Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power undergoes major change for season 2

A key feature of The Lord of the Rings TV show’s debut season has shifted dramatically for the long-awaited new chapter.

The Tolkien Estate may have ownership over all things Middle-earth, but – as anyone who has travelled to New Zealand for even the most brief visit would know – a significant chunk also belongs to our Kiwi neighbours (albeit less officially).

Legendary North Island-born director Peter Jackson gifted his country a permanent and significant role in the enduring Tolkien legacy when he filmed his blockbuster Lord of the Rings trilogy there over the course of several years.

More than 20 years later, when Prime Video announced it was bringing more of the story to our screens through its The Rings of Power series, many fans were delighted to learn production was once again returning to New Zealand.

However, after season one wrapped, the series’ base for future episodes was shifted to the United Kingdom. It’s Tolkien’s own home country, yes, and the inspiration for many of his landscapes – but after so many years with New Zealand as our Middle-earth proxy, would it feel unfamiliar to fans?

“This [England] is where Tolkien was writing about. This is the environment that he was reflecting in the actual texts – so in some ways, we feel like we’re bringing the Lord of the Rings home,” The Rings of Power’s co-showrunner Patrick McKay told news.com.au ahead of season two’s premiere on August 29.

“We always want every frame of the show and every world in the show to feel real and to feel grounded in an environment.

“We want you to feel the air and the mist and the grass and the trees, and we always wanted it to feel like Middle-earth.

“So while we shot season one in New Zealand and we shot season two here in the UK, in a perfect world, there’s a real continuity of look … and the extent to which it changes should also reflect the environments the characters are going to, and what’s going on emotionally in the story.”

Galadriel (played by Morfydd Clark) in The Rings of Power. Picture: Prime Video

McKay and Payne also addressed the big move at San Diego Comic-Con last month, admitting that the decision to move the production was “above our pay grade”.

“Ultimately, coming to [the United Kingdom] has its own benefits and I think it really shows, creatively,” McKay explained, with Payne adding that glimpses of New Zealand would still be woven into episodes.

“We shot dozens of hours of aerial photo photography [there], so it’ll continue to be a part of Middle-earth for many years to come,” he said.

This season is all about Sauron, played by Aussie actor Charlie Vickers. Picture: Prime Video

The Rings of Power season two is once again set in Tolkien’s Second Age, thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books, and will continue focusing on the unfolding battle to save Middle-earth.

Unlike season one, however, mysterious and seemingly-friendly stranger Halbrand (played by Australian actor Charlie Vickers) has now been unmasked as the evil Sauron, and our key players are in a race against time to prevent him gaining further ground in his bid to bend the minds of everyone to his will.

Elrond (Robert Aramyo) is on the side trying to stop the infamous villain. Picture: Prime Video

Ahead of the series making its long-awaited return this week, Payne and McKay teased a mammoth battle set to unfold over multiple episodes, promising that it’s “10 times” more dramatic than the series’ previous action.

“The back half of the season, there are multiple episodes of a siege of a medieval city, which takes place over months, with massive armies from at least three different contingents,” McKay revealed.

“Season two is like times 10 [of season one’s action sequences], where there’s thousands of orcs attacking the city, then there’s hundreds of horses charge on the orcs, horses and orcs battle.”

Fans can expect “night-fighting in the mud”, “catapults planting boulders”, “an aerial bombardment portion” … and “a huge, very epic fight with a gigantic, 18-foot troll,” according to McKay.

“So you’ve got set piece after set piece after set piece, which are hopefully pulling you in all these different directions – it’s like a rollercoaster ride,” he explained, before adding candidly:

“That peaks, dare I say, in episode seven, but keeps on going into episode eight.”

The first three episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 will be available on Prime Video from August 29, with the remaining five released weekly.

Originally published as Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power undergoes major change for season 2