The Rings of Power Season 2 Leak Details Epic Battle
LoTR's intense battle at Helm's Deep left pretty big shoes to fill.
Production of Season 2 of The Rings of Power had already started at Bray Studios in the UK, as evidenced by pics of the new sets, which had already leaked on Twitter.
Meanwhile, showrunners, writers and actors give us hints about what to expect from Season 2. While most of the specifics are obviously guarded as closely as military secrets, the plan looks spectacular: the showrunners plan to introduce more iconic locations, more kingdom and peoples, more characters from the Middle-Earth literary canon, such as Cirdan the Shipwright, and an epic two-episode battle. Patrick McKay, one of the showrunners, says that the aim of season two is to be "bigger and better" on "every level … by an order of magnitude".
Sound ambitious, but not impossible – after all, Season 1 had already laid a foundation for the series in many aspects, from plot to costumes, so now they can use this foundation to up the scale.
What else do we know about events to come? Both common sense and interviews indicate that Dark Lord Sauron will play a different and bigger role the next season. When asked if Season 2 will retell Sauron's history and how he got to where he's at, McKay told Deadline: "I would say that those are all good questions and questions need answering."
Also, The Rings of Powers' executive producer Lindsey Weber said about the new season: "I think in some ways, it's going to grittier, more intense, maybe a little scarier." This in all likelihood indicates that the Dark Lord's shadow is going to cover much more of the plot, as he abandons guises and deception to openly rule newly-created Mordor and lead armies, possibly resulting in the battle teased above.
To counterbalance that growing darkness, we certainly also can also look forward towards heartwarming adventures of a wizard and a halfling. The Stranger and Nori are going on an adventure of discovery – of self-discovery in the case of the Stranger, who still cannot even recall his own name – and it is quite obvious that a few seasons down the road they are destined to foil Sauron's plans. For Season 2, though, their main job is likely to be learning about the world and providing some contrast to the scenes, devoted to high rulers, ominous artifacts and the Dark Lord's scheming.
However, seeing whether hints and predictions are true might require some patience. The production cycle of the Rings of Power is not going to get any shorter for now, perhaps due to the very aspirations to make the project grander. It is estimated, that completing Season 2 will take a couple of years, with the release late in 2024.