David Farnor | On 13, Feb 2025

The Rings of Power will officially return for a third season – and it’ll be taking a bold leap forward when it does.

Amazon Prime Video’s epic series brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. Set thousands of years before the events of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, it follows a group of characters – familiar and new – as they face the long-feared reemergence of evil to Middle-earth.

The first season was viewed by more than 100 million people worldwide, with more than 24 billion minutes streamed. Season 2 arrived last year, following Sauron as he used his cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power. As elves, dwarves, orcs, men and Harfoots collided, the mysterious figure known as the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) headed to the mysterious lands of Rhûn to find out who he is. There, he found out that he was not the only wizard come to Middle-earth – a dark and powerful wizard, whose origins and intentions are shrouded in secrecy, has a legion of magic-wielding acolytes who obey his every command — among them the three travellers who sought out the Stranger at the end of Season 1 on the Dark Wizard’s orders.

“This thrilling return to Middle-earth is bigger, darker and packed with scale and moral stakes,” we wrote in our review.

Season 2 was Amazon’s most-watched returning season by hours watched and has attracted over 170 million viewers worldwide – Amazon has said he continues to be one of its strongest drivers for new Prime membership sign-ups. Now, months after Season 2’s finale back in October 2024, Amazon has officially confirmed that Season 3 is in pre-production,

However, when it returns, it will do so with a big time jump forwards, with Amazon announcing on its Instagram account: “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 War of the Elves is not the battle seen in the The Lord of the Rings films, but is the major battle that predates it, as Middle-earth wages war against Sauron for the first time.

“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,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios. “We look forward to continuing this epic journey, for our global customers, delving even deeper into the legendary tales that shaped Middle-earth.”

The new season will be helmed by three directors, two returning and one new: Charlotte Brändström, Sanaa Hamri, and Stefan Schwartz. Charlotte Brändström, who served as co-executive producer and directed multiple episodes in Seasons One and Two, returns as executive producer and director for the third season. She is joined by returning director Sanaa Hamri, who helmed several episodes in season two, and veteran director Stefan Schwartz, marking his first involvement with the series. Each director will oversee multiple episodes in the upcoming season.

Filming on Season 3 will begin this spring in the series’ new production home of Shepperton Studios in the UK.

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