Rings of Power Season 2 begins production in the UK

With ratings as powerful as the One Ring, Rings of Power is returning for Season 2, but this time it will be filmed in the United Kingdom.

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is reaching the endgame now for its first season, so fans are both gearing up for the finale, and also wondering what will happen next.

The show has been slated for a second season, so viewers may be expecting the series and its crew to head back towards New Zealand, the country now famous for its Middle-earth filming locations.

However, turns out that like the many characters traversing their fantastical world, the next season of Rings of Power will be traveling somewhere new: the UK

Rings of Power Season 2 will move to the U.K. for economic reasons

Production for Rings of Power Season 2, which will have 8 episodes, has just begun this Monday at the Bray Studios, which is just outside of London.

The first season, which also has 8 episodes, was filmed over 18 months in the franchise’s usual spot of New Zealand during global restrictions. It may seem odd to fans that New Zealand will no longer be the main filming location, but it seems that Amazon has moved the show to the UK as it is considered more economical, and it is also where the company is establishing a multi-show hub.

This follows the recent news of the show’s first official Nielsen ratings being released. The Rings of Power topped streaming charts during its debut week with 1.3 billion minutes viewed, which is a significant achievement considering that only two hours (two episodes) had been released at the time.

Concrete details for the show’s second season are few and far between, since Season 1 hasn’t even ended yet, but the series will continue the tale of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fabled Second Age, which covers Sauron overtaking Middle-earth. Full casting announcements are also yet to be made, but we will likely see many familiar faces from Season 1, along with some new ones.

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Episode 7 will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on October 7. You can read our review of the last episode here.