- 2 days ago
'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' showrunners JD Payne and Patrick Mckay and stars Maxim Baldry, Tyroe Muhafidin, Ema Horvath, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Lloyd Owen, Trystan Gravelle, Charles Edwards, Sam Hazeldine, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards and Benjamin Walker sit down with THR at San Diego Comic-Con. The cast & crew reveal how season 2 is bigger and better than season 1, connecting with fans in a new way and more.
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00:00I saw a great invisible man. Amazing. I couldn't even see him. He walked right past me.
00:10Hi, I'm Patrick McKay. I'm one of the showrunners of Lord of the Rings, the Rings of Power on Amazon Prime.
00:15We're here with some of our awesome, talented, amazing cast members with The Hollywood Reporter.
00:20Hi, I'm Benjamin Walker. I'm here with some of my friends and fellow cast members from Rings of Power on Amazon.
00:26This is J.D. Payne, our inimitable leader and half of our showrunner team.
00:32And we're here for Hollywood Reporter at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con.
00:38What was it like standing up there in Hall H yesterday in front of a huge crowd of Rings of Power fans?
00:45Crazy.
00:46A lot more relaxed this time. I don't know about everyone else.
00:49It's very surreal.
00:51It's really nice to be in that room.
00:52It's just like a massive wall of love and it just feels like a massive embrace.
00:58It was just really lovely to return.
01:00What's crazy is you can't even really see the back of it.
01:01You come onto the stage and there's these lights in your face and you're sort of like kind of doing this a little bit
01:06and you realize the hall just keeps going back and back and back and back.
01:11And then with all of the massive crowd energy that's coming at you, it's really overwhelming.
01:16How many people are in there?
01:176,500 is what I've heard.
01:18The other thing to remember is that it's the first time any of us has seen what everybody saw yesterday.
01:24The trailer, we hadn't seen it.
01:26So we are just as excited as the audience who are watching it for the first time.
01:30And to see all our work up there, you feel very proud having watched it.
01:35I had seen it once or twice.
01:36And also, doing press is important and a lot of fun, but just getting to be with the fans in that capacity
01:49and people that love Tolkien as much as you love Tolkien, it's humbling and it's beautiful.
01:55And I think we were here obviously last time, which is wonderful, but the show hadn't come out at that point.
02:02So to see the fans with us having seen the show, so now they know us, now they, you know,
02:07they came back and they came back in full force with more love, more support.
02:12And we are just so grateful.
02:14It was really, really wonderful to come back.
02:16Such a difference with just as much love and support.
02:20We did it a couple of years ago.
02:21It was the first time no one had seen the show.
02:22So it was a very different experience and beautiful this time because everyone had seen it.
02:26So you could feel their reaction to what they'd seen first season, how excited they were to be there
02:31and to meet us and do all that.
02:33So it was a different vibe.
02:34It was special.
02:35I think celebrating with people that just love the show is just a wonderful feeling.
02:39And I think that's what San Diego is all about.
02:42The Comic-Con is just about celebrating these wonderful shows.
02:45For each of you, what's been the highlight of your Comic-Con experience this weekend?
02:49Cosplay.
02:51Seeing Deesa.
02:51And me.
02:53Oh, lovely.
02:54I did.
02:54I saw a husband and wife as Durdin and Deesa.
02:58And that was very, very special.
02:59Very special.
03:00That's so nice.
03:01I would like to talk.
03:02It was a highlight, not necessarily a positive one.
03:06Where is this going?
03:09In the signing yesterday, there was a Lego man.
03:13Dressed as a Lego character.
03:15And, you know, you greet, say, hi, how are you doing?
03:17How far have you traveled?
03:18I said, hi, how are you doing?
03:19Nothing.
03:20And the head was slightly at an angle and just staring at me like that.
03:24I said, are you hot in there?
03:25Nothing.
03:26And then Miv went to shake his hand, his Lego hand.
03:30And his real hand came out from behind the Lego hand and shook her hand.
03:34And then he kind of walked off into the darkness.
03:36It was rather alarming.
03:38I think he was committed to the character.
03:40What's wrong with you?
03:42I think he was a dwarf.
03:43Do you know what he was dressed?
03:44Was it a dwarf Lego man?
03:46It was Lego.
03:47Legolas.
03:47It was Legolas.
03:48Legolas.
03:49Oh, well played.
03:51Well played.
03:52The man is brilliant.
03:53What he was doing was brilliant.
03:54And you missed it.
03:55It was very postmodern.
03:56It was Legolas made of Legos.
03:59But so was he Legoless or Legolas?
04:02That's a question.
04:02Anyways, I think, you know, a small moment.
04:07I saw there was a couple at the fan signing yesterday who was, one of them was dressed
04:12as one of our Harfoots and another one was dressed as the stranger.
04:15And, you know, the young woman who had done the Harfoot had put so much detail into her
04:19Harfoot crown and it looked like it could have come straight out of one of our Costa departments.
04:24And it was truly amazing to see how much love the fans had put into replicating the experience
04:28of being a Middle Earth.
04:29That was one.
04:29And then randomly on the street as I was walking, I saw a mother and daughter dressed alike.
04:33And just, they weren't even just like someone from our show, but, you know, they were
04:36both in class.
04:36And the daughter was probably like three years old and it was the sweetest thing in the
04:39world.
04:39Aww.
04:40Yeah, and I saw a WALL-E robot this morning whose eyes went up every time he looked at
04:46anyone, which was really nice.
04:48That's all I got to offer.
04:51So I shared a lift with Anthony Starr, Homelander from the boys.
04:55So I got to sort of geek out, totally lost my composure.
04:59What did you say?
04:59Wouldn't let go of his hand.
05:00And just said, as he was running out of the lift as well, I'm an actor too, I'm with
05:04Rings of Power.
05:06So yeah.
05:07But that was a highlight for me, meeting him.
05:10I ran into Tristan in the steam room.
05:15There were two women who had handmade my costumes from the show.
05:19That was, that's been the highlight for me.
05:23Yes.
05:25Similarly, there was a girl who came with a whole Elendil sea captain outfit.
05:30She'd done the gold sun on the front.
05:32She gave me a bracelet saying Elendil.
05:34But it was just fabulous to see the amount of work that had gone into that.
05:37Her joy, the fact that she got to meet the person whose costume she'd made.
05:41And my joy at seeing the fact that there was someone who'd done the same for this.
05:45Yeah, because you live in your bubble.
05:47You make a show.
05:48It happens in a little space in New Zealand.
05:51And then the next thing you know, that happens.
05:52Someone actually creates a costume on that basis.
05:55It was mind-blowing.
05:56You got to give fans a preview of season two yesterday.
05:59How is season two bigger and better than season one?
06:04Season two is bigger and better than season one.
06:07Season one is all about setting up the chessboard.
06:09It's all about the heroes.
06:10It's about bringing audiences back to Middle Earth.
06:12Season two, we get to play.
06:14This is a season about villains.
06:16This is a season about Sauron.
06:18And it's the story of the forging of the rings of power from our title.
06:22It's a really exciting season.
06:23It goes some dark places.
06:25There's a lot of monsters.
06:26There's battles.
06:27Romance.
06:29Craziness.
06:30Death.
06:31Love.
06:32Yeah, it's all of it.
06:33We do so much world building in the first season.
06:36And we have so much terrain to cover in the second age.
06:40We really hit the ground running.
06:42Right out of the gate in the first episode.
06:44I mean, it's stuff happens very quickly.
06:48I don't want to ruin anything.
06:49Well, I mean, I think it goes both deeper and broader this season.
06:53You know, I mean, I think you'll see, you know, Charlie and Charlie, you know, going into a poor caliber more here goes on this, you know, descent into madness over the course of these eight episodes.
07:02And, you know, it's harrowing to watch.
07:05But also, you know, season one, we had some big battles.
07:08But, you know, they were on the scope of, like, a village.
07:11You know, and there was a certain volcano that exploded, so that's pretty big.
07:13But, you know, this season we have an entire city that is laid siege to.
07:17And it takes a full three episodes to have that battle play out.
07:21So it, again, goes both deeper and broader.
07:24I think, yeah, the stakes are incredibly high.
07:27We're in a life and death situation.
07:29Evil is really looming.
07:30And so these characters that we've built in season one that we know and that we love so much are under a, you know, treacherous amount of strain.
07:38And I think what's really brilliant is just seeing the trailer alone, as Charles said.
07:43You know, we're watching this in real time with you guys.
07:45The accessibility and the excitement for fans outside that I've heard of, you know, friends at home who haven't necessarily had a history with Tolkien or anything are just so excited.
07:55So, you know, whichever genre you're coming from, you know, it's just, it's thrilled with a whole heap of excitement and darkness and thrill.
08:03How does realizing the truth about Sauron change Galadriel in season two?
08:08Galadriel season one is convinced she's right.
08:10And she's not.
08:11She was wrong.
08:11And so actually the challenge for her season two is having to kind of look inward and, you know, take stock and hopefully, you know, grow past a little of her flaws that have unwittingly empowered the Dark Lord.
08:25This is someone who's been so confident and so certain of herself for so many years.
08:29And really at the end of season one, she realizes she's messed up.
08:33She has empowered the Dark Lord and brought him back in spectacular fashion.
08:37And she's not only done that, but she's also alienated some of her closest friends and colleagues in doing so, both Elrond and Gilgalad.
08:45And she's going to have to make up for that.
08:47And so it's really a journey of redemption as someone who's been so sure has to humble herself and seek to repair those relationships and to find her way again.
08:55Charles.
08:56Yes.
08:56What can you say about how your role is expanded this season?
09:01Well, I always knew when I first spoke to J.D. and Patrick, they said, you kind of dip your toe in in season one and then season two things kick off.
09:09And they, yes, that's exactly what has happened.
09:12It's expanded because we spend a lot more time with him and Sauron is with him in the forge.
09:18And essentially our storyline is pretty much just the two of us battling that.
09:24Sounds like a good single.
09:24You could adjust.
09:25The two of us.
09:27Just the two of us.
09:28We have got that planned.
09:30You've just nicked my idea.
09:31I had it all planned.
09:32We're going to do it tonight at the party.
09:33I ripped it off.
09:34Please, go ahead.
09:35Go ahead.
09:35I mean, if you're going to steal, steal from the best, you know.
09:38I have to cancel it now, J.D.
09:41Going to pick up my outfit in a minute.
09:43So, yeah, so it becomes a battle of all kinds.
09:49Very sort of devious mental battle, mental trickery.
09:53Very, some of it, as J.D. said, quite challenging to see.
09:58And because, but they both need each other.
10:01Sauron needs Celebrimbor and vice versa.
10:04And it's often a power battle.
10:05There's, it becomes, Sauron becomes much more in control later.
10:09But initially, you know, they both need each other.
10:12So Keller Brimbor has stuff that Sauron wants and he chooses to withhold sometimes.
10:16And Sauron just has to wait.
10:17So that, you know, but then it descends into a darker place later on in the, in the series.
10:25Lord of the Rings World has produced such an expansive set of works.
10:28How do you hope season two of this show connects with and Oz fans in a new way?
10:33The amount of action in the season is, it's, you just get gripped instantly.
10:37And in my character's case, Isildur is just constantly in the mud.
10:41Thank you for that, Patrick, by the way.
10:43I'm very grateful for that.
10:44But I got to just do so much action, which I've found so fun and liberating as, as an actor.
10:51And just the physicality of Isildur is just represented in his desperation, you know.
10:56He's just constantly thrown around.
10:57And I think that's just what's going to engage the fans and keep them, keep them hooked.
11:01I think also because it's, because it's set thousands of years before the third age, you know, that you get this great privilege for us all.
11:11And I think that's what Patrick and J.D. have done so well, is that there's a certain amount of information that Tolkien has given us, but there's so much he hasn't filled in.
11:19And that's the great joy to read these scripts when they come in and think, oh, gosh, all right, so that, that sort of half an idea that Tolkien might have left behind for Elendil has been expanded into this particular character, this set of circumstances, in my case, with his daughter Iari and with a dead son, Isildur, that was, that's just grown and given it so much more at stake.
11:39That's the thing about season two, in every single world, there's so much more at stake.
11:44And so the drama ratchets its up, up and up and up, and for the actors, it's wonderful to be able to get into really juicy moments.
11:51Well, I think it's the scale of the show.
11:53I mean, the scale of season one was absolutely huge, but this time there's like a, I'm allowed to say, oh, no, three, like a pretty much three episode battle, which is kind of, it's not just one thing that goes through three episodes.
12:05It's nuanced and, you know, peaks and troughs and all different kind of, there's many sides.
12:11So there's huge amounts of physical and mental battle going on throughout the series, basically.
12:19It kind of erupts into this battle towards the end.
12:25And it's a lot of sort of unlikely alliances forged between usually warring factions that have to come together to do something about this sort of the existential threat that Sauron presents.
12:43I think that's great.
12:44And I'll also say there's, you know, so many new and exciting creatures that are coming in this season.
12:48You know, we're doing, there's Barrow-whites, there's Entwives, there are bats in Khazad-dum that a certain wonderful dwarf singer might sing to or sing to her aid, perhaps.
13:02And what else?
13:04We have like mud creature and Sauron, black goo creature, you know, spiders, you know, there's a whole interpretive dance we could do to introduce the various creatures of Middle Earth.
13:16But Patrick and I had it all practiced and ready for Comic-Con yesterday, but, you know, it just didn't come up, so.
13:23Also, there's rings.
13:26Yes, this is true.
13:27This is true.
13:27But there's also, just speaking from my character's perspective as well, who's sort of not quite separated from a lot of this, there's still also a lot of heart as well that drives through.
13:36And I think that it's important to have the light among the darkness that's trying and fighting to get through.
13:45And, yeah, it's hard, but it is also still there.
13:50Patrick, how do you approach the responsibility of bringing such a revered story to life while also still applying your own personal imagination to it?
13:58With a lot of fear and trembling.
14:02With a lot of reverence and, you know, hold it like a very fragile egg every day.
14:08It is something we are constantly working on is going back to the books and trying to create in as Tolkienian a way as possible.
14:16You know, we're always reading, and, you know, we would often start our days in season two in the writer's room with a quote from Tolkien that would sort of get us in harmony a little bit with, you know, that, the spirit that inspired Tolkien, we would seek to also inspire us.
14:33And, you know, obviously just as you're writing, okay, I'll put it this way.
14:38When I used to study jazz trumpet, and when I was learning jazz trumpet, my teacher said to me, look, you've got to just constantly, like, listen to, like, the best.
14:46Like, listen to Miles Davis, listen to Dizzy Gillespie, you know, and then, like, practice your fundamentals.
14:51And then when you're up there and the spotlight's on you and it's your turn to solo, like, you know, that all comes out and sort of recombines through, you know, you in this unique and special way.
14:58And with Tolkien, it's the same thing.
14:59We're sort of constantly immersing ourselves in Tolkien.
15:01But then when, you know, we go to the page, and I think when all of us go to create something together, obviously the unique qualities in our own lived experiences will combine with, you know, that sort of Tolkienian core, and hopefully create something that feels of a piece with it, but that is also new and special.
15:18I so love that.
15:19That's so beautiful.
15:20And also, I would love to speak on music and the fact that JD and Patrick, just off the back of what you've just said, give so much license to collaborate and make this.
15:31Our own as well.
15:32I think that's what's so wonderful about our show is that they are ultimately, with the heart and spirit of Tolkien and the amazing creative team, we are given so much license to embody that as ourselves and as creators as well.
15:46And so everything just feels like it fits just right.
15:49And in terms of kind of also bringing in new things, Tolkien was so wonderful with music.
15:55And again, we have the amazing, amazing, untouchable Ben McCreery, who looks after all of our musical needs, particularly, yeah, Disa has, and JD and Patrick are great.
16:06Just go, sing, do things, and a song from Gil-Galad this season, casually.
16:13So, yeah, yeah.
16:15And in some ways, this group is actually a perfect embodiment of the very question that you were asking, because in some ways, this group is an embodiment of the question you're asking, because we have two canon characters here with Gil-Galad and Celebrimbor, but then, you know, also between Adar, Disa and Papi, you know, hopefully now people won't be able to imagine Middle-Earth without having met, you know, the father of the orcs, or a wonderful dwarven resonator, a princess and future queen, you know, or a Harfoot, you know, who has gone on this, you know, long soul-searching adventure with a stranger.
16:41They will hopefully become woven into the fabric of what people think about when they think about Middle-Earth.
16:45Since season one was released, have you heard from any of the cast members of the original trilogy or Peter Jackson?
16:52Ismail actually went to a party once and met Orlando Bloom, who took a selfie with him and then just sort of blessed his, he passed the torch over to Ismail, in a way, and it was, I think that's a great sort of connecting of the films and our world, which is, they're both very different, but exist in the world of Tolkien.
17:10I think there was a moment in which some of the regional cast members on social media gave a really nice shout-out.
17:16You know, our cast experienced a lot of backlash, you know, during season one especially, and there were some lovely moments where some of the hobbits from the original films had some shirts that they made that, you know, sort of said, like, you know, what was he, does he remember the exact, was it Middle-Earth?
17:30It was for everyone, yes, and that's what it is, yeah.
17:32Yeah, and that we filmed through.
17:35And it had different colored elven ears, so it was like a rainbow of human color of elven ears, which was beautiful.
17:46That was about the most wonderful interaction, I think, that I've had, the support.
17:50And they were made by Don Marshall, who's an incredible fan and supporter of our show.
17:56Yeah.
17:56What are your thoughts on the plans for the new Lord of the Rings movies?
18:00We're obviously big fans of anything happening in Middle-Earth, and we'll be in the audience.
18:04I can't wait to watch them.
18:05And the dense nature of Tolkien's imagination has space for everybody.
18:13There's enough room at the Tolkienian table.
18:15Since we are at Comic-Con, I'm going to have you do some rapid-fire bucket questions.
18:19I'm going to pass this over to you, and you can each grab one, and everybody can answer it.
18:23Who is the most iconic voice in the animated series that comes to mind?
18:29Boom!
18:31George Sanders.
18:32Yeah, that's the one.
18:33Shere Khan.
18:34That's good.
18:35Robin Williams.
18:36Zaladin.
18:38SpongeBob.
18:40Who plays Mufasa in The Lion King?
18:43Who's that?
18:44James Earl Jones.
18:44That's a beautiful voice, right?
18:45It's one other question, yeah.
18:46If you could cosplay as one character, who would it be?
18:52I mean, from our show, I think The Stranger.
18:56No one would talk to you.
19:00Because you'd be so close.
19:01That sums up your own experience.
19:03You just want to...
19:04No, no, no, it's not that.
19:05It's that you just wouldn't, you know, you'd be, like, silent.
19:08Mandalorian.
19:10That would be...
19:10You would be Mandalorian?
19:11Yep.
19:12That's for you, isn't it?
19:13Yep.
19:13Okay.
19:14But then, Ben, you would hide your beautiful face.
19:16Great.
19:20Like me, The Mandalorian.
19:22Yeah, yeah.
19:24I have Peter Pascal on line one.
19:26I think I'd like to be Han Solo.
19:30You know, in a lot of ways, you are.
19:32Thank you for saying so.
19:33I appreciate that.
19:34I'm a Mad Max fan.
19:35I saw a pretty good Lord Humongous today.
19:37If I had the muscles for it, I'd go for that.
19:40Immortan Joe for going Mad Max.
19:42That's what I'd go for.
19:44Yeah.
19:44Awesome.
19:45I want to be C-3PO.
19:49X-Men, the one that can morph into...
19:52She's, like, all blue.
19:52Mystique.
19:54Mystique.
19:55Mystique.
19:56And how do you cosplay her?
19:57Oh, I guess you have blue and you...
19:58Blue.
19:58Yeah, that makes sense.
19:59Yeah, yeah.
19:59Just blue pants.
20:00Okay.
20:01Can I borrow your outfit?
20:02I feel like something inflatable is always quite fun.
20:07Whatever form that might be.
20:09Well, just, like, inflatable elements of costumes.
20:12So, like, you know, riding a dragon or, like...
20:16Yeah.
20:17Oh, Stick with Marshmallow Man.
20:18That would be a great one to cosplay.
20:19Yes.
20:19What is the best costume you've seen so far at Comic-Con?
20:24Me.
20:27That's indecent.
20:28You weren't disappointed?
20:30Oh.
20:32Keep them coming.
20:34Lorian.
20:35And he was pushing a baby stroller and you could see the baby's head and the baby had
20:40Grogu ears.
20:43And that's a commitment of a family and I applaud you.
20:48I salute you.
20:49And this is the way.
20:52Well, I saw somebody today, a woman with huge wings.
20:57I don't know what the character was, but it was an amazing costume.
21:00Yeah.
21:00Sorry, I don't know what it was.
21:01So, if you're out there, you look great.
21:03Who are you?
21:03You can answer this after I've said the fan that made the costume of Elendil.
21:08For sure.
21:08It's all about me.
21:09It's just ego.
21:11It was fantastic.
21:12I mean, I saw a pretty sick Goku.
21:15I love anime.
21:17So, like...
21:17What's Goku?
21:18Do you know Dragon Ball?
21:19No.
21:20Well...
21:21You know a lot of...
21:21You need to watch Dragon Ball.
21:23Goku's sick.
21:24Just, like, yeah.
21:25There was a guy who came dressed as a Lego figure.
21:28Sorry, beg your pardon.
21:29He was brilliant.
21:31Yeah, that was brilliant.
21:32That's the one, yeah, yeah, yeah.
21:34The psychopathic Lego figure.
21:36And we had a good Tom Bombadil, didn't we, yesterday?
21:38Yes, we did, yes.
21:39I saw a great invisible man.
21:41It's amazing.
21:42I couldn't even see him.
21:43He walked right past me.
21:46Mine was Lego man.
21:49Right.
21:50Lego less.
21:51Yes, exactly.
21:52Exactly.
21:53Oh, people had, like, denim jackets that had all of the different rings names on them.
21:58And, like...
21:59Yeah, it was really cool.
22:01Yeah, yeah.
22:01I enjoyed those.
22:03That's awesome.
22:04Thank you guys so much for playing the game with the thing.
22:07That was awesome.
22:08You
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