The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has officially wrapped its second season on Prime Video, and it was a doozy, with that conniving scamp Sauron (played by Charlie Vickers) manipulating the elves of Eregion into forging his instruments of power. A lot of other stuff happened too, of course — from political infighting in Numénor to a certain wizard finally finding his iconic staff — but Season 2 of The Rings of Power is where the show earned its very title.
With Season 2 of The Rings of Power now in the past, it's time to look ahead to Season 3. Here's everything you need to know, and that we know so far, about the next season of The Rings of Power, from when it will be released to who might be in the cast and where the plot will take us next. So speak friend and enter.
WILL THERE BE THE RINGS OF POWER SEASON 3?
As of this writing, there is no confirmation regarding a Season 3 renewal for The Rings of Power. But fans can feel safe knowing that it likely will happen. Here's why.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter in an article published on October 4, Amazon heavily promoted The Rings of Power at its UK upfronts on October 2. This is a good sign, as upfronts are held for advertisers to know what shows a network or streamer (in this case, Prime Video) will actively support so advertisers can plan their business accordingly. “At these events, studios typically only present shows to buyers if they firmly plan to continue them,” explained THR. Cast members Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Sophia Nomvete, and Charlie Vickers attended the UK upfronts to promote the series.
In the past, you might have heard The Rings of Power described as a five-season show. That denotes both the creative vision for the series and Amazon's legal canvas to J.R.R. Tolkien's saga. However, there’s no guarantee that the show will air for all five seasons.
In 2017, Amazon obtained the TV rights for Lord of the Rings for an eye-watering price tag of $250 million – that's just for the rights alone. The deal was described as only a "multi-season" production (by outlets like Deadline) without an exact number given. In June 2022, co-showrunner J.D. Payne told Empire that Amazon's rights were for “a 50-hour show,” which roughly sketches out to five seasons in typical streaming TV. “They knew from the beginning that was the size of the canvas — this was a big story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. There are things in the first season that don’t pay off until Season 5,” Payne told Empire.
While Amazon obtained the rights for five seasons, it's still up to Amazon whether to keep proceeding after each season. In a 2019 article by Deadline, which reported on the show's early Season 2 renewal (almost three years before Rings of Power even premiered), co-editor-in-chief Nellie Andreeva revealed that every season "has to be formally greenlighted by the streaming network.”
Do we know the RINGS OF POWER SEASON 3 release date?
If Rings of Power gets a third-season renewal, fans will still have to wait before they can return to Middle-earth. Just as the wait between Season 1 and Season 2 took two years, the wait could be just as long if not longer for Season 3.
Payne and McKay have reportedly been working on the story for Season 3 since early 2024. In February 2024, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Payne and McKay signed a new three-year overall deal with Amazon MGM, and while the deal isn't exclusively about The Rings of Power, it appears to include the Lord of the Rings prequel show. In this same article, THR reported that the duo “have started to break the initial story outline.” (“Break” is an industry term that refers to writers figuring out and finalizing the spine of any given story in full.) Months later, in a September 11 article, The Hollywood Reporter cited sources that Amazon “remains committed” to the five-season plan.
While the story of Season 3 is close to finished, if not already completed, it will still be a while before cameras start rolling. In the February 2024 article, THR wrote that Amazon was planning to relocate the show's production from Bray Studios to Shepperton Studios. (Both are in the UK.)
Even if Amazon officially renews the show right now, actor schedules, crew staffing, and other unglamorous areas of production still pose a time-consuming ordeal. It's more than likely that cameras will not start rolling until early 2025, and even then, there is still a year or more dedicated to editing and post-production. Visual effects are an infamously arduous process, and no amount of money can make Durin's Bane look as good as he does in a short time.
Realistically, fans shouldn't expect Season 3 of The Rings of Power until 2026 at the earliest.
WHAT Is THE RINGS OF POWER SEASON 3 plot?
Details regarding the story of Rings of Power Season 3 are still kept close to the chest. Only J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay can say with any certainty what Season 3 will be about.
However, based on how Season 2 ends, here's an educated guess. (Warning: Spoilers ahead.) With Eregion fallen, Sauron will continue exerting his influence over Middle-earth through the might of the rings and his new army of orcs. Sauron now possesses the Nine Rings for men, which will turn nine doomed human kings into his loyal and fearsome Ringwraiths.
Elsewhere, the elves now have a safe haven in Rivendell, a new sanctuary protected by their Three Rings. In Pelargir, the port city occupied by Southlanders, a new mandate by Númenor demands they fell the surrounding trees, which will inevitably incur the wrath of the Ents.
In Khazad-dûm, Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur) will have to assert his hold over the throne as he deals with his ambitious brother, the other dwarf kings who believe they are owed a debt, and most of all, the monstrous Balrog that dwells beneath Moria. We know from The Lord of the Rings that Moria will become a desolate tomb of dwarves. It's well within reason to believe that a possible third season of Rings of Power will see the fall of Moria.
Lastly, there's still Sauron who has yet to forge his One Ring. If the end of Season 1 saw the forging of the Three Rings, and Season 2 the forging of the Seven and Nine Rings, then Season 3 will more than likely see Sauron forging the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom.
WHO’s IN THE CAST OF THE RINGS OF POWER SEASON 3?
Fans can expect all, if not most, of the cast of The Rings of Power to return for Season 3. This includes Charlie Vickers as Sauron, Cynthia Addai-Robinson as beleaguered queen Míriel, and Sophia Nomvete as dwarf princess (now queen) Disa — all three attended Amazon's upfronts in the UK.
Morfydd Clark is also a strong contender to return. At the August 2024 premiere of the horror movie Starve Acre, which Clark stars in, she told the YouTube channel HeyUGuys that she's "very excited about the thought of going back to Middle-earth."
Season 2 had a few cast changes from Season 1. In the role of Adar, Sam Hazeldine took over from Season 1 actor Joseph Mawle. Nazanin Boniadi, who played Bronwyn in Season 1, departed the show between seasons, which led to her character dying off-screen in Season 2. While cast changes are possible and happen for even the biggest TV shows, no one can say for sure who will return and who will not until the show is underway.
IS THERE A TRAILER FOR THE RINGS OF POWER SEASON 3?
There is currently no trailer for The Rings of Power Season 3. With a season renewal announcement still up in the air, no trailer for Season 3 exists just yet.
HOW MANY SEASONS OF THE RINGS OF POWER WILL THERE BE IN TOTAL?
As previously mentioned, Amazon embarked on its unexpected journey with a plan for five seasons. However, the streaming giant must still decide to renew or pass (and thus, cancel) after every season. Truly there are dark times ahead, but not all hope is lost. And not all who wander are lost.
