Prime Video unleashes its mega-budget adaptation of JRR Tolkien's Middle-earth on viewers this weekend, and the streamer is wasting no time in getting a second season off the ground.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was awarded an early season 2 renewal back in November 2019, which will be filmed in the UK as opposed to the franchise's traditional home of New Zealand.

In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay gave an update on the show's timeframe, revealing that they'll be preparing to shoot new episodes later this very month.

"We've written our drafts [for season 2]," began Payne. "We are a couple of weeks away from starting production."

In order to avoid the kind of disappointing finale that almost torpedoed the entire Game of Thrones franchise, the writing duo have gone into The Rings of Power knowing exactly what the final shot of the series will be.

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However, they assure us that there will still be room for improvisation and surprises over the course of the show's run, as they intend to explore as many corners of Tolkien's vast fantasy world as possible.

Ismael Cruz Córdova (Arondir)
Ismael Cruz Córdova (Arondir) Courtesy of Prime Video

McKay explained: "The metaphor we always use is like a road trip. If you're going to drive from London to Bristol, it's a couple of hours, and we're going to stop here and get gas, or we're going to stop there and get lunch.

"Then, maybe you see, 'Oh, there's an overlook here, I want to look at this beautiful view. And actually, what if we went along this way?' But you're still going to start in the same place and end in the same place."

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power stars a large ensemble cast including Morfydd Clark and Robert Aramayo as original trilogy characters Galadriel and Elrond.

Additional reporting by Steve O'Brien

Read more on The Rings of Power:

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episodes 1 and 2 are available now on Amazon Prime Video – you can sign up for a free 30-day Prime Video trial.

If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub.

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