The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has already introduced audiences to the depths of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work. While it is far from a perfect adaptation of The Silmarillion, it has certainly ushered in a greater understanding of many of its prominent characters. Galadriel, Sauron, and other groups of Hobbits have each had greater exposure than any previous movie afforded them. Peter Jackson’s focus on the Third Age meant that the Second Age was, understandably, left to the realm of myth, memory, and legend.
Considering that much of Tolkien’s work focused on the Third Age, it was a natural decision to adapt that era for the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit movie series. Still, excluding previous eras meant that the majority of viewers were almost entirely ignorant about the eras that preceded it. Anything that was not outright mentioned in the movies became elements of lore known only to the most devoted of readers. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has offered more insight into Tolkien’s world, and the show is now poised to showcase another extremely important era.
The Rings of Power Was Renewed for Another Season
Season 3 Is Already in Pre-Production
After a successful first two seasons, The Rings of Power was renewed for season 3, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter. The renewal update came months after season 2 ended in October 2024, which was surprising, given the show’s viewership numbers. It has reportedly drawn 170 million viewers, which would be impressive for network TV. On a subscriber-based streaming platform, it is an even more surprising total. It has broken records for hours watched on Prime Video, and it continues to excel by nearly every metric. It is now already in pre-production, and it will begin filming in the spring.
The only major concern that likely delayed the renewal was the extremely high budget. Season 1 reportedly cost $465 million to produce, which fails to account for the cost of purchasing the rights to adapt Tolkien’s work. The per-episode cost averages to $58.1 million. The immense expenses made it the most expensive TV show ever, far exceeding Citadel‘s $50 million per episode and Secret Invasion‘s $35 million each. As such, Amazon likely wanted to mull its options before spending hundreds of millions more for season 3. Fortunately, despite some criticism, the show managed to earn another set of episodes. With more space to tell its story, The Rings of Power can now depict an under-explored story from Middle-earth.
Season 3 Will Reveal the War of the Elves and Sauron
The War Has Never Before Been Adapted
The Lord of the Rings‘ war was an epic confrontation that drove Middle-earth to the edge of collapse. If not for the heroic efforts of the Fellowship of the Ring, the entire realm could have been damned outright. Tragically, it was not the only time that Sauron managed a strong offensive. In the Second Age, Sauron manipulated the Elves into creating the Rings. He secretly planned to use the One Ring to control them all, only to discover that the Elves had secretly made three Rings of their own. The Dark Lord would be forced to wage an offensive, and he devastated the Elves.
Sauron plans to become the undisputed ruler of Middle-earth, and only the Elves can stop him.
The War of the Elves and Sauron Was Devastating
It Will Feature A Significant Time Jump
As Sauron works to create the One Ring, the War of the Elves and Sauron will see him wage a bloody conquest against his immortal enemies. The Rings should corrupt the six living Dwarven kings, and Sauron is about to lay claim to the Orc armies. Even Gandalf, who was not originally involved in the War of Elves and Sauron, will be involved in the war. It will be a wide-spanning conflict that will cross over every aspect of life in Middle-earth. Unlike in The Lord of the Rings, Sauron will also have considerably more allies, as many enemies of Númenor use him to take down their tyrannical rulers.
Eregion’s fall will spark years of conflict. The entirety of Middle-earth is forced to choose sides, and both armies are driven to the brink of extinction. As is evident from the Lord of the Rings movies, Sauron is not going to win this war outright. Still, the forces of chaos and evil will decimate the free people of Middle-earth. Entire realms will die in the fighting, and many cultures will not survive the coming war. Season 3 will take place years into the war, so the idyllic landscapes will be replaced by devastation.
The Rings of Power Will Likely Change the War
The Show Has Already Changed Everything
The show will be taking a risk by revealing the reality of this war, but it will not be a faithful adaptation. After all, The Rings of Power has changed many details from Tolkien’s work. Gandalf’s presence in the story is entirely artificial, given that he was not meant to be involved in their affairs until the Third Age. The timeline has also been significantly altered, as much of the story has already been condensed into a much narrower timeframe. There will be a multi-year skip between seasons 2 and 3, so it is likely to match the eight-year length of the war. Still, the surrounding years will be different.
There could also be entirely unexpected changes. The show has not shied away from introducing original characters, and they could still play an important role going forward. Either way, the War of the Elves and Sauron is poised to completely change Middle-earth in season 3. As Galadriel continues her campaign to stop Sauron, the Dark Lord is likely to corrupt entire realms. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has a massive war on the way, and it will influence everything.
