Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been a ho-hum attempt at restarting a once-hot franchise.
I will be honest: The series adaptation would have probably been far more enjoyable without the Lord of the Rings name.
In many respects, it’s a run-of-the-mill fantasy drama.
Consequently, it isn’t easy to believe that many characters are the same people we met in the movies and the novels.
When the series was not renewed before the Season 2 finale, I figured Prime Video was considering nixing its plan to produce five seasons.
Sometimes lucrative deals don’t translate into many viewers, and the series had a splashy start before faltering as it progressed.
Prime Video confirmed on Thursday that Season 3 was officially in the works, but it makes me wonder whether there will be some budget cuts to account for the fewer than expected viewership.
Prime Video Claims Rings of Power Is A Success
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues to captivate audiences worldwide, and we’re thrilled that a third season is underway,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon MGM Studios of the pickup.
“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.”
It certainly sounds like the streaming platform is still invested in the Middle Earth-set franchise, but it will be interesting to see what Season 3 looks like.
Despite being thin on decent plots, the series features awe-inspiring visuals, and there’s a good chance it won’t look as good if the budget is slashed.
In an interview with Variety last year, Amazon Studios’ Jennifer Salke was bullish about the show’s prospects.
At the time, the exec dished that she “didn’t think” Prime Video would stray from the series’ planned 50-episode run.
“We’ll continue to make the show as long as we see global customers loving it and watching it to the point where – it is a business. Obviously, we need a large amount of people showing up,” Jennifer explained.
Many Viewers Didn’t Return for Season 2
There was notable tune-out between the first two seasons, which was to be expected given the less-than-stellar reaction to Season 1 and the fact that the marketing was scaled back considerably.
The trick with this kind of property is to go guns blazing on marketing to make people aware of the product and hope they’ll enjoy it enough to keep coming back.
Prime Video isn’t exactly the most renewal-happy platform, so I’d like to think producers bare that in mind when crafting each season going forward.
Cancellations creep up when we least expect it and now that the Peak TV era is dying down, media companies are curbing their spending.
A premiere timeline for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3 has not been revealed, but given that filming isn’t expected to begin until later this year, we may be waiting until — gasp — 2027 for it.
The later than expected production schedule certainly adds fuel to the fire that Prime Video were weighing up their options in regards to the series’ fate.
What are your thoughts on the renewal and the likely 2027 bow? Do you think the show will reach its planned 50-episode order? Sound off below.
Watch The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power Online
