The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power hasn’t been released yet, but work has already begun on season 3.

According to THR, The Rings of Power showrunners Patrick McKay and JD Payne have signed a new three-year deal with Amazon MGM Studios. The report also mentions that McKay and Payne have begun breaking the initial story for The Rings of Power season 3, but that a writers’ room has not yet been assembled and an official order hasn’t been given. Considering how much money has already been invested in the series, I’d say a third season is pretty much a given unless something catastrophic happens.

“We began this remarkable journey with JD and Patrick more than five and a half years ago and have never looked back,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios. “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.“

It’s also expected that the show’s production will be moving from Bray Studios to a new production facility at Shepperton Studios in the U.K. The second season doesn’t have an official release date yet, but it has wrapped filming and will be released later this year.

It has previously been reported that the Rings of Power has been designed to span five seasons, with the showrunners even teasing that they even know what the final shot will be. “We even know what our final shot of the last episode is going to be,” Payne said prior to the show’s premiere. “The rights that Amazon bought were for a 50-hour show. They knew from the beginning that was the size of the canvas – this was a big story with a clear beginning, middle and end. There are things in the first season that don’t pay off until Season 5.”

The post The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3 in the works as showrunner ink new deal appeared first on JoBlo.