Lord of the Rings series: The schedule for season 4 of Rings of Power looks promising

The future of the "Lord of the Rings" series seems secure! According to The Hollywood Reporter, the fourth season is already in development – even though the third season hasn't even premiered on Prime Video yet. Nevertheless, preparations for Season 4 are apparently in full swing. Filming for the new episodes of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" is already scheduled to begin in early 2027.

While The Hollywood Reporter's report emphasizes that Season 4 has not yet been officially greenlit, the current plans sound promising: Fans of the fantasy series can likely start getting ready for the show to continue beyond Season 3. But given the show's success, this isn't all that surprising: According to Amazon, the series has reached over 185 million viewers worldwide – making it one of the biggest hits on Prime Video. If everything goes according to plan, the fourth season of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" could be released in 2028.

The Rings of Power: Season 3 release date already set

For now, however, fans can look forward to Season 3. The most recent episode of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" aired in October 2024, when the second season concluded with the episode "Shadow and Flame." As was recently officially announced, the new episodes of the "Lord of the Rings" series will premiere on November 11, 2026, on Prime Video. Additionally, a first image from Season 3 has been released, featuring Sauron:

The villain, portrayed by Charlie Vickers, will continue to play a key role. Chronologically, the story of "The Rings of Power" takes place thousands of years before Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" films: in the Second Age of Middle-earth. It centers on the creation of the titular rings and the rise of Sauron. As previously announced, the third season of the series is set to take place several years after the events of Season 2: at the height of the war between the Elves and Sauron.

In addition to Charlie Vickers as Sauron, other cast members will return, including Morfydd Clark as Galadriel and Robert Aramayo as Elrond. There are also several newcomers, such as Eddie Marsan, Andrew Richardson, Zubin Varla, Adam Young, and Jamie Campbell Bower, known from the Netflix hit "Stranger Things." J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay serve as showrunners and executive producers. Other executive producers include Lindsey Weber, Justin Doble, Kate Hazell, and Charlotte Brandström, who directed several episodes of the series.

The Lord of the Rings: More movies are on the way

Especially exciting for fans of Middle-earth: "The Rings of Power" isn't the only adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy saga to look forward to. Two films are already in the pipeline for the big screen. The first is "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum." This big-screen adventure complements the events from the 2001 "Lord of the Rings" film "The Fellowship of the Ring." Fans of Peter Jackson's earlier film adaptation can look forward to reuniting with old favorites. Andy Serkis will once again portray Gollum. Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo are also returning. As the title suggests, the focus will be on the search for Gollum. "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum" hits theaters on December 17, 2027.

The release date for the second "Lord of the Rings" film, currently in the planning stages, has not yet been set. However, initial details about "The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past" are already available. The film is set 14 years after the passing of Frodo. Sam, Merry, and Pippin set out to retrace the first steps of their adventure. Meanwhile, Sam's daughter Elanor discovers a long-kept secret and wants to find out why the War of the Ring was almost lost before it had even begun. Particularly interesting: Peter Jackson is collaborating with a late-night television star on the film's development: Stephen Colbert. The popular host provided the basic idea for the new film.