*The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power* Series to Maintain Five-Season Plan

Amazon has confirmed that The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will run for all five planned seasons on Prime Video, despite declining viewership and high production costs, according to The Ankler. Under existing agreements, Amazon is obligated to deliver 50 episodes, as outlined in contracts with the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien, publisher HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema.

Outlook and budget
The series was originally positioned as a rival to Game of Thrones, but its first season struggled to win over dedicated Middle-earth fans and fell short of becoming a массовый hit. The debut season reportedly cost around $465 million, after which production moved from New Zealand to the United Kingdom. The second season received even less favorable reactions, and filming for season three wrapped in December 2025.

Peter Friedlander, the new head of global television at Amazon MGM Studios, who is focused on cost-cutting, visited the set and reassured the creative team that the story will be completed in full despite financial pressures.

Spin-off limitations
The high cost of the franchise makes potential spin-offs unlikely in the near future. Additionally, depending on audience response to season three, writers may condense the storyline to stay within budget and maintain viewer engagement. Season three is expected in late 2026, with a fourth season potentially arriving two years later.

Story and timeline
The Rings of Power is set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, during Middle-earth’s Second Age. This era saw the forging of the Great Rings, the rise and fall of kingdoms, and the growing threat of Sauron seeking to cover the world in darkness.

The series aims to explore the legendary events and characters of this age, building a grand backstory for Tolkien’s globally beloved universe.