The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, a series which has been viewed by more than 100 million people worldwide since launching on Prime Video earlier this year, has confirmed three directors for the upcoming second season, currently in production in the UK.
The three directors - Charlotte Brändström, Sanaa Hamri, and Louise Hooper – will each be at the helm of multiple episodes for season two which is now confirmed to consist of eight episodes.
Brändström, who directed two highly acclaimed episodes of The Rings of Power’s first season ("Udûn" and "The Eye"), will be directing four episodes and will also serve as co-executive producer for the series this season. Hamri and Hooper will each be directing two episodes. Brändström and Hamri also both have overall deals with Amazon Studios.
Brändström's television credits include Jupiter’s Legacy and The Witcher, while upcoming projects include The Continental with Mel Gibson for Starz, The Consultant with Christoph Waltz for Prime Video, and Shōgun for FX.
Hamri recently completed executive producing and directing The Wheel of Time's second season for Prime Video, and counts Empire, Shameless, Rectify, Nashville, Elementary, Glee, and Desperate Housewives among her many credits.
As for Hooper, we're sure you'll recognise her name from her impressive work on The Sandman and The Witcher.
Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is produced by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay.
They are joined by executive producers Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, and Gennifer Hutchison, along with co-executive producer Charlotte Brändström, producers Kate Hazell and Helen Shang, and co-producers Andrew Lee, Matthew Penry-Davey, and Clare Buxton.
There's been a lot of scepticism surrounding the decision to shift production from New Zealand to the UK, with many fans wondering if it's some sort of cost-cutting measure that will negatively impact the show's visuals. We'll see, but it's hard not to be excited about returning to Middle-earth, even if it's just to learn more about Sauron!
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 is expected to premiere on Prime Video in 2024.