The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is moving forward with Season 2 production amid the strike currently taking place by Hollywood’s writers – but its own showrunners won’t be on set for it.
Since they’re also writers on the show, showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne won’t take part in filming that’s taking place in the U.K., IGN has confirmed with a source close to the production. Variety first broke the news today.
IGN has also learned that Season 2 has a scheduled 19 days left of filming, and script and other writing-based creative material were finished well ahead of the strike being called. Non-writing executive producers, directors, and crew will oversee and complete production.
It’s only the latest development from Rings of Power’s Season 2 filming, which also reportedly saw a fire break out and a horse die on set, which spawned backlash from PETA.
On the other side of fantasy TV, Variety previously reported that HBO’s House of the Dragon wouldn’t “halt production” amid the strike, which is also currently filming its second season in the U.K. as well.
What the guild’s rules mean for production
The strike called by the Writers Guild of America, in order to push for a more suitable contract with Hollywood’s studios, doesn’t prohibit directors and producers from continuing work. The guild does, however, have a specific clause for creatives who are involved in dual capacities like Payne and McKay:
“The Guild strongly believes that no member should cross a WGA picket line or enter the premises of a struck company for any purpose. Under applicable law, however, the Guild may not discipline a hyphenate for performing purely non-writing services,” the guild states in its rules. “But if a hyphenate performs writing services… for a struck company, or negotiates a new assignment for writing services… the hyphenate will be subject to Guild discipline under the Strike Rules and the Guild’s Constitution and By-Laws.”
In layman’s terms, directors can still direct and producers can still produce, but any work that would be considered writing – including script changes and rewrites – would be prohibited for members of the writers’ guild.
What that means for productions like Rings of Power and House of the Dragon is that, even if production is already in progress, they could still run into hiccups if rewriting is needed. But, since the scripts are complete, they're still in solid shape to move forward and possibly hit their previously planned release windows (House of the Dragon Season 2 is expected to debut in summer 2024).
For more, check out our breakdown on how the writers’ strike may or may not affect the production and release dates of your favorite shows.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.