While fans wait for an official season 3 renewal, JD Payne and Patrick McKay are playing the long game.

The Lord of the Rings franchise loves a good trilogy, doesn’t it? Author J.R.R. Tolkien’s series is compounded into three books, director Peter Jackson produced three films (and then three more!), and The Rings of Power will most likely roll out a third season. Though the Prime Video fantasy series hasn’t reached quite the same popularity as other recent entries in the genre (*cough* House of the Dragon), The Lord of the Rings certainly boasts a dedicated fan base.

Lucky for them, it seems that the show’s creators are planning season 3, even without an official renewal. “The rights that Amazon bought were for a 50-hour show,” showrunner JD Payne told Empire in January 2022. “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.” According to Payne, he’s even planned “what our final shot of the last episode is going to be.”

While it’s still entirely possible that Prime Video alters its course for The Rings of Power, Payne’s comments are good news for Tolkien fans. So is Amazon’s current commitment to giving audiences a fantasy spectacle worthy of being the most expensive show ever made. Back in February, Payne and his co-showrunner, Patrick McKay, inked an exclusive new deal with the streamer 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,” said Amazon’s head of television, Vernon Sanders. “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. 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.”

For more information on The Rings of Power season 3, read on below.

Amazon Prime
MORE RINGS!

What Will Happen in Season 3?

By the beginning of season 2, Sauron has officially made his presence known. As he plans to trick Celebrimbor into forging nineteen powerful rings, the dark lord will seek to control Middle-earth with one last grift—a twentieth ring that holds power over all the other rings. Season 2 will likely continue to explore the creation of the rings and follow the heroes who doubt Sauron’s motivations.

Everything is leading up to “the Last Alliance of Elves and Men,” a war previewed at the start of the Lord of the Rings trilogy that ends with Sauron’s defeat (for now). If the showrunners are planning to reach the war by the end of season 5, it’s possible that season 3 could delve more into the nine rings given to mankind. Though not much is known about who held the rings, the tragic figures later become the badass Nazgul wraiths who chase Frodo in The Lord of the Rings. For Payne and McKay to really stamp their seal on The Rings of Power, creating those characters is likely one of their strongest motivations for season 3.

Amazon Prime
Season 3 could explore the nine rings for mankind.

When Will Season 3 Premiere?

Two years have passed between the first season and The Rings of Power season 2, meaning that such a massive production would likely take the same amount of time for season 3. Prime Video still must give the series the official green light, even if the showrunners are already hard at work on a five-season arc. Until we hear otherwise, fans shouldn’t expect season 3 before 2026.