For many, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 was a major step-up from the slower, less action-packed first season. The results have been tangible, too, as the series continues to break Amazon streaming records. Although The Rings of Power Season 3 has not been officially greenlit yet, the future of the show has been officially addressed by Amazon Studios.

Head of Amazon MGM Studios Jennifer Salke spoke with Variety about all-things Prime Video, revealing how well The Rings of Power is still doing on the platform. The haters are probably going to have to sit this one out, as it seems The Rings of Power is generating an audience of over 150 million viewers. Obviously, it’s hard to believe an Amazon boss would say otherwise about a property they paid more than $1 billion to acquire and produce, but the results seem genuine all things considered. Salke explained:

“And if you look at the long-term trajectory, which is how this company looks at an asset like that, this is a long-term investment in that franchise. (…) There’s well over 150 million viewers watching and engaging with the show. So, I feel really good. I think we all do.

As previously reported, The Rings of Power Season 3 is currently in the works, but it is not officially greenlit just yet. However, it seems a renewal announcement is inevitable. When the show was first announced, it was touted as a five-season affair, and Salke now addresses if the 50-episode commitment still stands. Fortunately, she makes it clear that The Rings of Power is here to stay, and you can thank everyone (including those who dislike it) for watching the series on a weekly basis.

“I don’t think so. (That) commitment is never the thing that’s driving what we’re doing. We’ll continue to make the show as long as we see global customers loving 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.”

What the Future of The Rings of Power Holds

The future of The Rings of Power has been envisioned from the very start of the streaming show. The series takes place during the Second Age, a time in Tolkien’s vast Lord of the Rings canon that remains muddy yet vital to the history of Middle-earth. As the Season 2 finale teased, The Rings of Power is eventually building up to the final battle to ushers in a new age. It’s anticipated that the fifth season (should it get made) will cover the War of the Last Alliance, the epic conclusion of the Second Age in which Sauron faces his first major defeat.

The Rings of Power showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne have had a clear vision ever since Amazon committed to producing 50 episodes. From revealing the Stranger as Gandalf to teasing Sauron’s eventual demise, the show is filling out a void in Tolkien’s work, whether we like it or not. The Rings of Power Season 3 will only delve deeper into the canon, and it is doing so by delivering fans a Lord of the Rings experience that the films could not provide.