New The Rings of Power season 2 trailer sees Middle-earth unite to resist Sauron

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A new trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 has arrived at SDCC, and it sees a darkness spreading across Middle-earth – all thanks to Sauron.

In the clip, which you can watch below, Galadriel warns that "Sauron sees himself as master of all of Middle-earth."

We see those infamous rings, which Elrond is certainly very suspicious of, while Galadriel is wearing one, believing it to be helping her.

There's also a look at Celebrimbor at his forge, facing Annatar, AKA Sauron, as the villain emerges from the flames. "What am I to call you?" a stunned Celebrimbor asks. "A sharer of gifts," Annatar responds, ominously. "Our work begins now."

Beyond that, there's a look at the Stranger and Tom Bombadil. "Every soul in Middle-earth is in peril. Will you abandon them to their doom?" Tom asks the Stranger.

There's plenty of rousing action, too, with one battle that bears a resemblance to Helm's Deep.

The overall theme of the new footage is goodness rising up to fight darkness – we challenge you not to have chills...

In an interview with our sister publication Total Film magazine, showrunner Patrick McKay revealed the new season's opening scene. "We open in the darkness, an orc walks in, and we see there are thousands of orcs gathered," he revealed. "He's about to be crowned, pitching his vision of Middle-earth, and right before they lay the crown on his head, his right-hand man, Adar, turns it upside down, and stabs him in the back. It's the assassination of Sauron."

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power begins on Prime Video this August 29. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the most exciting upcoming TV shows to fill out your watchlist, and keep up to date with Comic-Con with our SDCC 2024 schedule.