We recently learned that Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear) will be introduced during season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and we now have confirmation that some far more nefarious creatures from the same never-adapted section of The Fellowship of the Ring will also make an appearance when the Prime Video series returns to our screens.
Empire Magazine has shared its Rings of Power season 2 covers along with a new still, and they feature Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, Charlie Vickers as Sauron (in both his previous Halbrand and new Annatar forms), and a first look at the terrifying Barrow-wights.
In J.R.R. Tolkien's book, the four hobbits encounter these undead horrors and almost come to a nasty end until Bombadil makes the save. We're not sure how they'll factor into the show, but the image suggests that it'll be Galadriel who runs into some eerie glowing fog on the Barrow Downs.
“The Barrow-wights are ancient, reanimated heroes, acting for evil against their will,” Rings Of Power VFX supervisor Jason Smith explains to Empire. “It was super-exciting to take on something I hadn’t seen before. We’ve seen undead before, but not like this. We’re doing a little horror movie in Middle-earth.”
"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 1’s epic scope and ambition, Season 2 of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power 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."
Returning cast members include Morfydd Clark, Benjamin Walker, Charles Edwards, Charlie Vickers, Markella Kavenagh, Nazanin Boniadi, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Tyroe Muhafidin, Maxim Baldry, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Owain Arthur, Trystan Gravelle, Ema Horvath, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Leon Wadham, Daniel Weyman, and Sara Zwangobani.
Sam Hazeldine (Peaky Blinders) replaces Joseph Mawle as Adar, with Ciarán Hinds (Game of Thrones), Rory Kinnear (Penny Dreadful), and Tanya Moodie (The Man Who Fell to Earth) joining the ensemble in key roles.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 returns to Prime Video on August 29.