The Rings of Power Season 2: What Is the Exact Release Date and Time in Australia?

It is once again time to return to Middle Earth as the release date of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (TLotR: TRoP) Season 2 approaches. Following a surprising twist at the end of Season 1, we’re all eager to see what happens next in the Second Age and, luckily, we have a few hints of where things will go in The Rings of Power Season 2.

The Rings of Power Season 2: Release date

The Rings of Power’s first season dropped back in 2022, so it’s been a long two-year wait for the next season. But just like its fantasy rival, House of the Dragon, The Rings of Power will be back for a new season in 2024, and it’s not far away.

August 29, 2024 is the release date for The Rings of Power Season 2. The episode rollout is currently unclear but it’s likely the series may do a double-episode premiere, followed by weekly episodes on Thursdays.

What time will new episodes drop?

We’re also yet to confirm a release time for new Rings of Power episodes, but we can assume it will be similar to Prime Video’s other weekly release, The Boys, in which case release times would be:

• 5:00 pm AEST
• 4:30 pm ACST
• 3:00 pm AWST

Where to watch The Rings of Power in Australia

Both Season 1 and Season 2 of The Rings of Power stream exclusively on Prime Video.

Cast and characters in Amazon’s Lord of the Rings TV show

The Rings of Power takes place in the age prior to The Lord of the Rings, but thanks to the immortal nature of many of the characters, you’ll recognise a few names who are being portrayed as their younger selves.

Returning this season is Morfydd Clark as Galadriel (an elf made famous in LOTR by Cate Blanchett), Robert Aramayo as another familiar face, Elrond (played by Hugo Weaving in the films) and High King Gil-Galad (played by Mark Ferguson in the films) is portrayed by Benjamin Walker. The prestigious elf Celebrimbor is played by Charles Edwards.

In place of hobbits, we have harfoots in TRoP who are played by Markella Kavenagh (Nori), Megan Richards (Poppy), Sara Zwangobani (Marigold) and Dylan Smith (Largo), while their mysterious human friend (nicknamed the Stranger) is played by Daniel Weyman.

Elven warrior Arondel is played by Ismael Cruz Cordova. His human love interest Bronwyn was played by Nazanin Boniadi, but it’s been confirmed she will not be returning for Season 2. Bronwyn’s son Theo, is played by Tyroe Muhafidin.

We also see the Dwarves return in Rings of Power, with King Durin III played by Peter Mullan, his son Prince Durin played by Owain Arthur and his wife Princess Disa portrayed by Sophia Nomvete.

Rounding out the human contingent in Númenor is Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Miriel, Lloyd Owen as Elendil and his children Isildur (Maxim Baldry) and Eärien (Ema Horvath).

Lastly, we can’t forget the surprise twist of last season, when Sauron’s true face was revealed, and he will once again be played by Charlie Vickers. His servant, Adar, was previously portrayed by Joseph Mawle but will be played by Samuel Hazeldine in this season.

You can read more about the Rings of Power characters and their roles here.

As for new characters in Season 2 of The Rings of Power, we can expect a few, but the main new addition is Rory Kinnear as the legendary Tom Bombadil, a character integral to The Lord of the Rings lore, but as of yet unseen on screen. Bombadil is a wise character in Tolkien’s stories who embodies the spirit of discovery and is depicted as a jovial character in yellow boots, blue jacket and a feathered hat.

The Rings of Power Season 2: Story and plot details

As a quick recap, The Rings of Power is based on Tolkien’s wider works, including the Silmarillion, and is set in the Second Age, aka the time when the great Rings of Power were forged, only for Sauron to rise and seize the One Ring and go to war with the elves and men.

Last season we saw three rings of power forged, Sauron’s true identity revealed, learned of the Stranger’s quest to Rhûn and the Southlands claimed by the Orcs and dubbed Mordor. This sets things up for a pretty epic Season 2. Here’s the synopsis from Prime Video:

In season two of The Rings of Power, Sauron has returned. 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. Building on season one’s epic scope and ambition, the new season plunges 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. 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.

In a preview with Total Film, showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne teased that the new season of Rings of Power is “all about the villains”.

“This time, Sauron’s agenda sets everything in motion: Adar and his army of orcs; Galadriel, Elrond and Gil-galadand their armies of elves – all of which will come crashing together in the most ambitious battle our show has seen yet, a battle from which many big players may not make it out alive,” they said.

The showrunners also said Celebrimbor would be stepping up as a leading character more and that new episodes would explore the fractured relationship between the Durin family.

The Rings of Power Season 2: Trailer

Along with a release date, we’ve also had our first trailer for The Rings of Power Season 2.

The trailer shows Sauron’s continuing rise to power and also the forging of more fabled rings of power. Plus, thanks to that budget, the series still looks stunning.

What is Amazon’s budget for the new Lord of the Rings TV Show?

The Rings of Power made headlines during its production, as the series’ production budget was expected to be one of the highest ever. Not only did Amazon spend an estimated $250 million to acquire the rights to Tolkien’s works, but The Hollywood Reporter forecast that the series was expected to cost over $1 billion and that Amazon had committed to five seasons.

Exact budget numbers for the first season have not been revealed, but The Wall Street Journal estimated that between the costly rights agreement and the first season budget, the money spent would be close to $715 million. The budget for Season 2 has not been disclosed.

Has Rings of Power been cancelled?

While a third season of The Rings of Power has not been confirmed yet this doesn’t mean the series is cancelled.

As mentioned, when Amazon scored the rights to Tolkien’s work it was with the hope of creating a five-season show, so as long as the series continues to draw viewers we can expect further seasons.

Further evidence of a potential Season 3 came when THR reported that showrunners McKay and Payne had signed a three-year deal with Amazon MGM studios, which suggests they’ll be working on the series for at least three seasons.

We’ll keep you posted in the coming weeks as more news on Rings of Power Season 2 is announced.

Lead Image Credit: Prime Video