The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was supposed to be Amazon's answer to Game of Thrones. Instead, the series has rapidly lost viewers, struggling to appeal to casuals or die-hard Middle-earth fans.
Heading into Season 3, Prime Video is looking to attract lapsed fans by bringing the series more in line with "classic" Lord of the Rings storytelling. A five-year time jump is moving the story deeper into the Second Age, with Gandalf and Sauron now front and centre. Meanwhile, the characters many viewers didn't like—the Harfoots, for example—are being sidelined.
Talking to Empire (via SFFGazette.com), The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power showrunners J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay confirmed that the time-jump and, according to the site, a prologue inspired by The Fellowship of the Ring, are their way of convincing people to give the series another shot.
"It was a calculated decision to start with real momentum, and hopefully bring a few more people onto the train," McKay said. "The first two seasons were all about building out this world. Throughout that time, we're lighting all these fuses and setting all these stories in motion. The third season is when all those bombs are starting to explode."
The duo has also revealed that Elrond's brother Elros is set to appear in a flashback. Robert Aramayo plays both characters, with the scene set to reveal more about the founding of Numenor.
Born a Half-Elf, Elros became the first King of Númenor after choosing a mortal life when the Valar gave him the option to decide which race he wished to belong to. He lived for 500 years, ruling Númenor for 410 of them while establishing one of Middle-earth's greatest kingdoms. Interestingly, Elros' bloodline would eventually lead to Aragorn, making him an incredibly important figure in The Lord of the Rings mythology.
By bringing the Prime Video series more in line with J. R. R. Tolkien's novels and Peter Jackson's movies, The Rings of Power may finally give Game of Thrones a run for its money during its final few seasons.
We also have a new look at Stranger Things star Jamie Campbell Bower as Elf-lord Celeborn in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3.
In Season 3, Middle-earth is at war. Five years have passed since the fall of Eregion. Sauron’s armies have marched across the whole of the world, conquering all in their path. Only a few isolated pockets stand between the Dark Lord and total victory – Khazad-dûm, where the Dwarves are now sealed deep within their mountain halls, and the elven realms of Lindon and Rivendell, which are protected by their Three Rings.
But deep in the land of Mordor, in his newly completed tower of Barad-dûr, the Dark Lord toils day and night, obsessed with harnessing a power that will bring the last of his enemies to their knees: One Ring to rule them all. Now, the free peoples of Middle-earth – Dwarves, Elves, Men, and Wizards alike – must find a way to come together, in a race against time to prevent Sauron from achieving his goal of utter domination of all life
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is produced by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay. They are joined by executive producers Lindsey Weber, Justin Doble, Kate Hazell, and executive producer-director Charlotte Brändström. Matthew Penry-Davey is producer, and Ally O’Leary, Tim Keene, and Andrew Lee are co-producers.
The series returns to Prime Video on November 11.