I'm Obsessed With The Last Two Episodes Of The Rings Of Power, And Now There's A Related Reason To Get Excited For Season 3

It’s been months since Rings of Power’s Season 2 finale was watched by those with an Amazon Prime subscription. Now, finally, the wheels on Season 3 of this Lord of the Rings prequel are turning! On top of that, it's been confirmed that production is set to start in the spring and some excellent directors are signed up to lead the adventure. This includes the director who made the final two episodes of Season 2, which has increased my excitement for this junior installment tenfold.

If you know anything about the behind-the-scenes team of Rings of Power, you know Charlotte Brändström is one of its superstars. She’s directed some of the show’s biggest episodes – including last season's epic penultimate episode and finale – and it’s been confirmed by Prime Video that she’s returning for Season 3 as a director and executive producer.

Across this incredible Prime Video show’s two seasons, Brändström has helmed many of the most vital episodes. After directing two installments in Season 1, she stepped up in Season 2, taking the lead on five episodes, including the penultimate “Doomed to Die” and the finale, “Shadow and Flame.”

To this day, I still think about that epic shape-shifty fight between Galadriel and Sauron, Celebrimbor’s death, Sauron crying, the reveal that The Stranger is Gandalf, Adar’s death, King Durin’s death and the battle that lasted for episodes. Brändström led the charge on all these moments and more, which not only brought Season 2 to an epic conclusion but set up Season 3 perfectly.

Knowing she’ll be a force behind these new episodes after seeing her remarkable work on those last two installments specifically is thrilling.

Not to mention, on top of Rings of Power, Brändström has worked on shows like Shōgun and The Witcher, making her a force to be reckoned with in the world of action television.

However, her involvement isn’t the only big news. Alongside Brändström, Sanaa Hamri and Stefan Schwartz will also be directing episodes in Season 3.

Notably, Hamri is no stranger to Middle-earth, as she directed Episodes 4, 5 and 6 last season. She’s also well-versed in the fantasy realm having worked on The Wheel of Time. Meanwhile, Schwartz will make his Rings of Power debut this season. That’s exhilarating because he has worked on some incredible shows before this, including The Boys, The Americans and The Walking Dead.

As someone who was truly, truly obsessed with Season 2 of Rings of Power specifically, this update makes me very happy. Every episode was so epic and packed with important stories, and with veteran directors and new talent leading Season 3, I think we’re in for something special.

At the moment, Rings of Power Season 3 is in pre-production with plans to start filming in the spring. So, new episodes likely will not air on the 2025 TV schedule, but it seems likely they’ll come in 2026. I have a feeling it will be worth the wait too, considering the fellowship leading the upcoming episodes has proven they are more than up for this adventure.