How RINGS OF POWER’s Creators Explored Fellowship in Season 2
By Movieguide® Contributor
THE RINGS OF POWER creators are sharing their thoughts on the show’s second season, from the creative process to its major themes.
“It’s a constant process of invention, involving literally thousands of artists across the entire world,” J.D. Payne, one of the show’s creators, told Movieguide®.
Co-creator Patrick McKay added, “It is a lot of work. It takes years and thousands of people. It takes an army to make a season of this show, but I hope, you know, when people watch it, you can feel in every scene the amount of love and reverence that went into trying to adapt this world and bring it to life.”
“A lot of love went into this show, and a lot of hard work,” he finished.
An example of that hard work is Season 2’s Siege of Eregion, which McKay called “the most ambitious undertaking we’ve ever attempted on this show” in an interview with TechRadar.
“It took a year to prepare,” he continued. “And it took weeks to shoot. We had hundreds of extras, and an immeasurable amount of prosthetics made by Barrie and Sarah Gower. Then there’s the stunt work performed by our amazing stunt team, the pyrotechnics, our CGI troll, and then our producing director Charlotte Brandstrom and second unit director Vic Armstrong who captured it all on camera. It’s all of the things, all of the time, but we’re really proud of the result.”
The pair also spoke about the themes of friendship and fellowship in the Movieguide® Award-winning show.
“In every story, we’re getting a different prism on those Tolkeinian pairings and the ways that the battle between good and evil strains and strengthens friendships,” McKay explained, pointing to the relationships between Elendil and Queen Míriel, and Elrond and Galadriel.
Payne agreed, saying that the show focuses on the connection between friendship and fellowship.
“Something that goes along with that is fellowship, and fellowship has an element of friendship in it, but I think it’s something that goes even deeper,” he said. “It’s people who have that baseline friendship but are also bound together by a mutual obligation to the good. The way that they serve that good is going to change, and that’s sometimes where the conflict comes from, but they ultimately are bound together, and that bond, that fellowship is what allows even small people…to overcome great evil, simply by staying true to each other.”
McKay and Payne’s hard work is paying off — the second season has earned rave reviews, with Empire calling it “lavishly made, endlessly beautiful to watch and substantive enough to make you care.”
“This is fantasy at its absolute highest level,” the review continues. “It builds on the promise of that Season 1 finale to deliver a truly epic adventure.”
Movieguide® previously reported on RINGS OF POWER’s third season pick-up:
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER will return for a third season as showrunners Patrick McKay and JD Payne have extended their deal with Amazon MGM Studios for three years.
Per Deadline, “McKay and Payne wrote and executive produced season one of the hit, Emmy-nominated Prime Video series, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER which debuted in the fall of 2022. The series was the most-watch Amazon Original worldwide and debuted at No. 1 on the Nielsen streaming chart, remaining in the Top 4 throughout its initial run.”
While Season 2 has wrapped filming and will be released later this year, Amazon exec Vernon Sanders shared his enthusiasm for what’s next.
“We began this remarkable journey with JD and Patrick more than five and a half years ago and have never looked back,” said Sanders, Head of TV at Amazon MGM Studios. “We continue to be amazed by the scope and scale of their vision and the enormous global success achieved by THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER in its record-breaking first season. We can’t wait for Prime Video customers to experience the epic adventure and high-stakes drama that JD and Patrick are continuing to build throughout season two and beyond. Naturally, the studio is thrilled to extend our overall deal with these brilliant creative minds as they continue to deliver on their passion for great storytelling.”
- Content: +2Share:
- Content: +1