The first trailer for "The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power" season two depicts Sauron (Charlie Vickers) causing chaos in Middle-earth.
Amazon Prime Video
Sauron is making his return to Middle-earth in the second season of "The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power", where the Dark Lord will be front and center.
Amazon dropped the first trailer for the new season on Tuesday May 14.
The footage suggests that Galadriel and the combined forces of men, elves, and dwarves will struggle to keep Sauron at bay as he attempts to reshape Middle-earth.
The second season finished filming in June 2023, according to Deadline, after choosing to shift production from New Zealand. It's due to air in the summer.
The "Rings of Power" season 2 trailer confirmed that the show will return to Amazon Prime Video on August 29. The footage shows Galadriel, the elves, and the dwarves all reckoning with the fact that Sauron is plotting to overthrow Middle-earth.
It shows off the huge scope of the fantasy series, showcasing plenty of terrifying creatures, dramatic scenery, and battles.
J.D. Payne told The Hollywood Reporter that the show will take the same approach with Sauron this season as it did with Galadriel in the first.
Amazon
Payne said: "Season one opens with: Who is Galadriel? Where did she come from? What did she suffer? Why is she driven? We're doing the same thing with Sauron in season two. We'll fill in all the missing pieces."
Payne's creative partner, Patrick McKay, said they treated Sauron as an antihero rather than the straight-up epitome of evil from the "Lord of the Rings" movies.
"Sauron can now just be Sauron. Like Tony Soprano or Walter White. He's evil but complexly evil. We felt like if we did that in season one, he'd overshadow everything else. So the first season is like 'Batman Begins,' and 'The Dark Knight' is the next movie, with Sauron maneuvering out in the open."
THR also confirmed that a key character will appear in season two to stand against the creation of the rings, an elf called Círdan.
Círdan is one of the oldest elves in Middle-earth and opposed the creation of the rings. However his advice is ignored, and he's eventually given Naraya, the ring of fire. That's the one seen in the finale with the red jewel attached to it. However, Amazon hasn't yet announced who is playing Círdan.
Things are going to get darker as Sauron amasses more power, Payne previously told THR. That, he said, was part of what makes these stories so great in the first place.
"That's the secret sauce of Tolkien right there. The grimmer things get, the more those pops of light have a contrast to bounce off of," said the cocreator.
He added: "That's what's beautiful about Tolkien. Even in points of complete despair, you can have two halflings look at each other and say, 'I'm glad you're here with me.'"
So, expect darkness and beauty when "The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power" season two arrives on August 29.
