Since The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 finale aired on October 3rd, both fans and critics of the show have been waiting to see if Amazon would renew the fantasy show. Since the finale, Amazon has been quiet in regards to its $1 billion series and its season 2 performance which, domestically, underperformed compared to season 1. Finally, Amazon MGM Studios has confirmed that The Rings of Power has been renewed for season 3 and it was revealed that the new season would skip ahead a few years from where the season 2 finale ended.
The official Amazon MGM Studios X account posted the show’s renewal along with the names of those who will be directing the show,
“Prime Video confirms season three of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Acclaimed directors Charlotte Brändström, Sanaa Hamri, and Stefan Schwartz set for upcoming season.”
Over on the official The Rings of Power X account it was revealed that the new season would leapfrog ahead,
“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.”
News that season 3 will skip ahead comes as a surprise given how, in Tolkien’s work, the war between Sauron and the Elves progresses after the fall of Eregion. Why the show is skipping ahead to the peak of the war has yet to be explained. Prior to this announcement, it was speculated that there would be budget cuts, spurred on by comments made about the show’s continuation based on viewership, if there were a third season and this time jump may be the result of such a rumor (though this could have been the show’s trajectory from the start).
In addition, Amazon revealed that the show “has attracted over 170 million viewers worldwide” and “continues to be one of Amazon’s strongest drivers for new Prime membership sign-ups.”
However, the company failed to provide any specific details regarding how many global viewers season 2 attracted, since Amazon provided the 55 million figure, or how many new sign-ups occurred because of the show. If taken as a cumulative figure for both seasons, then it appears that The Rings of Power season 2 attracted 70 million viewers compared to season 1’s 100 million figure. A 30% drop in the global figure compared to the 50% drop in domestic viewing that was reported by Nielsen.
The figure also doesn’t differentiate between those who watched a couple minutes of the show and those who watched it in its entirety.
Filming for the third season is occurring at Shepperton Studios just outside London where pre-production is already underway.
No further details about the show have been provided or when The Rings of Power season 3 will air.
How Amazon’s The Rings of Power Got The Rings of Power Completely Wrong
Tolkien’s Corner: 10 Things Amazon’s The Rings of Power Did That Disrespects J.R.R. Tolkien
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