The third season of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" from Prime Video will make a massive five-year leap forward. At a roundtable discussion during the San Diego Comic-Con 2026 festival, showrunner Patrick McKay said that this decision was a great advantage for both the team and the viewers. According to him, the new stage of the story will give the narrative a powerful impetus and allow even those who missed the first two seasons to join the series without problems.
"We like the idea that season three will be a great entry point even for those who haven't seen the first two. Stories begin from a completely new position. And fans of previous seasons will be able to see where the characters have come in these five years."
Over the past time, relationships between characters will change, a full-fledged elven kingdom will appear in Rivendell, and the construction of Barad-dûr will be completed in Mordor. The war with Sauron will have been going on for several years, so the continuation will begin in the midst of the conflict.
"This is an opportunity to give the narrative an adrenaline rush, to hit the ground running from the very first minute of season three and, hopefully, not slow down."
According to the official synopsis, Sauron's armies have captured a significant part of Middle-earth. The last major obstacles on the Dark Lord's path remain Moria, Lindon, and Rivendell. Meanwhile, Sauron himself has completed the construction of Barad-dûr and is preparing to forge the One Ring.
The premiere of the third season of "The Rings of Power" will take place on November 11 on Prime Video. The first four of the eight episodes will be released on the release day.