<i>Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power</i> Season 3: What We Know So Far

Some spoilers below.

With Sauron crowned, a Balrog tunneling beneath Khazad-dûm, and The Stranger’s true identity revealed (oh, hey, “Grand Elf”) in the season 2 finale, Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings series, The Rings of Power, is blazing a determined trail toward further seasons—naysayers be forgotten. Here’s what we know about the fantasy drama’s future so far.

After the season 2 finale aired in 2024, Prime Video did not initially confirm a season 3 renewal, though multiple cast and crew members dropped hints that “good news” was coming. (In fact, executive producer Charlotte Brändström used these exact words in an interview with RadioTimes.com, saying, “I can’t say much about season 3, but I think there’ll be good news soon.”)

Finally, on February 13, 2025, the streamer confirmed that season 3 was in pre-production and would begin filming in the spring.

Morfydd Clark will return as Galadriel, along with Charlie Vickers, Robert Aramayo, Ismael Cruz Cordóva, Owain Arthur, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Benjamin Walker, Markella Kavenagh, Maxim Baldry, and Daniel Weyman.

And on June 12, it was announced that three new cast members will be added to season 3. According to The Wrap, Andrew Richardson (Ponies), Zubin Varla (Andor), and Adam Young (Sex Education) are joining in roles yet to be disclosed. Richardson will be a series regular, and Varla and Young will be recurring.

Yes, they began filming at Shepperton Studios in the U.K. this spring.

Rings of Power showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne have long made their multi-season intentions clear, frequently touting a five-season plan for the Tolkien prequel. In interviews with multiple outlets, including ELLE.com, both McKay and Payne have confirmed plans for season 3 and beyond, with McKay telling The Hollywood Reporter: “We think the show is just hitting its stride, and we anticipate that season 3 will be onward and upward.”

Payne confirmed the same to Deadline, keeping details close to the vest but sharing that “we’re deep in the works on season 3, and it’s going to be cool.”

With every episode, we get closer to the creation of the One Ring to Rule Them All. But that’s, of course, not the only area of interest as The Rings of Power expands its territory in Middle-earth.

In an interview about Morfydd Clark’s performance as Galadriel, conducted ahead of the season 2 premiere, Payne told ELLE.com that he and McKay are eager to explore a wider range of the elf’s emotions. “Because of the nature of where the story has been so far, it’s been rather grim,” he said. Galadriel has had to be “like the Terminator or something. She’s just on a mission. But the character has a lot of other registers and tones that we are excited to play in—some of which you see in season 2, and some of which we’ve already started to think [for] season 3.”

As for where season 3 might take Galadriel’s nemesis, the dark lord Sauron, McKay had this to offer Deadline: “The last time you see Sauron in [the season 2 finale], he’s now inherited the heirloom hammer. And in her voiceover, Megan Richards’s character, Poppy Proudfellow, is talking about, after a defeat and a great loss, all you can do is pick yourself up and build something new. And that seems to imply maybe the next step in Sauron’s journey. But that’s all we can say.” This could be a hint that Sauron is looking to “build” his own One Ring, the ring that would come to define Tolkien’s sagas.

Don’t expect The Rings of Power to announce a season 3 release date any time soon. As McKay shared, “We’re working very hard on it and are deep in the writing process and are really excited about where it’s going to go. But...we don’t have a date right now.” After all, Mordor wasn’t built in a day!

This story will be updated.