Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is unlikely to come out in 2023.

Speaking with Collider, Amazon Studios' Vernon Sanders admitted it is "more unlikely than likely" that new episodes will come out next year, setting 2024 as more of a realistic window. "It would be amazing if we could get Season 2 out within a year of Season 1’s release," he admitted, noting that "we're doing everything we can, and we're going to get better and faster as we go." He continued, saying, "Certainly, the production, what we've learned in Season 1, has taught us things that we're applying in Season 2, and so far we set a goal for ourselves of when we want that show to be released, and we are on track and on plan."

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According to showrunner Patrick McKay, the new season of Rings of Power, which is currently filming in Bray Studios outside of London, England, will be worth the wait. He teased that the new episodes of the Lord of the Rings series will be "bigger and better" on "every level... by an order of magnitude."

The Rings of Power Season 2 Will Raise the Stakes

The show's executive producer, Lindsey Weber, jumped on board with that statement, explaining that Season 2 of Rings of Power will actually contain multiple big moments that were originally meant to be included in Season 1. "There are things that we saved that were going to be in the final bit of the season that we thought, oh, just it’s too big right now to do," she explained, noting that the Rings of Power creators wanted to "save" these things for later. "I think it’s really exciting to be exploring them and have the room to do it the way we really wanted to, so we weren’t giving anything short shrift," she added.

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Some of these moments might have to do with The Rings of Power's main villain, Sauron, whose identity is finally out in the open. Weber teased that now Sauron is "out and about and doing his thing," the show will be "grittier, more intense," and "maybe a little scarier." Sauron actor Charlie Vickers admitted that he hopes the newly revealed identity of his character brings up some complicated feelings for viewers, too, noting that the show has gotten viewers to unknowingly "root for him," adding that that's something he hopes to continue to "achieve in the second season."

Season 1 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is available to watch on Prime Video.

Source: Collider