Just hours after the confirmation that Viggo Mortensen will not be returning as Aragorn in the film The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, which is set to begin filming under the direction of Andy Serkis, we also have major updates on the future of the series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series was initially touted as the Prime Video series capable of beating Game of Thrones, but the first season struggled to win over longtime Middle-earth fans, and overall, the series never achieved the same level of commercial success. Overall, it hasn’t been a great time for fantasy, with The Witcher series being canceled on Netflix, and even the Harry Potter franchise scrapping the Fantastic Beasts films when box office receipts dropped.
So, could the story of Sauron’s quest to forge the One Ring remain unresolved if Amazon decides that Middle-earth is no longer a profitable investment? Apparently not: despite viewership figures that don’t compare to those of Game of Thrones, a new report by Lesly Goldberg for The Ankler confirms that the series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will get its planned five seasons on Prime Video. However, spin-offs are unlikely to be produced due to the franchise’s high production costs.
Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios are now under the leadership of Peter Friedlander, head of the Global Television division at Amazon MGM Studios: although Friedlander is trying to cut costs, it appears that Amazon has signed a contract for five seasons and 50 episodes of The Lord of the Rings following an agreement with the heirs of author J.R.R. Tolkien, publisher HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema (the latter committed to moving forward with its own film projects for The Lord of the Rings). According to sources, Friedlander reportedly visited the set and assured the creative team that the story will be completed as planned.
Depending on the success of the third season, it cannot be ruled out that the story will be condensed to conclude in the fourth season, but the third season will not be the end. It is also believed that Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is a big supporter of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and one source claims that the series remains under his “magical protective aura.” Incidentally, it was previously reported that Amazon would have to pay $20 million for each unproduced season, based on the original five-season agreement.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings the heroic legends of Middle-earth’s Second Age to the big screen for the first time. It’s worth noting that the saga will continue in theaters thanks to Warner Bros. with the announcement of a second new film: the prequel The Lord of the Rings: The Shadow of the Past.
