season 2 , but let us look a bit closer at these quotes and match them up to some of the leaks we’ve read over the past 12 months.
The Three Rings of Celebrimbor
The first quote touches upon the creation of the Three Rings (Ed.: it’s actually Elrond correcting Glóin’s misconceptions about their nature), something we saw happen in Episode 8 of the first season of The Rings of Power.
Although there has been some controversy over the decision to make the Three Rings first in the show, the quote is pretty accurate to what was depicted. Sauron (Halbrand) was not there when the Three were made, disappearing right before he could be involved in their creation.
The second part of the quote also matches up, as the rings were being made to heal/prevent the elves from fading. Morfydd Clark, who plays Galadriel in The Rings of Power, had this say about Nenya, the ring Galadriel receives in Season 2:
She’s about to have a life-changing thing happen to her. She’s about to become acquainted with Nenya, her ring. It’s really exciting to see how the magic creeps in.
We didn’t see the creation of other rings in Season 1, so it’s expected that they will be made in Season 2. In the same Deadline article above, we get mention from Peter Mullan, who played the regal King Durin III of Khazad-dûm.
“There are more rings; the show is called The Rings of Power. Maybe I’ll be getting a new necklace, who knows?” cheeky Peter Mullan, who portrays King Durin III in the series, teased.
Though tight-lipped about the King’s accessories, he confirmed his character’s relationship with his son, Prince Durin (Owain Arthur), “gets very problematic”.
He shared cryptically, “My guy goes through some things that change him. So his son is reacting to a very different father; he’s not the father that you see. He’s someone else.
In Season 1, we saw that Durin III was reluctant to mine Mithril, describing it as perilous, in contrast to his son, Durin IV, played by Owain Arthur. So, could the aforementioned change be Durin III becoming more greedy in Season 2. And could it possibly be induced by possession of a Ring?
The Doors of Durin, as we know, are made of Ithildin, a form of Mithril fashioned by the elves to reflect moonlight and starlight.
They are wrought of ithildin that mirrors only starlight and moonlight, and sleeps until it is touched by one who speaks words now long forgotten in Middle-earth. It is long since I heard them, and I thought deeply before I could recall them to my mind.’
The Fellowship of the Ring. Book 2, Chapter 4: A Journey in the Dark
As previously mentioned, Durin III forbade the further mining of mithril. So this leak, if true, tells us that at some point mithril will be mined by the dwarves in Season 2. Putting two and two together, could this re-opening of the mithril mines be due to the effect of a certain ring given to Durin III?
It’s also worth recalling that during Episode 7/8 of Season 1 that Disa is adamant that they will find a way to mine Mithril, stating that it’s Durin IV’s birthright as prince of Khazad-dûm.
The Elven-Smiths and the Fall of Eregion
Chapter 2 of Book 2 of Te Fellowship of the Rings contains the basic overall outline of the story of the Rings of Power, as recounted by Elrond Peredhel at the council before the Fellowship is formed.
Given where Season 1 concluded, revealing Halbrand to be Sauron, Season 2 of The Rings of Power is expected to cover the portion of the story covered by the previously quoted text.
And evidence indicates it will go even further — encompassing Elrond’s following sentence.
For in that time he was not yet evil to behold, and they received his aid and grew mighty in craft, whereas he learned all their secrets, and betrayed them, and forged secretly in the Mountain of Fire the One Ring to be their master. But Celebrimbor was aware of him, and hid the Three which he had made; and there was war, and the land was laid waste, and the gate of Moria was shut.
The Fellowship of the Ring. Book 2, Chapter 2: The Council of Elrond
Fellowship of Fans, along with other places have leaked extensively about the Eregion sub-plot. Based on these leaks, including set pictures, it seems highly likely that the Siege of Eregion will take place in this upcoming season.
Photos of the Bray Film Studios set, taken by drone and posted on the LOTR on Prime sub-reddit by u/yakadoodle123 show what many believe to be the Eregion set in a state of disarray.
The wait continues
So there you have it; with @LOTRonPrime’s first tweet in nearly 8 months, it’s seems that we are in the beginning marketing phase for Season 2 of The Rings of Power, and based on leaked information, it appears it will cover some very significant events from the text.
About the author: Webcrawler is a full-time data analyst and a part-time Tolkien aficionado who frequents the TheOneRing.net Discord Server.
In an unexpected journey that rivals Bilbo’s own, TheOneRing.net is thrilled to announce the launch of its very own food truck, bringing the flavors of Middle-earth to the world – well, a portion of the world! Aptly named ‘Middle-earth on Wheels’, the plan is for the food truck to visit conventions and geeky gatherings across America, serving a delectable array of Tolkien-themed treats. Our truck will first appear at NYCC 2024.
The Menu
Inspired by the diverse experiences and tastes of our staff, the menu will vary, with various themes planned, including the seasons in the Shire, spicy dishes of Mordor, and the sumptuous feasts of Rivendell, offering an Elvish twist on classic flavors. The menu to appear at NYCC will include a chicken dish “Amon Hen”; “Salmon Frodo“; “Isengard Unquiched,” “One-ion Rings” (Of course!); and a variety of artisanal bread, so fans can ‘share the loaf.’
Barad-dûr croquemboucheArtisanal BreadsAmon HenSalmon FrodoIsengard UnquichedOne-ion Ring
Our very own Happy Hobbits, known for their culinary magic making (Check out their YouTube!), will bake fresh bread for each appearance.
But that’s not all – in a revelation as surprising as Gandalf’s fireworks, we can reveal that TORn co-founder Xoanon is not only a master of Middle-earth lore but also a pastry chef extraordinaire, holding the world record for the tallest croquembouche, eerily resembling Barad-dûr, complete with the Lidless Eye, and almost mirroring the height of Weta’s Minas Tirith bigature.
Special Menus and Events
But what of Second Breakfast, you ask? On select days, Middle-earth on Wheels will honor every crucial Hobbit mealtime—Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Elevenses, Luncheon, Afternoon Tea, Dinner, and Supper—throughout all-day festivals and events. Whether you crave the sweet simplicity of Seedcake for Second Breakfast or the hearty richness of a Minas Tirith Meat Pie for Supper, TORn will have you covered. Dates for these special events will be announced at a later time.
On Tuesdays when Middle-earth on Wheels is on the move, don’t miss Tolkien Taco Tuesday—every purchase of a taco gets you another one on the house!
Why a Food Truck?
Why this culinary quest, you ask? It’s all in an effort to combat the ever-mounting Google Business Apps bill! Yup, they raised their prices…again! As a not-for-profit site powered by volunteer staff, TheOneRing.net relies on the generosity of its community and, perhaps now, the proceeds from its gastronomic ventures.
Don’t miss this chance to feast like a Dwarf, snack like a Hobbit, and dine with the elegance of the Elves. The Middle-earth on Wheels food truck is coming to a location near you. Follow the journey on TheOneRing.net and our social media channels.
Because in the world of Tolkien, even the smallest meal can change the world.
Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne have already begun developing Season 3 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The writers’ room has not yet been gathered, but Payne and McKay have “started to break the initial story outline” for Season 3, according to Amazon.
Based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, the Amazon Prime Video series focuses on events that take place during the Second Age of Middle-earth. Filming has wrapped on Season 2 of the show, and the release date has been confirmed as later in 2024, although an exact date has not yet been announced.
The all female slate of directors for Season 2 includes: Charlotte Brändström (4 episodes), who directed episodes 6 and 7 on Season 1 of The Rings of Power; Sanaa Hamri (2 episodes), director of Wheel of Time Season 2; and Louise Hooper (2 epsisodes), who has directed episodes of The Sandman and The Witcher.
Season 2 Directors (L to R): Charlotte Brändström, Sanaa Hamri, Louise Hooper
Season 2 is expected to feature many returning cast members from Season 1, including Morfydd Clarke as Galadriel, Robert Aramayo as Elrond, Owain Arthur as Prince Durin, Sophia Nomvete as Disa, Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir, and Charlie Vickers as Sauron, among others. There is an extensive list of newcomers to the show including some well-known actors such as Ciarán Hinds (Game of Thrones), Rory Kinnear (James Bond), and Tanya Moodie (Star Wars).
New Season 2 actors (L to R): Ciarán Hinds, Rory Kinnear, Tanya Moodie
Though we’ve already seen the three Elven rings forged, a likely focus of Season 2 will be the creation of the remaining twenty rings that Tolkien’s famous poem mentions, along with the subsequent war that Sauron brings to Eregion in order to reclaim them.
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
–JRR Tolkien
Personally, I’m hoping we get to see some of the early days of the Nazgûl, or in the common tongue, the Ringwraiths, in Season 2. The Men, to whom Sauron gave the Nine Rings along with promises of power and immortality, would have interesting story arcs to watch as they succumb to the power of the Rings and become wraiths.
McKay and Payne have signed a new three-year deal with Amazon MGM Studios.
If not in Season 2, perhaps we will get to see the creation of the Ringwraiths in one of the later seasons. It has been confirmed that McKay and Payne have signed a new three-year deal with Amazon MGM Studios, ostensibly to create the remainder of the five seasons of The Rings of Power that Amazon initially announced. The new deal has the two showrunners developing projects at Amazon MGM through 10:40 PM Productions, McKay and Payne’s own production company.
Production on future seasons of the“The Rings of Power” will take place at a new purpose-built facility on the outskirts of London. Amazon inked a multi-million-dollar long-term contract with Shepperton Studios to create the new space destined for “original TV series and movie productions”, the studios’ owner Pinewood Group said in a statement. The new facility will include nine sound stages, workshop and office spaces, comprising about 450-thousand square feet. Shepperton will be the second largest studios in the world with the new addition.
Recent SPY REPORTS for Season 2 of Prime Video’s The Rings of Power series sourced from anonymous but now-deleted posts on internet messageboard 4Chan are currently prompting a wave of discussion about their veracity and implications across Discord and Reddit .
WARNING: potential SPOILERS for Season 2 abound below.
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Last chance to not be spoiled by significant story leaks for The Rings of Power.
Without further ado, here’s the potentially explosive leak about the story direction for Season 2 of The Rings of Power. While TheOneRing.net has no way of confirming this, the sources are allegedly people close to the series Producers.
The Hollywood Reporter in conjunction with Prime Video recently posted a series of behind-the-scenes videos focusing on the set design in the Prime Video series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”.
The “Building Middle-earth” series of videos show details that can be missed while watching the series at home. The commentary by set designers, actors, and craftspeople reveals insights and secrets about the decisions that went into the direction the series took and how it was made. The craft and care that went into the sets is truly amazing! It’s the type of stuff Ringers everywhere are trying to spy out about the Season 2 of the show.
Los Angeles, CA – Amazon Studios has announced that Orlando Bloom, break-out star of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, will appear in the next season of the The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Credit: Samir Hussein, Wireimage
Developers J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay confirmed that Bloom will appear in the second half of the season as Oropher – the grandfather of Legolas.
“J. D. was chatting with Orlando at an industry event and Orlando said that he wished he could step back into Middle-earth because he’d had so much fun the first time around,” said Patrick. “We put our heads together and came up with a way to have him play his own grandfather. This actually works well as Orlando is 25 years older than he was when the Fellowship of the Ring was filmed. Therefore, he’ll bring more depth and gravity to Oropher.”
Oropher was a Sindarin elf who led his people north to lands around the Mountains of Mirkwood. His motive was to move out of range of the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm and avoid the threat of Mordor. If the series continues through to the Battle of Dagorlad, we’ll get to see Oropher’s final battle and death.
Patrick wouldn’t give details of Oropher’s story arc but a source told TheOneRing.net that the character will be involved in the Silmaril storyline.
A separate source claims that Elijah Wood has also been approached for a cameo. However, John Rhys-Davies has flat-out refused to be involved in The Rings of Power because he “wouldn’t wear those bloody prosthetics again for all the jewels in Moria. Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul!”.
