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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power S02 Includes Tom Bombadil

Prime Video and Patrick McKay & JD Payne's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 will include Rory Kinnear as Tom Bombadil.

The last time we checked in on how things were going with the second season of Prime Video and Patrick McKay & JD Payne's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, it was all about Charlie Vicker's Sauron – and rightfully so. But with three months to go until its August 29th return, fans are learning of a beloved character from the books who will finally be making his live-action debut. Earlier today, Vanity Fair revealed exclusively that Rory Kinnear ("James Bond" films, Penny Dreadful) will be taking on the role of Tom Bombadil, a mysterious figure known for his merry sense of song and underlying power who helps Frodo Baggins and the Hobbits in their quest to destroy the ring. Unfortunately, if you've only experienced J. R. R. Tolkien's work through recent film or radio adaptations, you may not be familiar with the character – something that Kinnear first faced.

"There are people who knew it from the books, people who knew it from the films, and there are those who had managed to get to 46 without knowing that much about it at all," Kinnear shared – noting that he was in the latter group when he was first offered the role. "I was honest—I hadn't read it. I said, 'I'll go away and read it and get back to you.' And I went downstairs to my partner [Penny Dreadful actor Pandora Colin], who did know the books and does know the films, and I said, 'I've been offered this part. Apparently, it's in the books. A guy called Tom Bombadil.' She was like, 'No way! You're not playing Tom Bombadil!' So I sort of knew instantly then that it had a cultural heft to it that I was going to have to be sensitive to,' the actor added, noting that Bombadil is a favorite of Colin's.

Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without 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, Season 2 of Amazon's "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" 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. Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other.

Gabriel Akuwudike (Hanna), Yasen 'Zates' Atour (The Witcher), Ben Daniels (The Exorcist), Amelia Kenworthy, Nia Towle (Persuasion), Nicholas Woodeson (Rome), Oliver Alvin-Wilson (The Bay), Stuart Bowman (The Pact), Gavi Singh Chera (The Undeclared War), William Chubb (Vampire Academy), Kevin Eldon (Game of Thrones), Will Keen (Ridley Road), Selina Lo (Boss Level), Calam Lynch (Bridgerton), Ciarán Hinds (Rome, Game of Thrones), Rory Kinnear (Skyfall, Spectre), and Tanya Moodie (Motherland, Sherlock) have joined the cast for the second season. In addition, Joseph Mawle has departed the streaming series ahead of its second season, with Sam Hazeldine (Peaky Blinders) taking on the role of Orcs leader, Adar.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 is executive produced by showrunners Payne, McKay, Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, and Gennifer Hutchison – along with co-executive producer & lead director Charlotte Brändström. Kate Hazell and Helen Shang also produce – with co-producers Clare Buxton, Andrew Lee, Glenise Mullins, and Matthew Penry-Davey. Brändström will be directing four episodes, with Sanaa Hamri (The Wheel of Time) and Louise Hooper (Flesh and Blood) each tapped to direct two episodes.

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