The Rings of Power returns today with Sauron nearly victorious, and four episodes at once
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 premieres on Prime Video on Wednesday 11 November with its first four episodes, picking up five years after the fall of Eregion with most of Middle-earth under Sauron's armies. The eight-episode season arrives in three drops and finishes on 25 November, so the whole story is out before the holidays. It is the third season of what was widely reported as the most expensive television series ever made.
Three things to know
- Episodes 1 to 4 arrive on 11 November, episodes 5 and 6 on 18 November, and the final two on 25 November, in more than 240 countries and territories.
- The story jumps five years: Sauron is finishing the One Ring in the newly built Barad-dûr, and only the dwarves of Khazad-dûm and the elven realms of Lindon and Rivendell still hold out.
- New faces include Jamie Campbell Bower as Celeborn, Eddie Marsan as the dwarf Thrain, and Simon Pegg as the voice of the Balrog.
Prime Video’s biggest fantasy series is back. The first four episodes of The Rings of Power season 3 premiere on Wednesday 11 November, US time, exclusively on the service. Schedule listings put new episodes at midnight US Pacific time, which is 4pm AWST and 7pm AEDT on Wednesday in Australia.
Rather than one episode a week, the eight-episode season is split into three drops: four on 11 November, two on 18 November and the last two on 25 November. Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay have said they wanted the season out by the holidays so viewers could binge it.
Where does the story pick up?
Five years have passed since Sauron destroyed the elven city of Eregion at the end of season 2. His armies now hold most of Middle-earth. Inside his newly finished fortress of Barad-dûr, he is working on the One Ring.
What resistance remains is cornered: the dwarves have sealed themselves in the halls of Khazad-dûm, and the elves hold Lindon and Rivendell under the protection of their Three Rings. Amazon’s preview of the season also shows Númenor on the brink of civil war and Gandalf travelling into the eastern land of Rhûn.
For readers of Tolkien, this is the War of the Elves and Sauron, the conflict the first two seasons were building towards.
Who is in it?
Charlie Vickers returns as Sauron, alongside Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, Robert Aramayo as Elrond, Benjamin Walker as Gil-galad and Daniel Weyman as Gandalf. Sophia Nomvete and Owain Arthur are back as Disa and Durin IV, and Rory Kinnear returns as Tom Bombadil.
The new cast is led by Jamie Campbell Bower as Celeborn, Galadriel’s husband in the books, and Eddie Marsan as Thrain, older brother of King Durin IV. Zubin Varla plays Khamûl, an Easterling of Rhûn; Andrew Richardson plays Anarion, Elendil’s younger son; and Adam Young plays Marnûkh, an orc who gives the first episode its title. Simon Pegg voices the Balrog.
Why does this season matter to Amazon?
Amazon bought the television rights in 2017 with a five-season commitment worth at least US$1 billion, which was widely reported as making the series the most expensive ever made. The first season, filmed in New Zealand, became Prime Video’s most-watched original series. The second, filmed in the UK, drew fewer viewers.
Season 3 is the first chance to show whether the slower build of the first two seasons pays off now the war has begun, and whether a release built for bingeing can win back the viewers season 2 lost.
Can I catch up first?
Both earlier seasons, 16 episodes in all, are streaming on Prime Video. Season 1 ends with the unmasking of Sauron and the forging of the elven rings; season 2 covers the making of the other rings and the fall of Eregion, which is where the new season begins.
How we got here
The key moments that brought this story into focus. Open any moment for detail.
November 2017Amazon buys the rights
Amazon acquires television rights to the Second Age stories with a five-season commitment.
1 September 2022Season 1 premieres
The series debuts, filmed in New Zealand, and becomes Prime Video's most-watched original.
29 August 2024Season 2 premieres
The second season, filmed in the UK, ends with the fall of Eregion.
21 October 2026Trailer and dates
Prime Video releases the season 3 trailer and confirms the 11 November premiere.
11 November 2026Season 3 premieres
Episodes 1 to 4 arrive on Prime Video.
What happens next
Episodes 5 and 6 arrive on 18 November and the final two episodes on 25 November. A fourth season has been reported to be in development, but Amazon has not formally announced it.
Sources
- VNN
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