“It’s Stepped Up and Up and Up”: Jamie Campbell Bower on the Growing Scale and Ambition of Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3
The battle for Middle-earth is far from over, and the stakes are set to be higher than ever. Returning five years after the fall of Eregion, Prime Video’s epic fantasy series The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power enters its highly anticipated third season, with Sauron’s armies marching across Middle-earth as he sets out to forge the One Ring and bring all of its peoples under his control. As the Elves, Dwarves, Men and Wizards brace themselves against the growing darkness, the new season delves deeper into the defining events of the Second Age. Offering a glimpse into what lies ahead, Jamie Campbell Bower shares his thoughts on Sauron’s quest, Charlie Vickers’ portrayal of the Dark Lord and how the series continues to raise the bar with each season.
Talking about the season’s central storyline and Sauron’s relentless pursuit of power, Campbell shared, “So, this season picks up five years after the end of season two. For those who know, Sauron is on this quest to craft the One Ring, you know? And this season, that is his sort of main drive, to destroy Middle-Earth.”
He also had words of praise for Charlie Vickers’ portrayal of Sauron, while reflecting on how the series has evolved since its first season. Sharing his excitement about the new season and its connection to the much-loved film franchise, Campbell added, “Charlie Vickers, who is playing Sauron, is amazing this season. I’ve been a fan of the show since season one. It’s stepped up and up and up. And this season sort of takes us towards the sort of opening of those first movies that we know and love so well that came out sort of 2000-ish.”
With five years having passed since the fall of Eregion, Sauron’s forces have conquered vast stretches of Middle-earth, leaving only a handful of strongholds standing in the way of his ultimate victory. Operating from his newly completed tower of Barad-dûr, he sets out to harness the power of the One Ring, while the free peoples of Middle-earth must unite to stop his pursuit of ultimate domination. The new season also explores mounting tensions across the realms, with the Elves defending their front lines, the Dwarves navigating strained familial ties in Khazad-dûm, political unrest threatening Númenor and Gandalf confronting the growing darkness in the eastern lands of Rhûn.
The series is produced by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, alongside executive producers Lindsey Weber, Kate Hazell, Justin Doble, and executive producer-director Charlotte Brändström. Matthew Penry-Davey serves as a producer while Ally O’Leary Cantrell, Tim Keene, and Andrew Lee are co-producers. The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3 will premiere its first four episodes on November 11, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video. The next two episodes will arrive on November 18, followed by the final two episodes on November 25, across more than 240 countries and territori