Northern Ireland

First look at Ciarán Hinds’s new character in Lord of the Rings spin-off series

The Oscar-nominated Irish actor plays the “Dark Wizard” in the second season of the hit Tolkien spin-off

The Oscar-nominated Irish actor as the "Dark Wizard" in the second series of the The Rings of Power PHOTO: Ben Rothstein / Prime Video
The Oscar-nominated Irish actor as the "Dark Wizard" in the second series of the The Rings of Power PHOTO: Ben Rothstein / Prime Video

A first look at Oscar-nominated Irish actor Ciarán Hinds’s character in the second series of Lord Of The Things: The Rings of Power has been released.

The Academy Award nominated Belfast and Kin actor has joined the show for its second series and plays a character called Dark Wizard. The image of Hinds in character shows him with long hair and beard, wearing flowing robes holding an ornate staff.

A character description for Dark Wizard reads: “It turns out, the mysterious being known as the Stranger is not the only wizard who has come to Middle-earth….for in the mysterious lands of Rhûn, another wizard awaits him.

“A dark and powerful wizard, whose origins and intentions are shrouded in secrecy, and who has a legion of magic-wielding acolytes who obey his every command — among them the three travelers who sought out the Stranger at the end of Season 1…on the Dark Wizard’s orders.”

If you can’t see the video below, click here.

The Amazon Studios series is a prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings that takes place thousands of years before the events in the novels. It is based on the author’s history of Middle Earth

The first season of The Rings of Power was a hit for Prime Video, with more than 100 million people - including at 25 million global viewers on the first day of its release - streaming over 32 billion minutes of the $1 billion series.

A trailer for the second season of the blockbuster series debuted in July at Comic Con in San Diego and it focuses on the re-emergence of legendary villain Sauron.

Alongside Hinds, Rory Kinnear and Tanya Moodie are also newcomers for season two, while actors Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Maxim Baldry, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova and Charles Edwards are among the ensemble cast for the series.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will return to Prime Video on August 29.