The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 set photos reveal a possible reference to The Silmarillion. Premiered on Amazon Prime Video this past September, The Rings of Power is based on The Lord of Rings and its appendices and chronicles the major events of Middle-earth's Second Age. While season 1 was filmed in New Zealand, Amazon shifted production for future seasons to the United Kingdom, where season 2 began filming as early as October 2022.
Now, as The Rings of Power season 2 continues its lengthy production process, more set photos are surfacing online.
Shared by @FellowshipFans on Twitter, The Rings of Power season 2 set photos were taken at Bray Studios in Berkshire and show an aerial shot of what appears to be the Elven kingdom of Eregion. In one enhanced and upscaled image, a supposed Fëanor statue can be seen, a possible reference to The Silmarillion.
Rings of Power Season 2's Possible Silmarillion Reference Explained
Fëanor, an Eleven craftsman who created the Silmarils from the Two Trees of Valinor, was already mentioned briefly in The Rings of Power season 1. Celebrimbor, a descendent of Fëanor, and Elrond discuss and hold his hammer at one point, which is the tool he used to craft the Silmarils, also known as the Great Jewels. In The Rings of Power season 2 set photos, it looks like the Fëanor statue is holding his hammer and admiring one of the gems. The character's complete tragic history is told in The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien's collection of myths which were edited and published posthumously by his son, Christopher.
During the First Age, Morgoth destroyed the Two Trees of Valinor, stole the Silmarils, and killed Fëanor's father. This led to a great war and triggered a chain of important events, including the untimely death of Fëanor himself and the Elves arriving in Middle-earth for the first time. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power does not have the rights to adapt The Silmarillion, meaning this Fëanor statue in season 2 is likely nothing more than an interesting Easter egg alluding to Middle-earth's massive history.
Source: @FellowshipFans/Twitter