‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Adds New Trio for Season 3

Amazon Studios may continue to pour money into its The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power project, but it's not spending quite as wantonly as it did in the first couple of seasons. After spending $1 billion (with a B!) on the show's first two seasons, rather than admit failure, the company decided to greenlight Season 3, but this time, to film in the U.K. instead of globe-trotting all over the place. The Amazon MGM Studios arm of the company recently put the finishing touches on its new U.K. production home, Shepperton Studios, and The Rings of Power has moved in.

That being said, the cast continues to sprawl in every direction, with literally hundreds of named characters and dozens of speaking roles. Season 3 may allow the production to purge some of the more extraneous supporting roles, as there will be a time jump of unknown length between the events of Season 2's finale and Season 3's premiere. Of course, that also means additions, and while the first announcement included two high-profile additions, the latest set is decidedly not.

One new series regular will join the cast, Andrew Richardson, whose only substantial credit is the forthcoming series PONIES at Peacock. Two additional recurring roles will also be added, featuring Zubin Varla (recently seen in Andor, and recognized by PBS viewers from Little Dorrit) and another relative newcomer, Adam Young (Masters of the Air). 

Here's the logline Amazon Studio provided when Season 3 was announced:

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.

Season 3 will bring back Morfydd Clark (Murder is Easy), Robert Aramayo (Game of Thrones), Charlie Vickers (Medici), Charles Edwards (Under the Vines), Robert Strange (The Wheel of Time), Markella Kavenagh (The Cry), and Ismael Cruz Córdova (The Undoing). Eddie Marsan (Ridley Road) and Jamie Campbell Bower (Stranger Things) have already been confirmed as joining the cast for the new season. While the giant roster from the first two seasons is not expected to be completely cut in the time jump, it remains to be seen which other actors will be mentioned as returning as filming continues.

J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay return as writers, showrunners, and executive producers. Season 3 directors confirmed thus far include returnees Charlotte Brändström and Sanaa Hamri with director Stefan Schwartz helming installments as well.

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is officially filming for Season 3, which is expected to debut on Amazon Prime in 2026.