The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 will finish filming without showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay amid the WGA writers strike, Variety reports.
Per the publication's sources, the fantasy show has just 19 days of filming left, and Payne and McKay are said to have planned ahead with the show's production team for their potential absence from the set. WGA strike rules mean that writers are barred from any kind of writing duties, which includes on set creative decisions. With Payne and McKay absent, executive producers who are uninvolved with writing, as well as the directors, will be running the production.
The Rings of Power relocated from New Zealand to the UK for season 2, and Variety notes that the new season has a "feature-film level scope" involving multiple units and night shoots.
The Prime Video show isn't the only series still filming amid the strike. House of the Dragon season 2 is also continuing to shoot, while Andor season 2 is filming in the UK – both productions have completed scripts, but this means no on set re-writes.
Elsewhere, multiple late night shows have either shut down production or have gone on hiatus, while Yellowjackets season 3, Abbott Elementary season 3, Big Mouth season 8, and Cobra Kai season 6 have all closed their writers' rooms.
The Rings of Power season 2 doesn't yet have a release date. While you wait for the show's return, check out our roundup of the best shows on Amazon Prime Video to fill out your watchlist.
