‘The Rings of Power’ Trailer: Galadriel & Elrond at War, New Rings, Ents, Eagles & More (VIDEO)

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power just debuted its best trailer yet at San Diego Comic-Con. The action-packed footage features scores of battle scenes between Elves and Orcs, a string of fantastical creatures (including Ents and the Balrog!), and the first glimpse at the rings of power to be forged this season. The power of the rings seems to have a dark hold on certain ring bearers. A Rings of Power event at SDCC on July 25 put 19 rings on display (see below) — the total number of rings made for the Elves, Men, and Dwarves in the books. Is it possible that all 19 could be made in Season 2?

Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay were joined on the Hall H stage by over a dozen cast members from Season 2 to discuss the new episodes and debut the trailer. Fans may be most intrigued to see Elrond (Robert Aramayo) as a fierce warrior, not the eager diplomat seen in Season 1. The trailer also showed scenes with Tom Bombadil, a beloved book character who’s never been seen in a Tolkien adaptation before. He’s played by Rory Kinnear in the second season, premiering August 29 on Prime Video.

Elrond is one of the few characters in this series also seen in the Peter Jackson films, Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Isildur (Maxim Baldry) as well. Creatures from the film trilogies are also making their appearances in The Rings of Power Season 2. The fantastical, and sometimes frightening, creatures that will appear this season include a young Shelob (the giant spider that both Bilbo and Frodo faced — in the trailer, it appears that Isildur is crossing her path), the Ents, and Eagles. An army of Barrow-wights, Hill-troll Damrod, and a Sea Worm are also seen in the high-stakes clips.

#SDCC2024 night one! So far so good. Just got to see… something cool… now I’m off to hear… something cool…. then a few hours sleep…. then… something cool…. @TheRingsofPower #TheSingularity pic.twitter.com/9oHZQeF8jw

— Bear McCreary (@bearmccreary) July 26, 2024

TV Insider was on set for Season 2, and the showrunners sat down with our group of journalists for a long interview detailing the action to come. Payne and McKay excitedly talked in detail about the creatures we’ll see this season. An Ent family was briefly shown at the end of the pilot episode in 2022 but hasn’t been seen since. The showrunners are delighted to be highlighting the Ents this season.

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“We’re sure that they will spawn many memes, which is to say that in Middle-earth, the Ents justify the memes,” Payne joked as the interview ended, producing a collective, “Ahhhhhh” from our group. “This is what it’s like every day,” McKay joked back, both his and Payne’s faces beaming at the cheesy pun.

While the interviews were chipper, the scene we watched being filmed was not. We witnessed a fight sequence from one of the battle scenes above and were treated to a presentation showcasing the new ring designs. Charlie Vickers‘ Sauron is seen in his “fair” form, Annatar, this season and in the Comic-Con trailer. He appears in this form to Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards), the Elven smith who makes the rings of power. The power of the rings is teased throughout the trailer.

We also learned that Galadriel is “coming in hot” with leveled-up action sequences this season. Viewers get a taste of that in the trailer, as well as exciting glimpses at Ismael Cruz Córdova‘s Arondir, the breakout star of Season 1. High King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) and Isildur will also take part in the action as well, and Arondir and Isildur will make an unlikely duo that will be joined by the new character Estrid, played by Nia Towle. Númenor is also under threat of destabilization, and Nori (Markella Kavenagh) and the Stranger’s (Daniel Weyman) search for answers will take them to the deserts of Rhûn.

Here’s what Prime Video has to say about Season 2: “Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without an 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, the new season 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. As friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good — Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots — will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all: each other.”

Clark, Vickers, Aramayo, Baldry, Córdova, Walker, Edwards, Weyman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Trystan Gravelle, Sam Hazeldine, Ema Horvath, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, and Megan Richards were present at the Hall H panel. See them all in the trailer above.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Season 2 Premiere, Thursday, August 29, Prime Video