Stars of Amazon's fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power gathered in London on Tuesday night ahead of the show's third season, with Benjamin Walker promising fans a "mind-blowing" return.

The actor, who plays High King Gil-galad, said viewers can expect to see one of the most significant moments in Tolkien lore as the Dark Lord Sauron forges the One Ring.

Speaking to the London Standard at the show's London premiere, Walker said: “You're gonna see him make the ring. It's not a spoiler. It's in the trailer, and it's awesome.”

He added: “The way they've designed the creating of it and using the vocabulary of Tolkien's visuals, it's gonna be mind-blowing.”

The third season of the Amazon fantasy drama sees Middle-earth plunged further into war, with Sauron tightening his grip on the land as he works to forge the One Ring and bring its remaining kingdoms under his control.

Set several years after the events of the second season, the new episodes follow the escalating conflict between Sauron and the Elves, with the Dwarves, Men and Wizards also facing the growing threat of darkness.

The first four episodes were released on Prime Video today (November 11), with the remaining episodes arriving in two instalments later this month.

The London premiere took place at Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre, where the venue was transformed into a sprawling Middle-earth-inspired landscape, complete with grass, forest scenery and towering flames.

The spectacular setting appeared to impress the cast just as much as their guests, with Charlie Vickers admitting he was so excited by the surroundings that he began running around and touching the elaborate sets.

The Australian actor, who plays the series' central villain Sauron, said: “It's like these things are so overwhelming that it's very rare that you get to stop and actually take in everything that's been created.

“But it's amazing. The grass and the forest and the flames and... yeah, it's very, very cool.”

Vickers has become one of the show's central figures, portraying one of fantasy's most infamous villains. However, he said it was the complexity behind Sauron, rather than his evil reputation, that made the role so rewarding.

He said: “It's such a privilege to get that opportunity as an actor.

“It's like he has such a deep backstory beyond that. We're really lucky. With this show, we have access to a lot of the material that tells Sauron's story.”

The premiere also marked a significant moment for Jamie Campbell Bower, who joins the cast as Celeborn in the third season.

The Stranger Things actor, who has previously played a number of darker characters, said taking on the role of the Elf offered a welcome change from some of his more troubled performances.

He explained: “When you're playing a character like this, taking the character home and working on the character at home and being in the space of them, you don't mind doing that.”

Comparing Celeborn with a previous character who was “in pain all the time”, he said: “I didn't feel like I had to do that with this. I could actually think about it and talk about it with people and live in it and breathe in it.

“There's a lot of beauty to that, that you can take with you.”

Charlie's co-star Ismael Cruz Córdova, who plays the Elf warrior Arondir, also reflected on the significance of returning for another season, describing his time on the show as a dream come true.

He said: “The whole thing has been an incredible journey.

“I am an embodiment of a person that has achieved a dream many times over, and an embodiment of a person that is grateful every single day for it.

“It's completely taken over my life in a transformative way. So, I'm so very excited to be back.”

“There's a space for anyone in Middle-earth to find themselves. There's a space in any world or realm or situation you can project yourself into, and you can see the best of what humans can be and the worst as well.”

Lloyd Owen, who plays Elendil, also praised the show's ability to draw on mythology from across the world, suggesting Tolkien's storytelling connects with audiences on a deeper level.

“He condensed into that story some of the great myths of humanity across all cultures, be it Eastern, Nordic, old Celtic stories,” he said.

“The great power of myth is that you don't actually use your mind and your intellect, you feel it in your gut, and that's why people keep coming back to the story.”

Meanwhile, Maxim Baldry, who plays Isildur, revealed that audiences can expect a rather different look for his character this season, thanks to an impressive new beard.

He joked that it was so large that director Charlotte Brändström initially struggled to recognise him when he arrived on set.

But Baldry said the most exciting part of the new episodes was also the creation of the One Ring, praising Vickers for bringing the iconic storyline to life.

He said: “Charlie Vickers carries it in such gusto. He's the perfect man for the job.”

Morfydd Clark, who returns as Galadriel, also teased plenty of action for the new season, revealing that she particularly enjoyed the physical demands of playing the Elven warrior.

She told the London Standard: “I love the stunts.”

“She's an elf, so she's physically amazing, so it's really fun to explore those bits of her. Did lots of wire work, flying around, and I love that.”

Asked what audiences could expect from the new episodes, Clark offered a brief but intriguing answer: “Fire. Lots of fire. Dancing, fighting, some tears. And fabulous hair.”

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season three premieres on Prime Video on November 11, with the first four episodes available to stream.