The Rings of Power season 2 has wrapped filming – and will be unaffected by actors' strike

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 has wrapped filming, which means the fantasy show will be unaffected by the looming SAG-AFTRA actors' strike. 

According to Variety, Rings of Power finished filming "a few weeks back." The show continued to film without its showrunners  J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay on set amid the ongoing WGA writers' strike. 

The imminent SAG-AFTRA actors' strike means multiple productions will soon be shutting down, which Variety notes includes Gladiator 2 and Mortal Kombat 2. This is the first time since 1960 that both actors and writers have been on strike at the same time – the impact on the wider film and TV industry isn't clear just yet, but expect it to be seismic. 

The Rings of Power season 2 is set to be another epic, with a previous Variety report indicating a "feature-film level scope" that involves multiple units and night shoots. The show will run for five seasons, though a report earlier this year revealed that less than half of the show's viewers actually finished season 1. 

The second season will feature Ciarán Hinds, Rory Kinnear, and Tanya Moodie as new additions to the cast, while Sam Hazeldine is stepping in as Adar after Joseph Mawle departed the show. 

"Sauron can now just be Sauron," McKay told The Hollywood Reporter back in 2022, teasing the second season. "Like Tony Soprano or Walter White. He's evil, but complexly evil. We felt like if we did that in season one, he'd overshadow everything else. So the first season is like Batman Begins, and the The Dark Knight is the next movie, with Sauron maneuvering out in the open. We're really excited. Season two has a canonical story. There may well be viewers who are like, 'This is the story we were hoping to get in season 1!' In season 2, we're giving it to them."

While you wait for The Rings of Power season 2, check out our guide to the best shows on Amazon Prime Video to fill out your watchlist.