San Diego was transformed into Middle-earth on Friday as Prime Video unveiled the highly anticipated trailer for the second season of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ during a special event at Comic-Con.

Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay were joined on the Hall H stage by over a dozen cast members for an engaging discussion moderated by Yvette Nicole Brown.

The crowd of 6,500 fans was thrilled by the exclusive trailer, which highlights the ominous return of the legendary villain Sauron, signaling the resurgence of darkness in Middle-earth. The trailer also showcased the creation of additional Rings of Power, forged with Sauron’s deceptive abilities.

Fans got a sneak peek of various fantastical creatures set to appear this season, including a young Shelob, an army of Barrow-wights, Hill-troll Damrod, a Sea Worm, and Ents. Major battle scenes that are pivotal to the storyline were also teased.

Participating in the panel were cast members Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Maxim Baldry, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charles Edwards, Trystan Gravelle, Sam Hazeldine, Ema Horvath, Tyrone Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Megan Richards, Charlie Vickers, Benjamin Walker, and Daniel Weyman.

Season Two, premiering exclusively on Prime Video on August 29, 2024, will follow Sauron’s cunning efforts to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, binding all of Middle-earth’s peoples to his sinister will. As darkness rises, beloved characters must navigate a world on the brink of calamity, with friendships strained and kingdoms fracturing.

The season is produced by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, along with Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, co-executive producer and director Charlotte Brändström, producers Kate Hazell and Helen Shang, and co-producers Clare Buxton, Andrew Lee, Glenise Mullins, and Matthew Penry-Davey. Additional directors for Season Two include Sanaa Hamri and Louise Hooper.