The Rings of Power Season 3 – Breaking News from Amazon Upfront

At long last, the drought is over! After patiently (or not-so-patiently) waiting through five months of silence, Rings of Power fans can finally rejoice in new content, as Amazon revealed the release date for Season 3 and an exclusive image of Sauron wearing Morgoth’s crown during their presentation at Amazon Upfront tonight.

Upfronts

During an Upfront, a TV network or streaming service have the opportunity to present their future slates of movies and shows to advertisers, who can then negotiate deals and commit to buying ad space.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power received only a passing mention during 2025’s Upfronts, since there was no impending season last year. But fans were expecting a little more this year, especially in light of what Prime Video presented in 2024, releasing a first look at the upcoming second season. However, when Prime Video released its 2026 lineup back in February, Rings of Power was conspicuously absent. Rumors have flown that Season 3 would be pushed back to 2027, but most recently, The Hollywood Reporter announced that a source close to production confirmed a late 2026 release was still on the docket. Safe to say, fans were in a frenzy and had no idea what to expect leading up to this Upfront, especially since the promotion for Season 3 has been so far…unpredictable.

Official News on The Rings of Power Season 3

Since the announcement of the official Season 3 synopsis back in February of 2025, there have been a few sparse casting announcements, but not much else.

We at Fellowship of Fans have been doing our best to cover leaks, but the studio has been playing its cards close to its chest.

The official account for The Rings of Power released a series of teasers from July through October featuring:

• An announcement that Season 3 was in production, featuring shots of Morgoth’s crown
  
• Lloyd Owen as Elendil on a beachside location set showing off Narsil
  
• Ismael Cruz Córdova participating in some stunt training and showing off Arondir’s acrobatic fighting style
  
• An Uruk showcasing some of the excellent prosthetics work on Rings of Power
  
• Daniel Weyman in full costume as Gandalf receiving his new staff from a member of production
  

…finally culminating in an exciting video on December 10th announcing that Season 3 had wrapped production, with new Season 3 cast member, Jamie Campbell Bower, book-ending the video. 

Since then, beyond a post for Tolkien Reading Day on March 25th and several posts congratulating Robert Aramayo on his BAFTA wins, we’ve once again endured 5 months of silence…Until today.

What we now know

During its presentation at the Upfront, Prime Video gave us the eagerly-awaited release date, 11th November 2026, which was rumoured by some to have been pushed back to next year. No new cast members were announced or featured, but we got an image of Sauron in what may very well be the Sammath Naur, the famous Cracks of Doom in the volcano Orodruin where the One Ring is forged. He is wearing Morgoth’s crown, which he never got to do in Season 2 (being stabbed by it is a different matter). 

Once again, for your viewing pleasure

This marks an exciting development, as it seems to suggest a beginning of marketing and promotion for Season 3. Perhaps we will even soon find out which book Elf Jamie Campbell Bower is playing…

What’s Next?

With San Diego Comic Con just around the corner in late July, can we expect Prime Video to proceed full speed ahead with promotion? Will we start to see exclusives from magazines like Vanity Fair and Empire, introducing new characters? And will we see our first full trailer in Hall H in late July? Only time will tell! But for now, all of us at Fellowship of Fans will be meticulously poring over every aspect of the new picture that we received today. Follow us on socials or join our Discord to take part in the fun and let us know what you think.

[Additional reporting by David Roberts]