Fresh Insights Into The Future Of The Lord Of The Rings Series On Prime Video
Emily Ross
Published May 17, 2026
By Published Apr 3, 2026, 3:33 PM EDT
Abdullah Al-Ghamdi joined Screen Rant in August 2019 and is now one of the leading contributors of the TV News team. Having written over 3000 news stories in that time , with his work cited in Buzzfeed and TV Insider, he's always bemoaning that there's too many shows and not enough time. You can contact him at: aalghamdi@hey.com.
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A new report reveals the future of The Lord of the Rings on Prime Video.
The third installment of The Lord of the Rings series was confirmed in February 2026. It's set to focus on Sauron’s quest to forge the One Ring. Filming began the following May, though a specific premiere date for has yet to be announced.
The fantasy adaptation has faced significant scrutiny since its debut in September 2026. Due to the show’s high budget and acquisition costs, along with reports that viewership fell short of expectations, there have been rumblings from audiences and industry observers about whether executives at the Amazon-owned Prime Video might cancel The Rings of Power.
A new report from 's Lesley Goldberg confirms that Rings of Power will complete its five-season run on Prime Video, though planned spinoffs are unlikely to happen due to the franchise's high costs. The new reporting comes in the broader context of looking at where Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios stand under the relatively new leadership of Peter Friedlander, who is the Head of Global Television at Amazon MGM Studios, and took the role in September 2026.
What The Report Reveals About Rings of Power
Annatar talking to Mirdania gently in Rings of Power season 2The report reveals that Rings of Power is still slated to complete its plan of five seasons and 50 episodes. That is what Amazon was originally contracted to do when it signed with the estate of , publisher HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema, the latter of which was behind the fan-favorite Peter Jackson trilogy.
Thanks to global rights, production and marketing costs, Rings of Power may stand as the first television show to reach $1 billion. But despite the hefty price tag, the divisive adaptation has a big supporter in Amazon's founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos. “That's still under Bezos' magical halo,” one source says about the fantasy series.
The report goes on to mention that Friedlander has visited , telling the show's creative team that they will finish the story that they have planned, even if it goes to five seasons. On the whole, season 3 wrapped production this past December. It is expected that Rings of Power season 3 will premiere later in 2026, with a new season dropping every two years.
Amazon Would Reportedly Pay A Hefty Price For Cancelling Rings Of Power
Rings of Power
season 1 was completed by 37% of Prime Video viewers in the U.S. Internationally, the figure was higher at 45%. However, executives were reportedly aiming for a completion rate of at least 50%. Although viewership declined for season 2, there was a silver lining in that a larger share of subscribers stayed through .
With the confirmation that more episodes are on the way, it will be interesting to see whether the somewhat positive trend will continue for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power as it takes a deeper dive into Sauron's journey.
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