The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will be returning to Prime Video later this year with Season 3, which will pick up the story after a five-year time jump. According to co-showrunner Patrick McKay, the shift in the timeline will allow the show to attract viewers who have never seen it before.
Patrick McKay explains the time jump in The Rings of Power Season 3
While speaking at the 2026 San Diego Comic-Con, Patrick McKay cited two major reasons behind the five-year time jump in The Rings of Power Season 3. The veteran screenwriter noted that the jump would bring in new viewers and give the series a “jolt of adrenaline.”
“I mean, it’s pure advantage,” said McKay, as per GamesRadar+. “We love the idea that even if you’ve maybe never seen the first two seasons, Season 3 is a great place to jump in because the stories are starting in a brand new spot. You know, if you’re a fan who loved the first two seasons, that’s wonderful, and now you can see where everybody has gone in five years.”
He continued, “This character is now friends with this character, and they’ve moved over here, and oh my gosh, the war seems to have been gone for a while here. An entire realm got built in Rivendell, an entire tower got built in Barad-dûr, in Mordor. So it’s an opportunity to just kind of give your storytelling a jolt of adrenaline. Hit the ground running from the first minute of Season 3 and hopefully never let up.”
While the series has received a positive response from critics and boasts an 84% score on Rotten Tomatoes‘ Tomatometer, the same cannot be said for audience responses online. In contrast, The Rings of Power currently holds a 38% approval rating on the Popcornmeter.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3 is scheduled to be released on Prime Video on November 11, 2026.
