It seems like all the Lord of the Rings-related news lately has been about the franchise’s big-screen return. Andy Serkis’ The Hunt for Gollum just confirmed some major casting news, and no less a Tolkien superfan than Stephen Colbert will be co-writing another new film titled Shadow of the Past. But Amazon is here to remind you about its very expensive Rings of Power TV show, which in a surprise move is apparently dropping its third (of five currently planned) seasons earlier than expected.
This report comes from the Hollywood Reporter and has yet to be confirmed by the streamer. However, “a source close to the production” told the trade that Rings of Power season three will be arriving later this year, rather than the expected 2027 release date. Season two wrapped up in October 2024.
Prime Video does have an official synopsis out, at least: “Jumping forward several years from the events of season two, season three 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.”
Despite the “several years” time gap, Middle-earth’s characters aren’t necessarily beholden to the aging process, and several mainstays (including Charlie Vickers’ Sauron, Morfydd Clark’s Galadriel, and Robert Aramayo’s Elrond) are expected to return.
New faces playing as-yet unknown characters include Jamie Campbell Bower (yep, Vecna on Stranger Things), along with Eddie Marsan, Andrew Richardson, Zubin Varla, and Adam Young. Frankly, we’re most excited to finally see the One Ring enter the narrative—though given the show’s particular approach to pacing in the past, it’ll probably show up in the season finale.
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