Lest that insane amount of money spent on securing some real estate in Middle-earth go to waste, Amazon Prime Video has unsurprisingly renewed The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power for a third season. On Thursday, the company announced the renewal as well as three directors involved in the upcoming installment, Charlotte Brändström (Shōgun), Sanaa Hamri (The Wheel Of Time), and Stefan Schwartz (My Lady Jane), the latter of whom is new to the Rings Of Power franchise. In addition, The Hollywood Reporter got a little bit of dirt on what to expect from the next season.
In the second season, Sauron’s (Charlie Vickers) identity was exposed and he pursued his mission to obtain the rings. (You know, the ones with the power.) The logline provided to THR for the third season reads: “Jumping forward several years from the events of season 2, season 3 takes place at the height of the War of the Elves and Sauron, as the Dark Lord seeks to craft the One Ring that will give him the edge he needs to win the war and conquer all Middle-earth at last.”
The Lord Of The Rings spin-off, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices, has been touted as the most expensive television show of all time. Given streaming services’ caginess about data, it’s not entirely clear just how popular Rings Of Power is. It hasn’t reached the level of cultural impact of its competitor House Of The Dragon. But Prime boasts that the show has “attracted over 170 million viewers worldwide” and “continues to be one of Amazon’s strongest drivers for new Prime membership sign-ups.” Whether or not the investment is paying off, it’s an investment the company has already made, so it might as well let showrunners J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay fulfill their five-season plan. Rings Of Power will presumably tell the complete story of Middle-earth’s Second Age, which ended with Sauron’s defeat at the hands of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues to captivate audiences worldwide, and we’re thrilled that a third season is underway. The creative team has an extraordinary vision of what’s to come with stories that have left us enchanted and enthralled,” Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios, said in a press release. “We look forward to continuing this epic journey, for our global customers, delving even deeper into the legendary tales that shaped Middle-earth.” Filming for the third season is set to begin in the spring.
