Amazon Studios has announced the director line-up for season two of The Rings of Power – and it’s a group that has plenty of experience with fantasy series.
In a press release, Amazon revealed that Season 2 of The Rings of Power will be headed by an all-female directorial team. Charlotte Brändström, who directed two of the best episodes of the first season – Udûn and The Eye – will cover four episodes and earn the title of executive producer for his work. Sanaa Hamri and Louise Hooper will helm two of the remaining four entries.
The trio’s hiring is likely to make headlines as there is no male director in sight. However, it is the group’s experience in the fantasy genre that makes their participation in one of Prime Video’s best shows next season such an exciting prospect.
Brändström’s re-employment is testament to the great work she did on The Rings of Power Season 1, but this isn’t the first time she’s dabbled in fantasy worlds. The award-winning director also directed the entries for The Witcher on Netflix, while Brändström handled the fifth and sixth episodes of the show’s first season. Other fantasy series Brändström has worked on include Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Jupiter’s Legacy and the CW superhero series Arrow.
Hooper is another director whose previous experience with fantasy genres has earned her a strong foothold in Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings television series. Like Brändström, Hooper’s involvement in Netflix’s Witcher-Verse – she shot the sixth and seventh episodes of The Witcher’s second season – is well documented. However, her best work can be seen in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of The Sandman, where Hooper directed the 10th episode of the first season and a secret extra episode of The Sandman.
As for Hamri, the Moroccan-American director is a relatively newcomer to the fantasy genre compared to other directors. However, her work on The Wheel of Time Season 2 – another upcoming Prime Video show – combined with her experience with drama and horror-based projects will put Hamri well positioned for The Rings of Power’s multi-genre approach to storytelling.
Hooper and Hamri replace season 1 directors Wayne Che Yip and JA Bayona in the hot seat, and none of the other season 1 filmmakers return for the next installment of the series. No reason was given as to why they did not return, but it is likely that Yip and Bayona’s schedules were not in line with production for Season 2.
Read our recaps of the first season of Rings of Power
The second season of The Rings of Power went into full production in the UK in late October. With filming underway for the next installment of the hugely popular Prime Video franchise, Amazon has also been unashamed of announcing new members for its Lord of the Rings project.
On December 2, Amazon revealed seven new cast members for the second season of The Rings of Power. This group includes Sam Hazeldine, who will take over the role of Adar from Joseph Mawle in the series’ next entry. Five days later, Amazon confirmed that eight more actors will be part of the season 2 cast, such as His Dark Materials Season 3 star Will Keen and Bridgerton’s Calum Lynch.
While you wait for Rings of Power Season 2 to arrive, learn how to watch Rings of Power Season 1 docuseries on Prime Video. Alternatively, be sure to read our Rings of Power Season 1 Ending Explained article for details on the season finale before it continues.