[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 and book plot.]
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has crossed the one-billion minutes watched mark on Prime Video, according to the Nielsen streaming charts for the week of August 24-September 1. Prime Video also says that the viewership is even higher in other countries, making it a certifiable hit for the streamer. But as of the time of publication, the series has yet to be renewed for Season 3.
The Rings of Power Season 2 premiered with three episodes on Thursday, August 29. Nielsen doesn’t differentiate between seasons when tracking U.S. viewership (it only tracks U.S. viewership), but it does say that 70 percent of the over one billion minutes viewed in from August 24-September 1 came from the three new episodes (of 11 total when combined with Season 1), per Deadline.
Following the Nielsen numbers, Prime Video said its international viewership is “about three times” as much as it is in the U.S., though it didn’t share exact figures (see below). The studio also tells TV Insider that Season 2 is currently in the top five of their most-watched seasons of original programming ever and that the series remains No. 1 on Prime Video globally since premiere.
1 billion minutes watched in the first week in the US, according to Nielsen. Our international viewer number is about three times the US audience so thank you to the global fans for continuing to make The Rings of Power #1 worldwide on Prime Video! pic.twitter.com/3ztkXaIgzU— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@TheRingsofPower) September 26, 2024
Given how well it’s said to perform, it seems all but certain that The Rings of Power will be renewed for a third season. And the show’s creators speak as if a renewal is already in the bag. With the Season 2 finale having debuted on Thursday, October 3, here’s what we know about the show’s future.
Is The Rings of Power renewed for Season 3?
It hasn’t been officially renewed, but the showrunners/creators, J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, previously told TV Insider that they made Seasons 1 and 2 with a five-season plan in mind. This was shared during a set visit I attended in Bray, England in April 2023.
RelatedInside ’The Rings of Power’s Epic Battle of Eregion & That Shocking Kiss
“We have a five-year plan that we’ve had all along that’s not changing,” Payne told us on set, referring to the number of seasons they’ve always envisioned for the fantasy series. McKay reaffirmed their commitment to the plan to TV Insider ahead of Season 2’s premiere in 2024 when asked how fan reaction does or doesn’t influence the show’s content.
“The show this season is the product of four years of creative work. We’re all incredibly proud of the results and excited to share it with our audience, which means then you want to know what they think,” McKay told TV Insider. “But at the end of the day, we have a plan. We’ve had it for six years, we’re seeing it through. I don’t know that anything people say positive or negative, you truly take to heart. We’re our own worst critics. And I think when things are pretty good, I think we have a pretty good radar for when it’s working.”
Charlotte Brändström, director of the epic Battle of Eregion episode (Season 2 Episode 7, available now) and the upcoming finale, also told TV Insider that there are “Easter eggs” in the upcoming finale that are “things that people will remember, but that also has to do what’s going to come up in Season 3.”
Ismael Cruz Córdova, who plays Arondir, also gave a hopeful update after last week’s penultimate episode.
“As far as I know, they did kind of confirm that we’re going for a third,” he told Variety. “I haven’t seen any scripts, though. I would love to. But I’m pretty sure we’re going for a third.”
The showrunners are already well into the process of developing the story for Season 3. It seems that Prime and the show’s creators may already know a third season is confirmed but have yet to publicly announce that information. An October 4 report from The Hollywood Reporter notes that a renewal announcement is likely to come later this month.
Amazon MGM Studios highlighted The Rings of Power to advertisers in London during the Prime Video UK Upfront presentation earlier this week, according to THR. Shows aren’t advertised in showings such as this if they don’t have a future with the studio. The outlet also reports that the series has already configured its Season 3 writers room. In addition to Payne and McKay, who have a multi-year deal with Amazon, that staff includes Justin Doble (executive producer), Ben Tagoe (consulting producer), Ava Wong Davies (consulting producer), Constance Cheng (consulting producer), Jonathan Wilson (consulting producer), Griff Jones (staff writer), and Sarah Anson (staff writer), per THR.
What will happen in The Rings of Power Season 3?
Prime Video
Season 2 of the J.R.R. Tolkien adaptation has featured the Siege of Eregion detailed in Tolkien’s writings about the Second Age of Middle-earth. It’s a pivotal event in this universe’s history tied to the creation of the rings of power for dwarves and men. Those seven rings for dwarven kings and the nine for men were completed as of Season 2 Episode 7, the penultimate of the season. The fallout from the Battle of Eregion will take place in the finale, which will also see Sauron (Charlie Vickers) and Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) crossing paths (and swords) for the first time this season (see above).
Related‘Rings of Power’: Cynthia Addai-Robinson Thinks This Is Missing From Númenor Scenes
Because Season 3 isn’t confirmed, there are no confirmed plot details for potential future storylines. But Tolkien fans know that the Fall of Númenor is on the horizon, as the show creators and stars have all confirmed that the island kingdom’s downfall will be shown should the series continue beyond Season 2. McKay confirmed that the Fall of Númenor will not happen in Season 2 to TV Insider ahead of the season premiere.
“We’re not there yet. Down the road,” he said, adding, “There’s still a lot of things that have to happen before Númenor falls.”
Cynthia Addai-Robinson‘s Míriel foresaw the kingdom’s destruction via tidal wave in a premonition in Season 1 and has been fighting to prevent that fate ever since. Her cousin and advisor, Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle), usurped her throne in Season 2, which book readers know is a bad sign for the nation.
The show is presumably building up to the creation of Sauron’s One Ring and his eventual defeat as depicted in the books and The Fellowship of the Ring movie’s prologue. Given what they need to get to by that potential fifth and final season, Númenor’s final days could possibly come in Season 3 or 4, which would give enough time to recenter the focus on that final fight against Sauron.
The Rings of Power, Season 2 Finale Streaming Now, Prime Video
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