The road goes ever on and on, and we’re waiting (impatiently) for a Rings of Power Season 3 release date after that epic, emotional finale earlier this year.
After a shaky opening season, Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series became one of the best TV shows of 2024 (as our review of Rings of Power Season 2 should attest).
A lot went down this time around: the Stranger finally realized he’s Gandalf, Tom Bombadil made his debut, the Siege of Eregion was as bloody and destructive as we could have hoped, Elrond and Galadriel kissed (!), and it’s already teased Phârazon’s fateful obsession with Valinor and the Undying Lands.
We may have made it to Rivendell, but big reveals are coming, like the identity of the Dark Wizard and the men who will receive Sauron’s nine rings. Expect answers in Rings of Power Season 3 – so here’s what we know.
Is there a Rings of Power Season 3 release date?
Rings of Power Season 3 won’t be released until 2026 at the earliest, so don’t expect the announcement of a date any time soon.
The first season premiered in 2022, and it took over two years for Season 2 to arrive on Prime Video. It’ll have a similar production cycle to House of the Dragon, so while we strictly can’t say it absolutely won’t come out in 2025, it’s highly unlikely.
Plus, there’s other Lord of the Rings content on the horizon. War of the Rohirrim, an anime movie, hits cinemas this Christmas, and The Hunt for Gollum is already in development.
“All we can say is, we’re working on it. We’re cooking. Let us cook,” co-showrunner Patrick McKay told The Hollywood Reporter.
In a recent interview, the showrunners confirmed they were still working on Season 3.
“We’re working on it,” Payne said, adding: “We’re prepping now, very, very intensely… we do [have some exciting stuff coming]. It’s gonna be really good. We’re excited.”
During another Q&A, McKay also said: “We’re really excited. We have a story. We think it’s really strong… and we’re working on it.”
Has Rings of Power been canceled?
No, Rings of Power hasn’t been canceled. Season 3 was just confirmed by Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke.
Speaking to Variety, Salke was asked if there was any change to the streaming service’s 50-episode commitment to the series.
“I don’t think so. [That] commitment is never the thing that’s driving what we’re doing,” she explained.
“We’ll continue to make the show as long as we see global customers loving it and watching it to the point where – it is a business. Obviously, we need a large amount of people showing up. And there are a large amount of people, so there’s no debate about whether or not the show will continue.”
Rumors of it being axed emerged amid reports of its low viewership on the streaming service; a near-50% drop from Season 1, and that’s before we get to the second season’s completion rates off the back of the finale.
Fear not, because “a third season has been in the works for months, though it has not been officially greenlighted,” according to The Hollywood Reporter, and there’s been no indication that it won’t get the go-ahead for Bezos and co.
In fact, in February this year, JD Payne and Patrick McKay inked new deals with Prime Video to secure the show’s future. “We began this remarkable journey with JD and Patrick more than five and a half years ago and have never looked back,” Vernon Sanders, Amazon’s head of television, said in an earlier statement.
“We continue to be amazed by the scope and scale of their vision and the enormous global success achieved by The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in its record-breaking first season.
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We can’t wait for Prime Video customers to experience the epic adventure and high-stakes drama that JD and Patrick are continuing to build throughout Season 2 and beyond. Naturally, the studio is thrilled to extend our overall deal with these brilliant creative minds as they continue to deliver on their passion for great storytelling.”
Rings of Power Season 3 story predictions
Rings of Power’s destination is inevitable: the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, the climactic war of the Second Age that (sort of) leaves Sauron defeated and the One Ring at the bottom of the Anduin.
We’re a couple seasons away from that, though. A few things should happen in Season 3: Sauron will forge the One Ring, he’ll hand out the Nine to mortal men (who’ll eventually become the Nazgûl), and it could end with Sauron being captured by Pharazôn and his Númenorean army (setting up his fateful journey to Valinor and the Undying Lands).
Speaking to Dexerto, Charlie Vickers (Sauron) said he’s especially excited to find out who gets the Nine.
“I don’t know whether they will be existing characters or new characters. The showrunners have an idea. I’m looking forward to potentially having the opportunity to go around giving rings to people,” he said.
“It’ll be one of the fun things. People know them from the Peter Jackson films, these nine men who decay over centuries. So yeah, I don’t know the answer, but I’m looking forward to finding out.”
In the closing scenes of Season 2, Elrond, Galadriel, Gil-galad, and Arondir make it to a sanctuary “protected by the rings.” It’s the foundation of Rivendell, and Robert Aramayo is eager for that part of Elrond’s story.
“I would hope for Rivendell, given my knowledge of the lore and where I would look to go, I would hope for that,” he said. Benjamin Walker (Gil-Galad) wants to see “more cross-pollinations between the peoples and species of Middle-earth.”
“Particularly for Gil-galad, I feel like we’ve missed out on his connection with Númenor a bit in terms of his prescient nature in order to predict evil,” he added.
“Let’s at least get to where we can start to see the seeds planted of how the peoples of Middle-earth need each other and, to not tip the head of where we’re going, but to just start bringing the pieces together.”
Don’t expect big changes to the cast
Barring any shock departures, you can expect Morfydd Clark and Charlie Vickers to reprise their roles as Galadriel and Sauron respectively, alongside the rest of the Rings of Power cast in Season 3. This would include:
- Daniel Weyman as Gandalf
- Robert Aramayo as Elrond
- Benjamin Walker as Gil-galad
- Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir
- Owain Arthur as Durin IV
- Sophia Nomvete as Disa
- Lloyd Owen as Elendil
- Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Miriel
- Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn
- Maxim Baldry as Isildur
- Ema Horvath as Ëarien
- Leon Wadham as Kemen
- Ciarán Hinds as the Dark Wizard
- Markella Kavenagh as Nori Brandyfoot
- Megan Richards as Poppy Proudfellow
King Durin (Peter Mullan) and Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) died this season, so they could return in flashbacks or visions, but it’ll be in a limited capacity.
There are a few uncertainties. Rory Kinnear debuted as Tom Bombadil in Season 2, acting as a guide to Gandalf, formerly known as the Stranger, as he journeyed to Rhûn to find his staff and discover his name. It’s unclear if he’ll return in Season 3 (but we’re hoping so!).
We also met the Stoors in the second season, with Nori and Poppy helping them migrate to a new home in the closing scenes of the finale. Whether or not they’ll stick around with the Stoors or make their way home to their Harfoot families remains to be seen.
Prepare to wait for a Rings of Power Season 3 trailer
Patience is a virtue! Of course there isn’t a Rings of Power Season 3 trailer yet. The Season 2 finale has just aired and the third season isn’t even in production.
Considering we won’t see new episodes until 2026, we probably won’t get any new footage until late 2025 at the earliest, so you’ll have to make do with the first two seasons and the Lord of the Rings movies until then.
You can also read our interview with Gandalf himself and Elrond’s actor (who addresses that kiss with Galadriel). If you want to fill the Rings of Power void, we’ve broken down other TV shows streaming this month, and you can find new movies to watch too.
