‘The Rings of Power’: Showrunners Sign Overall Deal With Amazon, Season 3 Early Development Underway
It was announced today that Patrick McKay and JD Payne, the showrunners and lead writers on Prime Video’s The Rings of Power, have signed a new three-year overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios. They have also launched their own production banner, 10:40 PM Productions, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Season 2 is currently in post-production and will come out later this year. The duo has been focused on that for two years, but they confirmed to the trade that they have begun outlining the third season, even if a writers’ room hasn’t been assembled yet. Filming on season 2 began back in October 2022 and wrapped in May 2023, a few days after the WGA went on strike.
Production moved from New Zealand to the UK, where Amazon has established a hub for their original programming, for season 2. Though we’d explained the season 2 delays with that transition, it’s surprising season 3 hasn’t moved up its timeline to try to at least get it out in less than two years. The buzz from the first season has completely died by now, and a two-year gap between seasons hints at a much-dreaded 10-year-plus endeavor for the entire cast and crew, which will likely not end well. Here’s hoping they can steady the ship.
Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios, said about the new deal and the prospects of the second season:
“We began this remarkable journey with JD and Patrick more than five and a half years ago and have never looked back. We continue to be amazed by the scope and scale of their vision and the enormous global success achieved by ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ in its record-breaking first season.
We can’t wait for Prime Video customers to experience the epic adventure and high-stakes drama that JD and Patrick are continuing to build throughout season two and beyond. Naturally, the studio is thrilled to extend our overall deal with these brilliant creative minds as they continue to deliver on their passion for great storytelling.”
Stay tuned for more news on The Rings of Power coming soon.
Miguel Fernández is a Spanish student that has movies as his second passion in life. His favorite movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings, but he is also a huge Star Wars fan. However, fantasy movies are not his only cup of tea, as authors like Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he started to understand the language of filmmaking. He is that guy who will watch a black and white movie, just because it is in black and white.
