Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Entertainment
  2. TV
  3. Fantasy Shows
  4. Lord of the Rings TV Shows
  5. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Annatar's latest trick in The Rings of Power season 2 was brought to life by the most incredible practical effect we've seen in some time

News
By Bradley Russell published 23 September 2024

A day and night difference

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2
(Image credit: Prime Video)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

Annatar loves a good trick and so, too, do the creative team and crew behind The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2.

In The Rings of Power season 2, episode 6, Sauron's 'fair form' tricks Celebrimbor into believing that all is well in the Elven realm of Eregion, even going as far as obscuring the fact that its walls are crumbling all around the craftsman.

But, once the facade slips and Annatar steps into the chaos surrounding the orc attack on the stronghold, the idyllic light from Celebrimbor's scene soon turns pitch black.

Latest Videos From
Watch full video here:

To achieve that effect, the team fused together light, extras, and camera movement around Annatar actor Charlie Vickers to capture the moment in real time, which you can see for yourself below.

pic.twitter.com/a8AXN5Dbo8September 19, 2024

"When I read the scene, I could see this move around Annatar as it turned from day to night," episode director Sanaa Hamri said on Amazon's Inside the Episode Rings of Power after-show. "And then it followed him and went into slow motion and I was like, 'Oh, this is going to be one of those epic moments for Sauron.'"

You may like
  • First look at Charlie Vickers as Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 teases a big change for Sauron as release date confirmed
  • First look at Charlie Vickers as Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 release date, cast, plot, and more news
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 The Rings of Power season 4 is in development with hopes to film in 2027, but there's no official greenlight yet

According to The Hollywood Reporter, costs for the first season of The Rings of Power may have ran north of $400 million, with other reports suggesting that the show's total spending could reach a billion dollars when all is said and done.

The Rings of Power, meanwhile, is hurtling towards its second season finale. With a five-season plan still on the table, it remains to be seen how the rest of the story shakes out. 

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

For more, check out our guides to Annatar, Adar, and The Stranger – plus a look towards the show's streaming plans with The Rings of Power season 2 release schedule.

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
Social Links Navigation
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

Read more
First look at Charlie Vickers as Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3
Lord of the Rings TV Shows Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 teases a big change for Sauron as release date confirmed
 
 
First look at Charlie Vickers as Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3
Lord of the Rings TV Shows The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 release date, cast, plot, and more news
 
 
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2
Lord of the Rings TV Shows The Rings of Power season 4 is in development with hopes to film in 2027, but there's no official greenlight yet
 
 
Lord of the Rings in order: Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring.
Lord of the Rings Movies How to watch The Lord of the Rings movies and shows in order
 
 
Frodo after being stabbed in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Lord of the Rings Movies 23 years later, Lord of the Rings fans think they've spotted a big Return of the King plot hole
 
 
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Lord of the Rings Movies The Hunt For Gollum release date, plot, cast, and more news
 
 
Latest in Lord of the Rings TV Shows
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2
Lord of the Rings TV Shows The Rings of Power season 4 is in development with hopes to film in 2027, but there's no official greenlight yet
 
 
First look at Charlie Vickers as Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3
Lord of the Rings TV Shows Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 teases a big change for Sauron as release date confirmed
 
 
Elendil in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Lord of the Rings TV Shows The Rings of Power season 3 drops new sneak peek at a very important sword in Lord of the Rings history
 
 
Annatar in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 episode 5
Lord of the Rings TV Shows The Rings of Power season 3 marks the start of filming with a major Sauron tease, and I've never been more hyped
 
 
The Rings of Power season 2 finale trailer
Lord of the Rings TV Shows The latest Middle-earth mystery: The Rings of Power season 3's latest incoming characters are a big secret, but one actor will be a "series regular"
 
 
Jamie Campbell Bower in Stranger Things
Lord of the Rings TV Shows The Rings of Power newcomer Jamie Campbell Bower has 'revealed' his season 3 character – but it could be a Sauron-style misdirect
 
 
Latest in News
GTA Online
Grand Theft Auto Rockstar gives free GTA 5 upgrades to PS4 and Xbox One players ahead of GTA Online's next heist in July
 
 
Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred
Diablo As Diablo 4 season 14 PTR leaves players mixed, Blizzard announces developer livestream
 
 
GTA 6 characters from trailer 2
Grand Theft Auto GTA 6 will sell 46 million copies at launch, investment bank theorizes using the power of Reddit
 
 
Peter Capaldi as the Doctor in Doctor Who
Sci-Fi Shows Twelfth Doctor star says he has "lost count now of how many [Doctors] there are" because of "too many regenerations"
 
 
Monoco holds up an enemy's foot in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
RPGs Clair Obscur Expedition 33 star jokes he'll be "filled with murderous rage" if he's not in the movie
 
 
Image of the Switch 2 Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster box and special sleeve on a pink GamesRadar+ background.
Games The Switch 2 Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster includes a stunning 25th anniversary slip-cover, but there's a catch
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Monoco holds up an enemy's foot in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
    1
    Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Monoco actor jokes he'll be "filled with murderous rage" if he can't reprise his role for the RPG's live-action movie adaptation
  2. 2
    Star Wars Zero Company looks so good it has me wishing Metal Gear would make tactics games again
  3. 3
    GTA 6 will sell 46 million copies at launch, investment bank theorizes using the power of Rockstar's past launches and a very feral Reddit community
  4. 4
    The Switch 2 Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster includes a stunning limited slip-cover, if you've got an Amazon Japan account at hand
  5. 5
    As Diablo 4 season 14 PTR leaves players feeling mixed, Blizzard announces developer livestream to reveal what is and isn't changing

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...