The Rings of Power season 3 is in the works, with filming set to start soon as the story nears the halfway point of the Second Age. Prime Video's expansive (and expensive) series will continue to adapt some key events in the world of Lord of the Rings, and here's what to expect next.
If you want to prepare to return to the Middle-earth, below you will find everything you need to know about The Rings of Power season 3 release date, confirmed cast, plot details, first-look footage, and more. This is one of the best shows on Prime Video, so make sure you are up to date ahead of the new episodes.
Following the ending of The Rings of Power season 2, including the finale's big death scene, the show has a lot of Middle-earth history to cover, from Sauron forging the One Ring to the creation of Rivendell. And now that we know the real identity of The Stranger, all the pieces are falling into place. Showrunners J.D Payne and Patrick McKay have been talking about the next installment for a while now, so we have some clues on that front.
If you're all caught up with season 2, we have everything you need to know about The Rings of Power season 3, including plot speculation, cast, and some exclusive insight. As Gandalf would say, follow your nose to our ultimate guide and get up to speed on one of the best fantasy shows around.
The Rings of Power season 3 release date speculation
The Rings of Power season 3 is officially confirmed and is currently in pre-production at Shepperton Studios. However, no release date for the series has been disclosed just yet.
According to Variety, filming is expected to kick off again sometime in spring this year. Back at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay also confirmed that work had begun on the new episodes. "We're working on it,” he said at a press conference attended by 12DOVE on July 27, 2024.
Then we got another update in December 2024 when we asked the showrunners if they've been thinking a lot about the future direction of the series.
"The answer is yes, we're very excited, but we can't say anything other than we're working on season three," McKay told us. "We have a story we think is really strong, and we're hoping to turn it around as fast as possible."
Now, while this is a really good sign, it doesn’t tell us too much about when we might see season 3, as writing on the second season actually took place at the same time as filming on the first season.
We’ll have a much clearer idea when filming actually kicks off on the third installment. Looking at the time between season 2 starting production and actual release, it took about 20 months. If season 3 follows the exact same pattern, this means we can expect to see it around August 2026.
Of course, this is just a guess at the moment, so we'll keep you posted with any updates.
The Rings of Power season 3 plot
The Rings of Power season 3 doesn’t have an official synopsis just yet, but given where the finale brings the story, we do have a good idea about what to expect. First and foremost, Sauron is now at his greatest power yet, having taken possession of the Nine Rings for Men as well as bringing the Orc army under his wing.
After his confrontation with Galadriel, we see him standing with Feëanor’s hammer in Annatar form, and we’re betting this is setting up his forging of the One Ring. In J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, Sauron forges this in the flames of Mordor – could this be where he is heading next?
He’ll face opposition no doubt from the rest of Middle-earth. The Elves are bruised and battered following the Siege of Eregion, with severely depleted numbers. However, even with Galadriel recovering from her near death experience, she decides along with Elrond and Gil-galad that they will fight to defeat the Dark Lord.
We expect the third season will begin with them rallying their ranks and working out how to do this.
They’ll have a new ally though, who has just learned his name: Gandalf. Yes, the Stranger was the famous wizard after all. He now knows his name, has his staff, and is set on his path to clash with both the Dark Wizard and with Sauron.
It’s not yet clear whether the Harfoots will be part of this, as they head off on their own way at the end of the season, but let’s hope it’s not the last we see of them.
Elsewhere, things are not looking good. In Khazad-dûm, the Dwarves are in mourning after the death of King Durin and are also dealing with the fact they’ve awoken the Balrog under the mountain.
Numenór is in disarray with Pharazon declaring supporters of Miriel as traitors and sending Elendil fleeing with a very familiar sword (read more about Narsil here). It’s not much better for the other humans either, many of whom (including Isildur) are leaving the Southlands for Numenor.
In terms of where we leave season 2 on the Lord of the Rings timeline, we’re nearing the halfway point of the Second Age.
Looking at what to expect next from Tolkien’s books, we’ll likely see the creation of Rivendell in the wake of Eregion’s fall, but there is a big gap in the timeline between that and the next big event: the first sighting of the Nazghûl. It seems pretty clear that The Rings of Power will look to fill in the gaps of the men given the rings in season 3.
12DOVE also has some exclusive insight about what could happen next from the cast themselves. Sauron star Charlie Vickers teased the future for Galadriel and his character into season 3 and beyond.
"I think there's definitely going to still be a presence. I think it was a confrontation. But I think, as you see in The Lord of the Rings books, he is still present in her mind," Vickers says. "And I think as long as this show continues, they are the forces of good and evil. And I think that connection will endure for the show. It's not all over yet." He also added of Sauron, "This is only the beginning for him. I think that's the exciting part."
The Rings of Power season 3 cast
Although there were some big casualties (RIP Adar, King Durin and Celebrimbor) in The Rings of Power season 2, we’re expecting most of the major cast to return for a third season.
There will also likely be plenty of new characters joining as well, with Stranger Things star Jamie Campbell Bower and Eddie Marsan both joining the line-up. Who they're playing is a mystery for now, but Bower has posted an intriguing tease.
- Charlie Vickers as Sauron
- Morfydd Clark as Galadriel
- Robert Aramayo as Elrond
- Benjamin Walker as Gil-galad
- Daniel Weyman as Gandalf
- Sophia Nomvete as Disa
- Owain Arthur as Durin IV
- Kevin Eldon as Narvi
- Lloyd Owen as Elendil
- Maxim Baldry as Isildur
- Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn
- Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Míriel
- Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir
- Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo
- Markella Kavenagh as Elanor "Nori" Brandyfoot
- Megan Richards as Poppy Proudfellow
- Ciarán Hinds as the Dark Wizard
- Ema Horvath as Eärien
- Leon Wadham as Kemen
- Rory Kinnear as Tom Bombadil
- Jamie Campbell Bower as TBC
- Eddie Marsan as TBC
Is there a Rings of Power season 3 trailer?
There’s no trailer for The Rings of Power season 3 yet, as filming hasn’t begun on the show. Watch this space though as we’ll keep you up to date with any news we get.
For more on Tolkien, read our guide on the Lord of the Rings timeline.
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