Rings Of Power Season 3 Would Be The Perfect Time For Prime Video To Launch Its Next Lord Of The Rings Series
Given the extensiveness of Tolkien’s legendarium, the possibilities for a Rings of Power spinoff are basically endless. The Prime Video series is set during the Second Age of Middle-earth and revolves around Sauron’s creation of the titular Rings of Power, and will likely continue through to the Last Alliance of Elves and Men in season 5. There are centuries upon centuries of events that happened before this on the Lord of the Rings timeline, and any number of these would make for a great spinoff series. However, considering the expected plot of Rings of Power season 3, there may be a prime option here.
Rings Of Power Season 3 Can Set Up A Númenor Origins Spinoff
Numenor’s End In Rings Of Power Could Jumpstart Its Beginning In A Spinoff Series
Rings of Power season 3 is all but guaranteed to center on the destruction of Númenor. In season 2, Sauron made his intention of bringing his Nine Rings to the island kingdom, where he hoped to corrupt some of the High Men there for his own uses. We know from Tolkien’s works (and some heavy foreshadowing in Rings of Power) that Sauron’s presence in Númenor will ultimately lead to the island kingdom’s destruction. The Dark Lord will convince Pharazon to lead an army to Valinor to wage war on the demigod-like Valar. Naturally, they will lose, and the punishment will be severe.
It seems likely that we will see the great wave bury Númenor in The Rings of Power season 3, which makes this installment the perfect time to branch out. The Prime Video series’ first season didn’t spend much time exploring where Númenor had come from in the first place. It was briefly mentioned that Elrond’s brother, Elros, had been the island’s first king, but that was about the extent of it. The fact that this key story was largely neglected in Rings of Power could be a sign that Amazon has a Númenor origins series on deck.
It would be poetic if Prime Video announced a Lord of the Rings TV show about the establishment of Númenor just after the Rings of Power season 3 finale saw the island kingdom destroyed. The spinoff would bring everything full circle and provide a valuable look at what Númenor was originally meant to be before the devastation of the Second Age. Of course, a Númenor origins spinoff isn’t the most highly requested Lord of the Rings adaptation. However, the fact that it would likely fall within Prime Video’s rights makes it a prime next step.
A Númenor Spinoff Is Possible, But Other Requested Lord Of The Rings Stories Are Unlikely To Ever Happen
Some Of The Requested Series Are Harder To Bring To The Screen
Prior to Tolkien’s death, he sold the screen rights to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. At that point in time, books like The Silmarillion hadn’t been published, since they were only compiled after the author had passed away. In those years since, Tolkien’s estate has refused to sell the rights to these stories. This means that Amazon and Warner Bros are only able to adapt stories that are described in The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King (and their appendices) to the screen.
It’s for precisely this reason that Rings of Power has had to make so many adjustments to the Second Age story. The appendices of Return to the King contain mention of several big First and Second Age events, but many more are described only in The Silmarillion. The origin of Númenor is discussed at length in Tolkien’s appendices, but highly requested stories like the creation and war over the Silmarils can’t be adapted since Prime Video doesn’t have the rights. Perhaps that will change in the future. For now, however, a more in-depth Numenor story could be a great next step.
