Ciarán Hinds set to join cast of Lord of the Rings TV show returning to Prime Video for second season

The Belfast-born actor, known for his roles in Kin and Game of Thrones, joins the action-packed JRR Tolkien series, based on the books and a remake of the early 2000s Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.

The 71-year-old actor grew up as a catholic in north Belfast and was one of five children and the only son of a his doctor father, Gerry, and schoolteacher and amateur actress mother, Moya.

An Irish dancer in his childhood, the There Will Be Blood and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy actor who has transformed from journeyman to now lead star in RTÉ’s The Dry, plied his trade in his early career as a stage actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre.

Hinds, a multiple-time Irish Film and TV Award winner for Kin and The Dry, joins the epic drama set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books.

The series’ first season was an unprecedented global success and one of the top original series for Prime Video, viewed by more than 100 million people worldwide.

Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.

Season two will launch on Prime Video on August 29, with the streaming service today releasing a sneak peak teaser trailer, which was screened at an inaugural upfront presentation in New York City.

The trailer shows shows the ascending evil presence of Sauron as he continues his vengeful quest for complete power, showcasing the cinematic splendour that the series is known for.

It also heralds the return of many fan favourite characters, including Galadriel, Elrond, Prince Durin IV, Arondir, and Celebrimbor and reveals the much-anticipated creation of more Rings.

In season two of The Rings of Power, Sauron, played by Australian actor Charlie Vickers has returned.

Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power.

All eight first season episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are available to stream exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories in multiple languages.