The Rings of Power showrunners tease the introduction of Tom Bombadil – and reveal a quarter of his dialogue is straight from Tolkien's books

Jolly Tom Bombadil is making his live-action Middle-earth debut in the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2, played by Rory Kinnear – and that means we should prepare for some weirdness. 

If there's one iconic thing about Tom Bombadil, after all, it's his unique way of speaking (he has a penchant for rhyming, and for singing). 

"It was the opportunity, not of one lifetime, but many lifetimes, to write Tom Bombadil," JD Payne tells Total Film in our new issue out on Thursday, July 19, which features Alien: Romulus on the cover. 

A quarter of the character's dialogue comes straight from the books, and the writers meticulously researched how JRR Tolkien adapted AngloSaxon verse to create the rest. "One of the moments I love best about this season is when The Stranger asks, 'Who are you?' And Bombadil just says, 'Eldest.' He's wacky and sings songs, but when he says that, you get this sense of, "Oh, he's been around for thousands of years.'"

• Pre-order the Alien: Romulus issue of Total Film

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 is released on August 29. And you can read more about it and a whole lot else besides in the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves and digital newsstands on Thursday, July 19.

Check out the covers below:

Pre-order the issue here to bag your copy, or click here to subscribe to Total Film and never miss another exclusive. You’ll get every issue before it's in stores, and you’ll get subscriber-exclusive covers. 

You can keep up to date with this year's biggest small screen releases with our guide to all the most exciting upcoming TV shows.