November 2026 brings Rings of Power season 3; every upcoming Lord of the Rings movie and TV show

Middle-earth’s expanding screen slate

The screen adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work include animated films, Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, The War of the Rohirrim, and Amazon’s The Rings of Power. Rights to adapt the books are divided among different parties, but Warner Bros. and Amazon both have Middle-earth projects in development.

The latest projects include another season of The Rings of Power and the film The Hunt for Gollum. Together, they bring new stories to television and cinemas while drawing on characters and events connected to earlier adaptations.

The Rings of Power returns

The Rings of Power’s first two seasons aired on Prime Video in 2022 and 2024. Season 3 is scheduled to premiere on November 11, 2026, continuing the prequel story set decades before Jackson’s original trilogy.

The eight episodes are planned for release over three weeks: four on November 11, two on November 18, and the last two on November 25. The story will move ahead to a time when the War of the Elves and Sauron is underway, while Sauron seeks to make the One Ring and Númenor faces mounting political tension.

At the end of season 2, Sauron possessed the Nine Rings of Men, setting up the possible arrival of the Nazgûl. The elves had also fled north from fallen Lindon, paving the way for Rivendell to become a resistance stronghold.

A longer series plan

The creators mapped out a five-season plan when The Rings of Power was announced. After season 2, J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay said work on season 4 was underway.

Reports have suggested season 4 could begin filming in early 2027, possibly alongside season 5. The production timing remains uncertain, though the original five-season story arc is still expected to continue.

The Hunt for Gollum film

The next feature is The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, directed by and starring Andy Serkis. He previously played Gollum in Jackson’s two trilogies and worked as second unit director on the Hobbit films.

The movie was first planned for winter 2026, but its release is now set for December 17, 2027. Filming is due to begin in New Zealand in July 2026, and the story will cover the period between Bilbo’s birthday party and the Mines of Moria sequence in The Fellowship of the Ring.

The story follows Gollum’s perspective as Gandalf sends Aragorn to find him before Sauron’s forces can capture him and learn the One Ring is in the Shire. Returning cast members include Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo, and Lee Pace as Thranduil; Jamie Dornan will play Aragorn, known at this point as Strider.