Cover Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cast in Singapore for the premiere screening of Season 2 (Photo: Prime Video)
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cast in Singapore for the premiere screening of Season 2 (Photo: Prime Video)
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As anticipation builds for the second season of Amazon’s epic series, we delve into the production secrets, character arcs and rich lore that will shape the next chapter in Middle-earth. Spoilers ahead for the first season
It has been two years since the final episode of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s first season aired. Now, fans of the show will not need to wait much longer as the second season is set to be released on Prime Video on August 29.
Adapted from The Lord of the Rings trilogy, this series is set thousands of years before J.R.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and tells the story of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history.
The series’ executive producer John D Payne shares how Season 1 has set the board for the upcoming episodes. “If Season One is about heroes, Season Two is about the villains,” he says, adding how Sauron (played by Charlie Vickers) and Celebrimbor (played by Charles Edwards) come into the spotlight in the newest season. “They give a tour de force performance that we’re excited for people to see,” he muses. At the same time, the new season also sees the return of the Harfoots who embark on a journey with a mysterious stranger.
Director Charlotte Brandstrom shares how there’s more room to get “darker, more dramatic, edgier and dangerous” as they delve into specific characters.
In case you missed it: 4 things to know before you watch ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ on Amazon Prime
Above Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cast in Singapore (Photo: Prime Video)
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cast in Singapore (Photo: Prime Video)
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The new season also comes with a new filming location. While the first season was entirely filmed in New Zealand, the latest season saw the cast travelling to the UK. Megan Richards who plays Poppy Proudfellow in the series shares how filming the first season in New Zealand was “an incredible grounding place”. That being said, filming spending six weeks in Tenerife filming the upcoming episodes was “phenomenal” and allowed them to “expand the community of people working on the show”.
Filming in a new location also came with unexpected challenges, like the weather. Ismael Cruz Cordova who plays Arondir in the series shares how it was so cold that they needed multiple takes as his “jaw just wouldn’t stop moving”. He continues: “it was minus degrees in a forest, it was snowing and [my costume] had no sleeves.”
From stunning new landscapes to deeper character explorations, the second season promises to elevate the stakes in Tolkien’s universe.
Prior to the launch, Prime Video held an exclusive premiere screening in Singapore. We sat down with the show’s cast to get insight on what we can expect from the exciting new season.
Charles, your character Celebrimbor is known for his ambition and craftsmanship. How do you balance his brilliance and vulnerabilities in your portrayal?
Charles Edwards (CE): I wanted it to be an inner battle between the two things but then when exterior influences appear, it starts to tamper with that balance and then things go slightly wrong.
Charlie, how does your portrayal of Sauron evolve, especially after his identity has been revealed in Season 1?
Charlie Vickers (CV): I think it evolves in ways that are necessary for him to achieve his goals. The first thing is that he needs to fully commit to is helping Celebrimbor achieve something great and that part of the manipulation is for him to convince Celebrimbor to work with him to craft these rings. I think that as the character evolves, starts to look different, talk differently and walk differently, that’s all for Celebrimbor.
What part of your character do you find most interesting?
CV: Sauron’s internal conflict is really interesting. It creates something that’s quite captivating to watch I think, and to see the struggle of someone who’s dealing with something inside. For Sauron, a lot of it is about his desire to create perfection and order, and his need for it to happen fast.
What does portraying such iconic characters mean to you?
CE: It means an enormous amount because it’s a very important story in the Tolkien canon and I know a lot of people are looking forward to seeing how we do it. So yes, it’s a responsibility but in a bit of an excellent way, because we’re the first. It’s never been adapted or shown visually before so we’re very excited about that.
CV: It means so much simply because we know how much people care about it and us as fans have been so eager to tell this story in the same manner. Since discovering this part of Tolkien’s legendary, we have become incredibly excited to share this story with everyone else.
What personal connection do you have to the Tolkien universe?
CE: I discovered it when I was quite small with the Hobbit and the [Lord of the Rings] books. I became very obsessed with it when I was younger and there was a movie that I loved when I was a kid. So yes, I’ve been a lifelong fan.
CV: I’ve loved it since I was a kid but only because of the Peter Jackson films. I watched all the extended editions multiple times and I was right in that target audience for those films. I grew up with them being part of popular culture but I never read the books. The first time I did was when I got cast in this show.
What can fans expect in terms of expanded lore and deeper divers into Middle Earth mythology from this season?
Tyroe Muhafidin (TM): The second season is on the appendices of the original trilogy and also the Silmarillion (a collection of myths and stories written by Tolkien) and we’re gonna get to dive into that, which is exciting.
Do you have any memorable moments while on set?
CE: We have many memorable moments because each day was a real joy to be part of. everyone on that set was totally focused on bringing this story forward and it was a real feeling of unity, not only from us but from all the creatives and everyone involved.
CV: There are some really special scenes towards the end of the season between Celebrimbor and Sauron where things start to get very intense. And also there’s a moment in the prologue of the show where I do a stunt underwater. I got blasted outside of the ship and that was incredibly challenging. I was getting pulled on this rope under the ocean and it was very cool.
TM: This season has these wonderful and very Tolkien-y moments that just feel so magical. I feel like they’re going to make for iconic television moments and I’m very lucky that my character has one of those.
Amanda Goh was the former senior writer for Tatler Singapore.
