After months of uncertainty, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne have confirmed that season 3 of Amazon’s epic fantasy series is officially in development. Following its 2022 premiere on Prime Video, the series, which follows Sauron’s rise during the Second Age of Middle-earth — and his unexpected hotness — returned for a well-received second season this past summer. Despite positive reviews, a dip in viewership raised questions about the show’s future, but the comments from Payne and McKay thankfully put those concerns to rest.

McKay and Payne were speaking in an interview with ScreenRant, where they confirmed, mercifully, that they were hard at work in the preparation and development stage of the third season. Both of them — while unable to go into much detail for obvious reasons — expressed their excitement at resuming the epic story in what has been claimed to be one of the most expensive television series ever produced. Their full comments can be found below:

JD Payne: We’re working on it.

Patrick McKay: We’re working now!

JD Payne: We’re prepping now, very, very intensely. Um—

Patrick McKay: That’s all we can say!

[…]

JD Payne: We do [have some exciting stuff coming]. It’s gonna

be really good. We’re excited.

Patrick McKay: It’s gonna be awesome.

The confirmation is welcome news, and it also aligns with Amazon’s long term vision for The Rings of Power, which encompasses a five-season plan, while Amazon executive Jennifer Salke also spoke highly of the series and their desire to keep making it for as long as those who watched it were enjoying what they saw:

“We’ll continue to make the show as long as we see global customers loving it and watching it.” .

Is ‘The Rings of Power’ Worth Watching?

Honestly, if you find the books compelling, then you’ll enjoy the show too. Both the books and the series have been accused of being somewhat dry and slow, but if you’re taking your time and not being blown away by bombast and bluster (while bantering with Bombadil), then this will be for you. Season 2 showed signs of growth, and with Rotten Tomatoes audience scores climbing from 38% in season 1 to 60% in season 2, the show appears to be gaining traction with fans.

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on The Rings of Power. The first two seasons are available now on Prime Video.