'The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power' Will Return for Season 3

It's finally official: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will be back for a third season. This news isn't incredibly surprising, given that almost everyone involved with the show already appeared to be proceeding as though Season 3 was a done deal in interviews. Still, it's nice to have official confirmation, particularly since the series' second outing ended in such dramatic fashion. 

Season 2 concluded with the fall of the eleven stronghold of Eregion, the death of elven smith Celebrimor, and Sauron's reclamation of the nine rings meant for the realms of men. The elves were forced to retreat, taking refuge in a valley with a shining river that will obviously become Elrond's stronghold of Rivendell. 

Interestingly, Season 3 will apparently feature a major time jump. Rather than pick up immediately following the siege of Eregion, the popular fantasy drama will leap forward several years from the events of Season 2, picking up at the height of the War of the Elves and Sauron, just as Sauron is beginning to craft the One Ring. 

In theory, this makes sense, given that many events at this point in J.R.R. Tolkien's story span literal centuries. While the first two seasons of The Rings of Power has done a fair bit of compressing of the timeline already, perhaps it's time to admit that's simply not possible at this point. After all, in the book timeline, a hundred years pass between the forging of the other rings of power and the One Ring in Mordor. The War of the Elves and Sauron doesn't technically begin until a hundred years after that. And the Fall of Numenor, an event it's likely that most of us expect to close Season 3 doesn't take place until a thousand years after the war ends. 

Here's the current logline for Season 3.

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 bulk of Season 2's sprawling ensemble is likely expected to return, including Morfydd Clark (Murder is Easy), Robert Aramayo (Game of Thrones), Benjamin Walker (The Underground Railroad), Maxim Baldry (Years & Years), Ema Horvath (What Lies Below), Lloyd Owen (Silent Witness), Trystan Gravelle (Great Expectations), Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Power), Nazanin Boniadi (Scandal), Ismael Cruz Córdova (The Undoing), Daniel Weyman (Gentleman Jack). Ben Daniels (The Crown), Rory Kinnear (Our Flag Means Death),  Ciarán Hinds (The Dry), Will Keen (His Dark Materials), Kevin Eldon (My Lady Jane), Calam Lynch (Bridgerton), Stuart Bowman (Guilt), Nicholas Woodeson (Quiz), Tanya Moodie (Rain Dogs), and Gabriel Akuwudike (Ridley Road).

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

Charlotte Brändström, a co-executive producer who directed multiple episodes in Seasons 1 and 2, will be an executive producer and director for the third season. Sanaa Hamri will also return to direct, with veteran director Stefan Schwartz joining the series.

Season 3 is in pre-production and is expected to begin shooting this spring. The Rings of Power Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Prime Video.