The Rings of Power season 2: Release date, cast, trailer, plot details

The trailer opens on Vickers's face as we hear the voice of Durin IV (Owain Arthur) warning that "an evil, ancient and powerful, has returned". Eek.

The new footage isn't the only thing drumming up excitement for the show, with the recent announcement that season 2 will introduce viewers to cult character Tom Bombadil, played by Rory Kinnear (Skyfall, The Imitation Game), generating plenty of hype.

Bombadil is a mysterious woodland-dwelling character who appears in JRR Tolkien's novel, but his name likely won’t ring any bells for anyone who hasn’t read the book given that he was cut from the Peter Jackson movies.

The Rings of Power season 2 isn't all there is to look forward to on the Lord of the Rings front, with a new movie starring Andy Serkis also in the works and an animation set to land in December.

But for now, read on for everything you need to know about The Rings of Power's upcoming second season.

Rings of Power season 2 release date

Though we didn't expect Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 any earlier than autumn 2024, fans will be delighted to know that isn't the case.

Prime Video has confirmed it will launch on Thursday 29th August 2024.

There was some speculation that Amazon Studios was fast-tracking the production of the second season, which began in the UK in October 2022.

Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke told Variety at the time: "The production team is working on season 2 now. We’re going to get that out into the world as soon as we can. We want the shortest time possible between seasons, but 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, which is why these guys have been writing all through their hiatus. We’re moving fast."

The show scored an early season 2 renewal, with a second season confirmed back in 2019, which hardly came as a surprise.

Based on the Lord of the Rings books (sort of) and set long before the events of the original film trilogy, season 1 became "one of the top original series for Prime Video, viewed by more than 100 million people worldwide, and driving more Prime sign-ups worldwide during its launch window than any other previous content to date," the streamer confirmed in a statement.

Who will return as part of The Rings of Power season 2 cast?

We're expecting to see the following cast members in The Rings of Power season 2:

• Morfydd Clark as Galadriel
• Charlie Vickers as Sauron
• Markella Kavenagh as Elanor 'Nori' Brandyfoot
• Robert Aramayo as Elrond
• Benjamin Walker as High King Gil-galad
• Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir
• Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn
• Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo
• Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor
• Daniel Weyman as The Stranger
• Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV
• Sophia Nomvete as Princess Disa
• Peter Mullan as King Durin III
• Lloyd Owen as Elendil
• Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Regent Míriel
• Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn
• Maxim Baldry as Isildur
• Ema Horvath as Eärien
• Joseph Mawle as Adar
• Geoff Morrell as Waldreg
• Leon Wadham as Kemen
• Alex Tarrant as Valandil
• Rory Kinnear as Tom Bombadil
• Will Keen as TBC
• Oliver Alvin-Wilson as TBC
• Stuart Bowman as TBC
• Gavi Singh Chera as TBC
• William Chubb as TBC
• Kevin Eldon as TBC
• Selina Lo as TBC
• Calam Lynch as TBC
• Ciarán Hinds as TBC
• Tanya Moodie as TBC
• Amelia Kenworthy as TBC

As detailed above, Rory Kinnear has joined the cast of season 2 as Tom Bombadil, who is somewhat of an enigma in JRR Tolkien’s novel, and was cut from previous screen adaptations of the popular fantasy books.

“There’s a reason why he hasn’t been in prior adaptations, because in some ways he’s sort of an anti-dramatic character,” The Rings of Power showrunner JD Payne explained to Vanity Fair in an exclusive first look.

“He’s not a character who has a particularly strong agenda. He observes drama, but largely doesn’t participate in it. In The Fellowship of the Ring, the characters kind of just go there and hang out for a while, and Tom drops some knowledge on them.”

“Knowledge that’s not particularly relevant to anything that they’re doing or about to do,” showrunner Patrick McKay added.

In exclusive photos published by VF, Kinnear is shown in action with an overgrown beard and donning a light blue cape and a wizard cap. He’s shown meeting with the Stranger from season 1.

It was also previously announced that Ciarán Hinds and Tanya Moodie are joining the cast in recurring roles – although their characters are currently being kept under wraps.

Also joining the second instalment are cast members Will Keen, who played Father MacPhail in His Dark Materials, Oliver Alvin-Wilson (Collateral, Lovesick), Stuart Bowman (The Pact), Gavi Singh Chera (Vera), The Sandman's William Chubb, and Game of Thrones star Kevin Eldon.

They join the main Rings of Power cast, most of whom are expected to return, including Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), Elrond (Robert Aramayo), The Stranger (Daniel Weyman), Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh), and Sauron (Charlie Vickers).

It's unclear at this stage how the Harfoot community will be included, as the likes of Poppy Proudfellow (Megan Richards) and the Brandyfoot clan went their separate ways to Nori who is bound on an adventure with The Stranger.

Doubt over whether they would return for season 2, however, seem to have been resolved by Prime Vidoe's recent synopsis, which includes the Harfoots, and teases turmoil for them and the rest of Middle Earth's races.

"Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other," it read.

On their return, showrunner Patrick McKay told RadioTimes.com and other press: "I mean, 100 per cent, the idea of Nori having this parting with Poppy and her mother and her father and the reunion? Oh, my God, when do we get to play that?

"Those are important characters. The role of the Harfoots in the world is a huge one over the whole season; these are not people who have a home, right? The first thing you think of when you think of hobbits is, 'Well, they're in the Shire.' And part of the epic, I think, Second Age, is like, ‘Well, where did those people come from?’ Hopefully, it's a winding journey to get there, but all those people have a role to play in it.

"And one of the things we love about these kinds of shows is that eventually, they get dozens of interesting characters. You know, they can be gone for an entire season, they can pop back in a season and a half down the road, and then suddenly, it's like, 'Oh, my gosh, I love those people, and then they bring an entirely new flavour back.'"

Meanwhile, the mysterious trio from Rhûn led by The Dweller (Bridie Sisson) appear to have been destroyed by The Stranger in the season 1 finale.

A definitive casualty was the wise Harfoot named Sadoc Burrows (Sir Lenny Henry) who perished in the finale at the hands of the figures from Rhûn, so it seems unlikely he would return.

However, when asked exclusively by RadioTimes.com while at the National Television Awards whether he would be back for season 2, Henry said: "I can't tell you, I would have to kill you."

Asked if he would want to be back he said: "Yeah, of course!"

Henry was speaking ahead of the finale airing, so it's possible he just wanted to keep his character's death a secret – but when dealing with a fantasy world, of course nothing is impossible.

Finally, King Tar-Palantír (Ken Blackburn) passed away in the finale, leaving questions about what will come next for his island kingdom of Númenor.

Elsewhere, the showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay teased new additions to the cast, including the Elven ring bearer named Círdan.

Patrick McKay stated: "I think it's come out that Círdan is going to be a character next season. So he's a ring bearer, as they say."

There will be multiple major characters from the canon of Tolkien’s work in addition to new original characters.

It is worth bearing in mind that the potential appearance of Galadriel’s husband Celeborn was previously hinted at by both actress Morfydd Clark and the showrunners.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com, Morfydd Clark discussed Galadriel's grief over Celeborn. She noted: "I feel that she thinks that he is dead. But she hasn't mentioned it to anyone else but Theo.

“And I took that as it's so painful to talk about - the fact that he might be gone - and so it's kind of even more so than her brother to a degree.”

She added: “So I feel that when or if we meet Celeborn, we will meet someone who truly knows Galadriel.”

Meanwhile, the first season confirmed that Elendil's other son Anárion exists in the show but lives in another part of Númenor. Could we see Anárion reunited with his father and siblings in the next season?

What could the plot of The Rings of Power season 2 be?

In a press release announcing the season 2 trailer, Prime Video teased what's to come.

"Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will," it read.

The statement also said that the new season would plunge "even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity".

Director Charlotte Brändström had recently teased that season 2 would be "darker" and "edgier", which certainly checks out with the synopsis.

She said (via ScreenRant): “What I know and what I can say for a fact is that it's going to be darker, and it's going to be edgier and more character driven.

"I still think that we have some very interesting episodes coming up. I watched all of them over Christmas, just the cuts. I think it's going to be a very good season. We tried to make it more gritty, a little bit more dirty I guess. And not in the image, but to make it as authentic as possible. We have some very surprising twists and turns in it as well.”

Plus, there are multiple plot threads to continue in the second season of The Rings of Power. Firstly, the threat of Sauron remains, as does that of Adar and his Orcs in Mordor.

The future stability and existence of Nùmenor also remain a key issue, as does The Stranger’s quest to Rhûn with Nori Brandyfoot by his side.

The future of Elves, Dwarves and Harfoots are all of vital importance too, but the chief thread of all will be the uses and creations of the Rings of Power.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press, McKay said: "'Why would Elves need rings? Why would they want rings? Why would this guy have an offer that would be tempting for them?' is very much what the entire first season is sort of building to.

"The first conversations about the show [revolved around] the idea of Galadriel on one journey, looking for a military solution to the darkness in Middle-earth, and Elrond on another journey going to Moria and trying to make an alliance that would be a solution to Middle-earth. And then, in the end, they would both fail and come together and someone would be there to say, 'I know a third way.' And so, the first season is about the Elven rings.

"The second season is very much about more rings. The song at the end, [of season 1], by Fiona Apple - which is like crazy dream come true – suggests there's Three, then there's Seven. Why would the Dwarves be desperate for rings? And how do they get seduced? And how do they get fooled? And then Men is an even more complex story.

"There are Nine leaders of Men who want power, and so each of those rings and the forging of them is not just like, 'Now the magic thing got made', but a story to be told. And I think there are other stories to be told as well, but certainly, we've kicked it off and next season is gonna go deeper into it."

Meanwhile, where does Sauron fit into the next season now his ruse as Halbrand has been exposed to Galadriel? In the trailer, he is sporting a brand new, elf-like look, seemingly confirming his deceiving ways will continue in season 2.

Actor Charlie Vickers told RadioTimes.com: "So I know where the next season is going. But obviously, I can't discuss that."

However, he did tease of Sauron's relationship with Adar: "But it's certainly something that I was eager to discover and like things we've learned about as we've begun the second season, but there is a rich history there between the two of them. And I think that you see that in the sixth episode, you see that there's something complex and some kind of, you know, a long-standing relationship there. Which I think will be really interesting to watch unfold as the show goes on."

The Rings of Power season 2 trailer

Prime Video released the first trailer for the fantasy series in May ahead of its release. You can watch it below.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 is on Amazon Prime Video – you can sign up now for a free 30-day Prime Video trial.

If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide, or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.