After setting the record as the most expensive TV show ever made, Amazon Prime Video's "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" is set to return to a possibly equally expensive season. J.R.R.The series, set in the world of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings", is not directly based on any of his novels, but will further explore the world of Middle・Earth in the period thousands of years before the events of Tolkien's book, debuting its 8・episode second season on May 8.

The evil wizard Sauron (Charlie Vickers), the elves Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Elrond (Robert Aramayo), familiar from the later "Lord of the Rings" story, continue their efforts to oppose him. 

The first season received mixed reactions from both critics and viewers, but it still stands as Prime Video's most-watched series, and the next installment, given how much money Amazon has sunk into the "wheel of power," is not going to give up efforts to turn it into a phenomenon.

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As announced in Amazon's first pre-presentation for advertisers in May, "Lord of the Rings: The Ring of Power" Season 2 will premiere on May 2, almost 8-29 years after the premiere of the first season. The first 8 episodes of the 3-episode season will be available on the day and the remaining 5 episodes will be removed weekly until 10/3. 

This is an additional premiere episode compared to the first season, which debuted only 2 episodes in the first week. Amazon may want a more powerful hook to get viewers invested in Season 2, and there may be a particularly spectacular sight to witness in Episode 3

The first season was produced in New Zealand, where director Peter Jackson shot his massive popular "Lord of the Rings" movie, but the production was not. He moved to England for the second season. This streamlined the production process and allowed the season to continue shooting, despite delays associated with the wga and SAG-AFTRA strikes, but faster turnaround times may come at the expense of some visual grandeur.

Released along with the premiere date announcement in May, the first trailer for "The Ring of Power" season 2 teases the further rise of the evil Wizard Sauron, which was revealed during the first season to be hiding under the guise of human Halbrand (Charlie Vickers). 

He is now open and active, and the trailer warns that "all souls in Middle-Earth are in danger" thanks to the arrival of Sauron. The trailer features a burst of action including a huge bridge collapse and lots of swordplay. It looks appropriately epic for the next stage of the story.

Part of the epic range of "The Ring of Power" is its vast cast led by Morphid Clark as the Elf warrior Galadriel. As Season 2 is set to expand the story further, the cast is also expanding, with at least 17 actors announced as new regular players, including famous character actors Ciaran Hinds and Rory Kinnear. It's already a massive main cast, plus most of it is expected to return to Season 2.

Given that such a large cast can be unwieldy, many of the new regular players may only show up easily. Aside from Sam Hazeldine, who is taking over the role of Adar from Season 1 actor Joseph Mawl, the new regular cast members have yet to reveal any details about the character.

Here's an overview of what we expect the main cast to look like in Season 2 of "The Rings of Power."

The official season 2 description of the Prime video says, "In Season 2 of 'The Rings of Power', Sauron is back. Driven out by Galadriel and without troops or allies, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of a ring of power that will allow him to unite all the people of Middle-Earth into his sinister will. Based on Season One's epic scope and ambition, the new season challenges each to plunge even the most beloved and vulnerable characters into the rising tide of darkness and find their place in a world increasingly on the brink of disaster. Elves and Dwarves, orcs and men, Wizards and Harfoots...Friendship is strained and the kingdom begins to destroy, and the forces of good, most of all...Struggle braver than ever to hold what is important to them to each other.

It clearly shows that the struggle with Sauron will be the main focus of the second season, along with the creation of a dangerous ring of power that will now openly pursue his sinister agenda and eventually reach the familiar characters Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. 

Showrunner J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay also told the Hollywood Reporter that not only will Sauron be the villain of Season 2, but that he will be closer to the main character, as Galadriel was in the first season."I felt that Sauron should be his own character," McKay told the Hollywood Reporter. "We wanted to study the flow that flows through him in such a way that rewards the audience when they follow him moving forward when he becomes the Dark Lord."

That's not to say that Sauron is not evil, and many of the new regular cast members come together in an epic battle with the Dark Wizard, so don't expect a final confrontation soon, as Amazon's licensing deal includes plans for a 5-to-10-episode season. 

Sauron, Galadriel and Elrond all remain still for a story set thousands of years later, so their battle rages. With less powerful characters, including Harfoots like Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh), you could encounter more inevitable fates as the series progresses.