Prime Video are returning to Middle-Earth, aka Shepperton Studios. 

After a bit of a wait, it’s been confirmed that The Rings of Power is progressing to a third season. The Lord of the Rings prequel series concluded its second run last October.

The official word came from Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios, who said:

“The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power continues to captivate audiences worldwide, and we’re thrilled that a third season is underway. The creative team has an extraordinary vision of what’s to come with stories that have left us enchanted and enthralled. We look forward to continuing this epic journey, for our global customers, delving even deeper into the legendary tales that shaped Middle-earth.”

The new season comes from directors Charlotte Brändström (Shōgun), Sanaa Hamri (The Wheel of Time), and Stefan Schwartz. Brändström directed for both previous seasons of the show, with Hamri joining for season 2.

Schwartz is new to the series, but has an extensive directing career behind him. He has multiple credits from The Walking Dead franchise, as well as Black Sails, Luther, The Boys and My Lady Jane. Wonderfully, as an actor, he also appeared in Doctor Who‘s ‘Battlefield’ back in 1989 as Morgaine’s Knight Commander!

Here’s the setup for The Rings of Power season 3…

Jumping forward several years from the events of season 2, season 3 takes place at the height of the War of the Elves and Sauron, as the Dark Lord seeks to craft the One Ring that will give him the edge he needs to win the war and conquer all Middle-earth at last.

Filming takes place at Shepperton Studios in the UK this spring, but there’s no suggestion of a start date yet. We’ll keep you posted.

In the meantime, you can find the first two seasons at Prime Video.