A Shapeshifting Sauron Dominated the The Rings of Power's SDCC Trailer The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power co-showrunner and executive producer Patrick McKay discusses why the series chose to push back Sauron’s origin story.

Speaking to ScreenRant, McKay explained that, while the initial plan to was to delve into Sauron’s backstory in the series’ first season, much of that was instead moved to the opening of Season 2. “Yeah, at one point we wanted to include some of that material in Season 1, but we felt that the storyline benefited even more if we kept it for the top of Season 2,” McKay said. “So yeah, we did know this backstory, and we’ve always had a plan for the general, high-level trajectory of characters and storylines.”

McKay continued, “But one of the first ideas, in terms of scene work and the kind of beat and rhythm of the piece of Season 2 was that we would start with Sauron’s origin story within the show, the way that first season starts with Galadriel’s origin story within the show… So yeah, quite early. I would say we’ve been working on this for four years now. This particular season, we started writing in the middle of the pandemic when we were still making Season 1. So long way.”

This particular season, we started writing in the middle of the pandemic when we were still making Season 1.

Based largely on supplemental material and appendices from J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings novel, Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power debuted on Sep. 1, 2022 to mostly positie reviews from both critics and audiences. Set thousands of years prior to the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the series focuses on the Second Age of Middle-earth, including the forging of the Rings of Power, Sauron’s rise as the Dark Lord, and the last living alliance between the elven kingdoms and those of humankind. The series boasts an impressive cast of leading and featured actors, such as stars Morfydd Clark, who portrays Galadriel, Lenny Henry as Sadoc Burrows, Robert Aramayo as Elrond, Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir, Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn.

In July, Amazon MGM Studios television head Vernon Sanders gave fans an idea of what to expect from the upcoming second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, saying, “I think it’s a season that absolutely builds on the momentum of Season 1 and it takes the show to really exciting places.” Sanders continued, “We are really bullish but humble about Season 2… we think there’s just incredible stuff, just the performances alone are breathtaking. And we’re really excited to already be in discussions about the direction for seasons beyond.”

Season 2 Continues the Story on Aug. 29

The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is slated to explore multiple beloved characters and concepts. Apart from offering fans a glimpse into the origins of the Dark Lord Sauron, The Rings of Power Season

2 marks the on-screen debut of Tom Bombadil, one of the oldest and most powerful figures in the entirety of Middle-earth canon. Described as both “the oldest in existence” and the “master of wood, water and hill,” Tom Bombadil has long been a fan-favorite. Rory Kinnear will be bringing Tom Bombadil to life on the small screen, though it remains to be seen whether he will play the same sort of role in The Rings of Power as he did in Tolkien’s books.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1 is currently available for streaming on Prime Video. Season 2 is slated to premiere on August 29.