No doubt about it, shoehorning Celeborn (the Wise) into The Rings of Power storyline is one of the trickiest problems that the show must navigate. Importantly, for it to matter, I feel the show has to do it soon — this coming season, even.
But as my TORn Discord colleague, Webcrawler, points out, this is a self-inflicted challenge — the showrunners did this to themselves. They consciously chose to absent Celeborn from the story (a story where, by some of Tolkien’s drafts, he plays more than a minor part in events). Thus, I would assert (I would hope) that they must have some clever idea or resolution in mind.
Once you grasp this rather important fact, it also prompts the question: “Why did they choose to do this?”.
Hold that thought, we’ll return to it later. First, I’d like to posit four different scenarios for finally bringing Celeborn into the story.
Of course, keep in mind this is my own theory-crafting, not set rumours.
THEORY ONE: Re-embodiment in Valinor
This is the most straightforward solution I can think of right now. Per Laws and Customs Among the Eldar (sometimes abbreviated to LACE) in HOME Volume X, it is possible for elves to re-embody post-death after a time spent in the Halls of Mandos.
Tolkien Gateway has an excellent and succinct summarisation of the process Tolkien outlined in LACE:
A houseless fëa that chose or was permitted to return to life was typically only able to be reembodied through childbirth. The reborn fëa would experience childhood again, but would only remember its previous life upon achieving mastery of its body. Through the joy of this second childhood, the griefs of the fëa’s previous life could be redressed.
The most well-known instance is that of Glorfindel, re-embodied after his death in the Fall of Gondolin and subsequently sent back to Middle-earth by the Valar to assist with the Second and Third Age struggle against Sauron. (Aside: arguably, if the show had been going to introduce Glorfindel, then S2 and the destruction of Eregion would have been the ideal time since as Tolkien outlines in HOME XII: Last Writings, assisting survivors out of the destruction and pairing up with Elrond and Gil-galad against Sauron’s war in Eriador is his big Second Age moment.)
What if the show were to, instead, apply this re-embodiment to Celeborn?
What if Celeborn had, in fact, perished on the field of … the Nirnaeth, I guess, that we saw in the S1 prologue, and his spirit was summoned to the Halls of Mandos.
It would provide a thoroughly logical explanation for exactly what Celeborn has been doing for the last 1,000 years and more: he’s been stuck in the Halls of Mandos, and then, quite literally, growing up all over again – and for an elf to grow to adulthood is around 100 years, minimum — in Valinor.
It would fit with Galadriel’s words to Theo in S1: “When he went to [the war], I chided him. His armour didn’t fit properly. I called him a silver clam. I never saw him again after that.”
Now, at the right time, he might return to Middle-earth either of his own volition, or at the behest of the Valar. That’s right, kindasorta stealing Glorfindel’s role.
This is a complete invention at odds with, well, every variation of the Galadriel and Celeborn story. But given the many unresolved contradictions within Celeborn’s (and Galadriel’s) textual history, it’s probably better for The Rings of Power to strive for its own internal consistency.
Re-embodied Celeborn might actually offer the cleanest resolution.
A re-embodied Celeborn could also be an interesting boost to his character — LACE states that “the Re-born (they say) are stronger, having greater mastery of their bodies and being more patient of griefs.” Galadriel, in LOTR, tells the members of the Fellowship that “…the Lord of the Galadhrim is accounted the wisest of the Elves of Middle-earth, and a giver of gifts beyond the power of kings.”
Re-embodiment could help make him less anodyne than the “Cele-boring” we see in PJ’s rendition.
THEORY TWO: Imprisoned by Thranduil
This idea is, I think, kinda cracked, but it’s inspired by recently re-reading The Hobbit. What if Thranduil* had imprisoned Celeborn at the turn of the Second Age, and simply not informed anyone?
Just riffing off what occurs with Thorin in Mirkwood:
“Very well!” said the [elven]-king. “Take him away and keep him safe, until he feels inclined to tell the truth, even if he waits a hundred years [emphasis mine].'”
Then the elves put thongs on him, and shut him in one of the inmost caves with strong wooden doors, and left him.
Flies and Spiders, The Hobbit
But what could even prompt Thranduil to imprison Celeborn — a fellow Sindar — for more than 1,000 years, and not tell anyone? Simple trespassing seems an enormous stretch.
One explanation that comes to mind from The Silmarillion is Thingol’s choice to not join Maedhros and Fingon’s assault on Angband that becomes the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, and his reluctant assent for Mablung and Beleg to join Fingon’s force.
This feels a bit of a reach, but, what if Celeborn (a kinsman of Thingol according to the Silmarillion tale) had also gone to the battle, but without Thingol’s permission? Galadriel does state in The Rings of Power that she “chided him”, and that his armour did not fit. This sounds tender, but could also hint at some underlying “sneaking away” subterfuge — if the writers chose to interpret it like that.
Further, what if, much, much later, he somehow, ended up in Thranduil’s realm. Might Thranduil (also a Sindar elf of the former realm of Doriath) imprison him, exactly like with Thorin, as a long-delayed punishment for such an disobedience.
Like I said, it does feel a crack theory. Holding a continuing (well-documented) grudge against dwarves for perceived ancient wrongs is one thing; holding one against one of your own folk over someone else’s ban on consorting with the Noldor seems quite another. More, you have to set against that the technicality that Thranduil and Oropher spent much of the early Second Age in Lindon and did not migrate to Greenwood, east of the Misty Mountains until at least SA750.
* I’ve written Thranduil here since I feel for the sake of story simplification, we’ll never see his father Oropher in The Rings of Power. Simple as that.
THEORY THREE: Lost in the woods
Consider, first, the situation of Thingol and Melian, lost in each other’s eyes in the deep woods of Nan Elmoth for a vast stretch of time.
Alternatively, consider how Old Man Willow trapped Pippin and Merry by the Withywindle, or how Nimrodel goes missing for a long time after being separated from Amroth on the long journey from then-Lorinand to Edhellond in Gondor’s south.
Or consider how Morwen goes conveniently missing between Glaurung’s assault on Nargothrond, and the end of the Narn i Hîn Húrintale where she meets Húrinat Cabed-en-Aras.
I think it’s fair to conclude from these handful of examples that folks get lost or trapped (in the woods) in Middle-earth now and then.
I want to pair this observation with Celeborn’s curious warning to the members of the Fellowship against Fangorn.
‘Yet [the Fellowship] should not go too far up that stream, nor risk becoming entangled in the Forest of Fangorn. That is a strange land, and is now little known. But Boromir and Aragorn doubtless do not need this warning.’
Farewell to Lórien, The Lord of the Rings
Aragorn also says in LOTR in an exchange with Legolas:
‘Yes, it is old,’ said Aragorn, ‘as old as the forest by the Barrow-downs, and it is far greater. Elrond says that the two are akin, the last strongholds of the mighty woods of the Elder Days, in which the Firstborn roamed while Men still slept. Yet Fangorn holds some secret of its own. [emphasis mine]’
The Riders of Rohan, The Lord of the Rings
What if Celeborn’s long disappearance involved Fangorn? Might he have been trapped there somehow — long-captured by some angry Huorn in an episode resembling what happened to Pippin and Merry in the Old Forest? Even if something like that occurred though, there’s the challenge of elegantly explaining how Celeborn got all the way from Beleriand to Fangorn (or even to the Old Forest if you used that area).
Perhaps the best option here is actually the old lost-my-memory-and-ran-away trick (similar to Nienor’s experience) as the consequence of some significant battlefield trauma. Perhaps even as the result of a confrontation with Glaurung. I’m pretty sure the showrunners did at one point say at an event or convention that they wanted a dragon, and there’s been discussion of the possiblity since.
Bringing him all the way to Fangorn (a place that, despite the “strangeness” Celeborn describes, does not seem hostile towards elves) might be a little hard to convincingly sustain, but it is usefully close to Lorien — a location we will hopefully be introduced to in Season 3.
I’m worried that amnesia is a little too much like what happened with Gandalf. I’m not sure I like that. Convenient amnesia is one of the Celeborn theories that Cliff and Justin considered on TORn Tuesday a while back as well. If you want to listen in, the discussion starts around 25 minutes into the VOD.
THEORY FOUR: Shamed thrall of Morgoth
Alternatively, Morgoth might have imprisoned Celeborn. Angband contained many elven thralls during the First Age. We could see a scenario where Celeborn was captured in the aftermath of the battle Galadriel refers to in The Rings of Power and forced to labour for the Enemy until the War of Wrath and Morgoth’s overthrow.
Many of the Noldor and the Sindar they took captive and led to Angband, and made them thralls, forcing them to use their skill and their knowledge in the service of Morgoth.
Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin, The Silmarillion
Alone that’s insufficient to explain Celeborn’s thousand-year absence. But consider also the experience of the vast majority of escaped elven thralls…
…ever the Noldor feared most the treachery of those of their own kin, who had been thralls in Angband; for Morgoth used some of these for his evil purposes, and feigning to give them liberty sent them abroad, but their wills were chained to his, and they strayed only to come back to him again. Therefore if any of his captives escaped in truth, and returned to their own people, they had little welcome, and wandered alone outlawed and desperate[emphasis mine].
Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin, The Silmarillion
Yes, there are exceptions such as the ease with which Gwindor son of Guilin slots back into the hierarchy of Nargothrond. Yet Húrin Thalion is shunned by his folk — and Turgon — after his release from Angband. Even once he realises he is no longer Morgoth’s thrall, “he wanders out of all knowledge” and supposedly throws himself into the sea.
Similarly, even if the source of the angst is different, Maglor commits himself to a perpetual exile of regret, wandering the shores of Middle-earth after he and Maedhros take the remaining Silmarils from Eönwë by force in the wake of the War of Wrath.
What if, in The Rings of Power, after the overthrow of Angband, Celeborn was one of the “multitude of slaves” who came forth from its deep prisons, “looked upon a world that was changed” and, whether through shame or PTSD, turned away to become a solitary recluse who avoids all society.
One might protest that this overlaps Adar’s background. But Adar’s corruption is a bit different. He has become an Uruk. In this instance the thrall concept is not a rerun; it’s exploring a different phenomenon entirely.
Where would Celeborn be, though? Well, there’s an awful lot of Middle-earth coastline that hermit!Celeborn could share with Maglor. A lot of dense, unexplored forest, too, especially around Eryn Vorn given that during the Second Age much of southern Eriador was still heavily forested.
…in the earlier days, at the time of the first explorations of the Númenóreans… Minhiriath and Enedwaith were occupied by vast and almost continuous forests, except in the central region of the Great Fens.
The History of Galadriel & Celeborn, Unfinished Tales of Númenor & Middle-earth
There’s something appealing, to me at least, about the thought of the Telerin/Sindar Celeborn hiding out (maybe even with a handful of Ents or some of the Drúedain) somewhere around Drúwaith Iaur, or even the Belfalas coast and spending S3 raging against the rapacious logging efforts of Kemen and friends. It’d be a nice nod to the temporary Third Age sojourn of Galadriel and Celeborn in that area that Tolkien described in his initial iteration of their story.
Where is less important than why
The reality is that it doesn’t really matter where Celeborn actually is in this scenario — the showrunners will manufacture a way and a reason for Galadriel to find him.
What is more important, I think, is why Celeborn exists — the role he’ll play in the drama.
Of course, Celeborn is a box that The Rings of Power needs to tick if only for continuity. Mechanically, to not have Celeborn co-ruling Lorien with Galadriel so that together through ages of the world they can fight “the long defeat” would be, well, outrageous.
And that need to ultimately match both the book text and PJ’s LOTR is why I’ve always thought it was a bit mad to insist “Celeborn is dead”, and should stay that way.
Who dis?
But the showrunners have always stated that The Rings of Power is about the characters becoming the individuals we know at the end of the Third Age.
Right now, Galadriel’s personality flips between “Artanis” and “Nerwen”: she’s very capable of being the lady of the court — the noble woman of her father-name — but undeniably The Rings of Power has leaned heavily into the “man-maiden” warrior nature of her mother-name.
Still in Season 2 she regularly wears her hair in some sort of crown. It’s surely a nod to “Galadriel” — the epessë (a nickname or honorific) given to her by none other than Celeborn. What better way for Galadriel to rediscover her true self (and stop being torn every which way) than by finding the lover who gave her that name in the first place?
This does not have to be boring.
In the first instance there’s the fact that, in-show, Galadriel seems to have blithely assumed that Celeborn perished in the Nirnaeth yet spent 1,000 years obsessively criss-crossing Middle-earth trying to hunt down Sauron.
Depending on Celeborn’s recent history, the obverse could apply, too — especially if he’s hidden himself away. The text of LACE mentions that elven couples “do not necessarily dwell or house together at all times” despite remaining wedded forever, so the passage of time should not be an insurmountable barrier to the pair reconnecting. Still, they must decide if (and why) it’s worth resurrecting their relationship in such circumstances.
What if Celeborn is mentally, or physically, scarred from his experiences? Consider Gwindor’s return to Nargothrond:
At first his own people did not know Gwindor, who went out young and strong, and returned now seeming as one of the aged among mortal Men, because of his torments and his labours…
Of Túrin Turambar, The Silmarillion
It feels reductive to say this a “she can fix him” situation, but there’s a precedent with what happened with Nenya and Adar in the final episode of S2. It could help bring a blighted Celeborn back to himself. More prosaically, Galadriel also (inadvertently) uses Nenya to heal a fellow elf in S2 E4.
In “fixing” Celeborn (props to Webcrawler for pointing this out), Galadriel can also heal herself. It’s a chance to recognise a healthy partnership and true love — as opposed to the poisonous, controlling version that Sauron/Halbrand keeps trying to offer. One with things like not using each other for personal gain, and not flipping out when you get corrected. Simple stuff!
It’s still going to be a long journey for Galadriel to reach that point where she has the strength to reject the One Ring when Frodo finally offers it. But, for The Rings of Power, accepting Celeborn should be the start.
About the author:Staffer Demosthenes has been involved with TheOneRing.net since 2001, serving first as an Associate News Editor, then as Chief News Editor during the making of the Hobbit films. Now he focuses on features and analysis. The opinions in this article are his own and do not necessarily represent those of TheOneRing.net and other staff.
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Unless you’re very new to Tolkien fandom, you know that the rights to The Professor’s creations are shared by various groups, making for sometimes complicated copyright ownership. Tolkien himself sold movie and merchandising rights to United Artists back in 1969; those rights are now owned by Middle-earth Enterprises, which is part of the Embracer Group – now known as Fellowship Entertainment. Rights to television adaptations of eight episodes or more remain with the Tolkien Estate – so Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is licensed directly by the Estate. Furthermore, the rights Tolkien sold were only for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings; so all other literary works by The Professor (including The Silmarillion) remain with the Estate.
Today Curtis Brown Heritage announced that The Tolkien Estate has joined the roster of writers and estates they represent. Curtis Brown are literary agents with a long history, and their ‘Heritage’ department represents literary estates including those of A.A. Milne, Iain Banks, and Douglas Adams. Their press release shared their delight in ‘working with the Tolkien Estate to preserve and celebrate J.R.R. Tolkien’s extraordinary literary legacy’. Here below is the full press release:
Curtis Brown Heritage to represent the J.R.R. Tolkien Estate
Curtis Brown Heritage is delighted to welcome the Tolkien Estate to their list of the literary estates of many of the twentieth century’s most renowned writers.
A writer, artist, scholar and philologist, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892–1973) is best known for his tales set in the world of Middle-earth, widely considered foundational to the modern fantasy genre. Beloved by readers, writers and creators across the world, in almost every language, through literature and artworks, J.R.R. Tolkien set the standard for all that has come after.
Norah Perkins, Head of Curtis Brown Heritage, said, ‘It is a great honour and a joy to be working with the Tolkien Estate to preserve and celebrate J.R.R. Tolkien’s extraordinary literary legacy, and to help to bring new readers (and viewers and listeners) to his writing. I am thrilled to be joining the Estate on the next part of the journey.’
The Tolkien Estate said, ‘As a family, we remain deeply conscious of the responsibility of looking after J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary works and legacy. We are committed to keeping his stories alive for generations to come. In Curtis Brown Heritage we have found partners who share that passion, and we are delighted to be working with them.’
Jonny Geller, CEO of The Curtis Brown Group, said: ‘I’m delighted on behalf of Curtis Brown to welcome one of the great literary estates of the world to the agency. All of us who grew up passionate about reading have been influenced and dazzled by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, and we are committed to help to bring a new generation of readers to the enduring pleasure of these great books.’
About J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien was born in the Orange Free State (now in South Africa) in 1892. He came to England aged three, and was brought up in and around Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Oxford in 1915, and saw active service in France during the First World War. After the war he worked on the Oxford English Dictionary as a lexicographer, and pursued an academic career teaching Old and Middle English. Alongside his professional life as an academic at the University of Oxford, he invented his own languages and began to create what he called a ‘Legendarium’, from which emerged The Hobbit (1937), The Lord of the Rings (1954/55) and The Silmarillion (published posthumously in 1977 by Christopher Tolkien). He was a member of the Inklings along with C.S. Lewis, and he wrote and illustrated children’s stories for his family such as Letters from Father Christmas, Mr Bliss and Roverandom, as well as fairy tales for adults, including Farmer Giles of Ham, Leaf by Niggle and Smith of Wootton Major.
About The Tolkien Estate
The Tolkien Estate (comprising The Tolkien Estate Limited and The Tolkien Trust) is the custodian of the works and legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien published in his lifetime, and the joint custodian with the Christopher Tolkien Estate of the works published after J.R.R. Tolkien’s death in 1973. Christopher Tolkien, J.R.R. Tolkien’s third son, was his father’s literary executor from 1973 until 2017, and produced twenty-four books of his father’s unpublished manuscripts, which significantly extend the accessible Tolkien canon. The Tolkien Estate remains managed directly by the descendants and family of J.R.R. Tolkien.
The Tolkien Trust is a UK registered charity established in 1977 by J.R.R. Tolkien’s children to enable the Tolkien family to give to charitable causes on a regular basis. Through the Trust, the Tolkien family continues to support a wide spectrum of causes and concerns in the UK and around the world.
About Curtis Brown Heritage
Curtis Brown Heritage was launched in 2016 and is the first bespoke literary estates division of a literary agency in the world. Built on Curtis Brown’s 125-year history, Heritage has a track record of success in creatively and sensitively managing the literary estates of beloved British writers (including those of Douglas Adams, Iain Banks, Gerald Durrell, Laurie Lee, Fay Weldon, A.A. Milne and Barbara Taylor Bradford) and some of the finest historians, poets and philosophers of the 20th century (including Isaiah Berlin, E. H. Carr, Nevill Coghill, C.L.R. James, Iris Murdoch and Stephen Spender). We recognise the immense cultural, literary and historical value of our writers, and it is our mission to combine our strong heritage with commercial savvy and passionate advocacy to celebrate, nurture and preserve their work for generations to come.
About The Curtis Brown Group
Founded in 1899 by Albert Curtis Brown, the company has a long and distinguished history as a world-renowned literary agency representing many famous writers, including Daphne du Maurier, John le Carré and A. A. Milne. Today, Curtis Brown also houses many other industry-leading divisions including a global Talent agency, representing leading actors and performers, as well as Unscripted and Entertainment and Musical Theatre & Production Arts. CBG is also home to a prestigious Theatre, Film and Television department (representing leading screenwriters, directors, producers, playwrights, and writer-performers) as well as a Media Rights department. The Curtis Brown Group is now home to over 250 members of staff and a vibrant ecosystem of companies that span the arts and culture sector. The Curtis Brown Group includes boutique literary agencies C&W (formerly Conville & Walsh) and Ed Victor Ltd, our in-house writing school Curtis Brown Creative, talent agencies Tavistock Wood and Markham Froggatt & Irwin and production company Cuba Pictures. In June 2022, United Talent Agency acquired The Curtis Brown Group.
Breaking news: rights to bring The Silmarillion to life have finally been released, but it’s not to any of the media giants you might have expected.
Ever since Prime Video started work on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, there has been much speculation and anticipation as to whether the Tolkien Estate would finally sell the rights to bring The Silmarillion stories to life. In an exclusive reveal, our friends at Middle-earth Enterprises have told us that it looks like that will happen now; but it is the folks behind The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale who have gained the long sought-after permission.
The recent revival of the musical, which features music by A.R. Rahman, Värttinä, and Christopher Nightingale, with book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus, has proved such a hit that it seems to have persuaded the Tolkien Estate that more live Middle-earth on stage could only be a good thing. The latest musical production began at The Watermill Theatre in the UK, in 2023; it has since played in Chicago, Auckland, and is currently touring in Australia, to great acclaim.
In addition, composer Paul Corfield Godfrey has in recent years been given permission by the Estate to release recordings of his operas based on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. This indicated to some that there was a move towards allowing more performance work based on the Professor’s writings; but this most recent announcement will nonetheless no doubt take folks by surprise.
Kip Rasmussen’s Eru and the Gods singing the First Song of Creation
What we’ve been told
The same composition and libretto team who brought us The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale will now be creating The Silmarillion – An Adventure Three Ages in the Making (working title). It is as yet unconfirmed who the stage director and design team will be for this epic show, but we do know that producer Kevin Walrus is on board. He expressed his excitement to us, and hinted at the possibility for a series of shows:
We are thrilled to build on the global momentum that we’ve already seen in our world tour of The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale production, with this expanded opportunity to play in the realms that Professor Tolkien created. Our first task will be to decide how many shows these new landscapes allow us to produce!
Rumour is that the production will open in New Zealand, sometime in late 2027. Middle-earth Enterprises’ Fredrica Doritos told us:
We know that the epic stories of the early ages of Middle-earth, found in The Silmarillion, are beloved by fans. The great drama, romance, peril and poetry of these tales makes them perfect for the stage; and the track record of the team who created The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale means that we know these sagas are in safe hands. We can’t wait to see Eru Ilúvatar and Manwë brought to life on stage. What song of Lúthien Tinúviel was powerful enough to lull Morgoth to sleep? Perhaps we’ll hear such a song in this stage show. We hope the fans will be as excited as we are, to see Fëanor forge his gems on stage.
We’ve also heard that artists already known for their Tolkien-inspired paintings may be brought in to be part of the design team. Could some of the folks whose masterpieces we’ve been enjoying in Middle-earth March Madness be part of these future shows? Certainly TORn friend Donato Giancola would make epic scenery designs; and Kip Rasmussen’s ‘Eru and the Gods singing the First Song of Creation’ would make a wonderful show poster.
Donato Giancola’s Beren and Lúthien in the Court of Thingol and Melian
We here at TheOneRing.net are very excited by the news of this forthcoming stage production (or productions!), and staffers have started speculating as to exactly which stories will appear on ‘the boards’. Look for more content to explore our thoughts; and of course we’ll bring you updates as we receive them.
Our first panel, ‘Celebrating Tolkien Reading Day’ will be on Friday, March 28 at 6:00 pm in Room 207. We will be reading some selections from various Tolkien books, and there may be a few little surprises along the way. This panel, in particular, will be very family-friendly, we may even call a few children to the front to join us in storytelling. Follow the link below to see details.
Our second panel, ‘Lord of the Rings: Previewing Upcoming Projects’ will take place on Saturday, March 29 at 2:00 pm in room 211. This panel will be where we discuss all the recent and soon-to-come Middle-earth-themed shows, films, books, games, and more. The link below shows more details.
We were pretty sure it was coming, but today Prime Video have officially confirmed that The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will return for a third season.
Of note – director Charlotte Brändström is back for more; and the show has moved its production home, remaining in the UK but heading over to Shepperton Studios. No word on any new casting as yet. Prime Video did share this on X, re plotline: Jumping forward several years from the events of Season 2, Season 3 takes place at the height of the War of the Elves and Sauron, as the Dark Lord seeks to craft the One Ring that will give him the edge he needs to win the war and conquer all Middle-earth at last.
Here’s the official press release:
Prime Video Confirms Season Three Of The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power
Acclaimed directors Charlotte Brändström, Sanaa Hamri, and Stefan Schwartz set for upcoming season
Award-winning series is currently in pre-production at new production home,Shepperton Studios
CULVER CITY, California – February 13, 2025 – Today, Prime Video confirmed Season Three of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is in pre-production and will begin filming this spring in the series’ new production home at Shepperton Studios in the UK. Additionally, we are announcing three directors, two returning and one new, Charlotte Brändström, Sanaa Hamri, and Stefan Schwartz will be a part of this season. The globally successful series, which has attracted over 170 million viewers worldwide, continues to be one of Amazon’s strongest drivers for new Prime membership sign-ups.
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues to captivate audiences worldwide, and we’re thrilled that a third season is underway. The creative team has an extraordinary vision of what’s to come with stories that have left us enchanted and enthralled,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios. “We look forward to continuing this epic journey, for our global customers, delving even deeper into the legendary tales that shaped Middle-earth.”
Charlotte Brändström, who served as co-executive producer and directed multiple episodes in Seasons One and Two, returns as executive producer and director for the third season. She is joined by returning director Sanaa Hamri, who helmed several episodes in season two, and veteran director Stefan Schwartz, marking his first involvement with the series. Each director will oversee multiple episodes in the upcoming season.
Brändström’s extensive directing credits include Shōgun (FX), Scarpetta (Prime Video), The Outsider (HBO), The Witcher (Netflix), and The Man in the High Castle (Prime Video). Hamri, an acclaimed director known for her work on The Wheel of Time (Prime Video) and Empire (Fox), brings extensive experience spanning television, music videos, and feature films, having recently directed The Bondsman (Prime Video) pilot while continuing her creative relationship with Amazon MGM Studios through an overall deal. Schwartz, whose credits include The Boys (Prime Video), The Walking Dead (AMC), Luther (BBC), and The Americans (FX), rounds out the talented directorial team.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been an unprecedented success, with a broad, highly engaged, global fan base. Critics have praised the series for its epic scope and production values, and Seasons One and Two are Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Season One remains the biggest TV premiere in the history of Prime Video and Season Two the most-watched returning season by hours watched.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is produced by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay. They are joined by executive producers Lindsey Weber, Justin Doble, Kate Hazell, and executive producer-director Charlotte Brändström. Matthew Penry-Davey is producer and Ally O’Leary, Tim Keene, and Andrew Lee are co-producers.
Charlotte Brändström is an award-winning director and graduate of the directing program at the American Film Institute. Recent projects include Shōgun for FX, The Continental with Mel Gibson for Starz, the upcoming Scarpetta with Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis for Prime Video, and a pilot for Netflix Sweden titled The Unlikely Murderer. Her other directing credits for television include The Outsider for HBO; Jupiter’s Legacy, The Witcher, and Away for Netflix; The Consultant and The Man in the High Castle for Prime Video; and Outlander and Counterpart for Starz. Brändström also directed the entirety of two European limited series: Conspiracy of Silence for Viaplay and Disparue for FR2, and has also directed over 30 feature films, miniseries, and movies-of-the-week. Additionally, Brändström is an international Emmy award nominee for Julie, Chevalier de Maupin.
Sanaa Hamri is a renowned film, television, music video, and commercial director from Tangier, Morocco. She is currently in an overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios. She recently directed the pilot and episode 2 of Prime Video’s The Bondsman starring Kevin Bacon, as well as episodes from Seasons 2 and 3 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Previously she was EP/Director of Season 2 of Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time. Hamri was also EP/Director of the blockbuster series Empire on Fox from 2015 to 2020. As an acclaimed music video director, Hamri’s prolific career boasts collaborations with high profile hip hop/R&B musicians including Prince, Common, Lenny Kravitz, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg, Jay Z, and Mary J. Blige. Hamri has been awarded the NAACP Image Award for India Arie’s 2003 and an MTV VMA for Nicki Minaj’s 2010 blockbuster hit “Super Bass”. Hamri also directed Mariah Carey’s sold-out live arena concert documentary, The Adventures of Mimi. Hamri’s past episodic work includes Shameless, Rectify, Nashville, Elementary, Glee, Hit The Floor, and Desperate Housewives. Some of her feature film credits include Something New, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and Just Wright.
Stefan Schwartz is an award winning British/Canadian film and television director, writer, and producer. He has directed episodes of The Boys and My Lady Jane for Amazon MGM Studios, as well as The Americans, The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, Dexter,White Collar, Those Who Kill, Black Sails, and the BBC’s Luther and Spooks. He served as executive producer and directed episodes of Apple TV’s The Mosquito Coast, the Starz series Camelot, and the pilot of the CBC Television series Fortunate Son. His feature film directing debut was Soft Top Hard Shoulder, which starred Peter Capaldi and won two BAFTA Awards in Scotland and the prestigious audience prize at the London Film Festival. He also directed the films Shooting Fish (which he also wrote), The Abduction Club, and The Best Man, starring Stuart Townsend, Amy Smart, and Seth Green.
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Oaths hold an astonishing power in Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Here, TORn Discord member Narrative Epicure explores how Sauron and Elrond’s understanding of this fact drives each to behave very differently toward others.
~ Staffer Demosthenes
Concerning Oaths in Middle-earth
by TORn Discord member Narrative Epicure
In December 3018 of the Third Age, everybody’s lucky number was nine. After an involuntary white-water rafting trip down the Bruinen, Sauron’s Nazgûl returned to Mordor. These servants, so long bound to him by works he wrought in ages past, gathered once more in the dark shadow of Barad-dûr. In the Elven realm of Rivendell, Lord Elrond prepared a Fellowship whose journey would determine the fate of Middle-earth.
“The Company of the Ring shall be Nine;”1 he declared, “and the Nine Walkers shall be set against the Nine Riders that are evil.”2
Contrasts between the Ringwraiths and the Fellowship are legion, but in their preparations, one particular distinction reveals the nature of the hands that send them: while Sauron insists on sending servants bound to him by rings of power, Elrond demands nothing of anyone but Frodo (to not cast away the ring or deliver it to an Enemy). To the fellowship, he says, “no oath or bond is laid upon you.”3
As they depart on their journey south, he demands no promise from the nine he sent.
This difference between Elrond and Sauron is illustrative of each lord’s perspective on oaths and—to a larger degree—of the way each lord interacts with and treats the people of Middle-earth.
Concerning Oaths
Oaths and promises are fascinating subjects that could fill volumes on their own. On a surface level, an oath is a set of words promising some conduct or restraint. Yet, the way we treat an oath transforms it from a set of words to a power. In our own world, this power is usually subtle, intangible, and typically confined to the effects on psyche, trust, or the occasional legal ramification. In large part, oaths have over us what power we give them. In Middle-earth, this intangible power becomes tangible. Tolkien writes of oaths not only as if they have power, but as if they behave.
Oaths are living things that bless those who honor them, and occasionally impose consequences on oathbreakers. Tolkien describes the Oath of Fëanor (an oath that drives much of the action and conflict of the First Age) as “ever at work,”4 and on other occasions he says it has “slept now for a time.”5
In The Lord of the Rings, we see the terrible result of going back on your word when the Men of Dunharrow break oaths to fight Sauron and Isildur curses them to “rest never until [their] oath is fulfilled.”6
Tolkien’s writing ascribes another unique trait to oaths: they bind people to each other. Tolkien’s Legendarium offers many examples of this: the Oath of Eorl bound Rohan and Gondor together, the Oath of Finrod bound him to aid the kin of Barahir (at the cost of his life), and the sons of Fëanor were “bound by the oath”7 they swore.
But the people of Middle-earth can be bound even without oaths. When Melkor darkened the two Trees of Valinor, the Valar determined that the light of the Silmarils could restore the trees if Fëanor allowed their use. Fëanor refused. The Silmarillion describes him as “fast bound” to the Silmarils. Long before his oath, the love of his crafts bound him.
It was this binding power that Sauron would seek to replicate. In the Second Age, he bent the power of oaths back on itself, twisting it into the shape of rings, “for his desire was to set a bond upon the Elves.”8
Bound by Oaths
In Season 1 of the Rings of Power, young Elrond describes his outlook on oaths. “To some, [oaths] may now hold little weight, but in my esteem, it is by such things our very souls are bound.”9
He sees oaths as Tolkien wrote of them, and he uses them to build a web of collective strength. Elrond gives oaths. He enters them freely as a show of loyalty to those he cares about. Some may argue he enters them too freely.
Yet, despite the impetuous manner in which he binds himself to others, he’s hesitant to let others make oaths to him. When the Fellowship departs, and he asks no oath or bond, he explains some of his reasoning (paraphrased to just dialogue):
Gimli: “Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” Elrond: “Maybe, but let him not vow to walk in the dark who has not seen the nightfall.” Gimli: “Yet sworn word may strengthen quaking heart.” Elrond: “Or break it.”10
He’s cautious to hold others to promises made without all facts. We see this again in the mines when he stops Durin from sharing his true name—an act that, while not an overt oath, would have bound the two together. And while he freely binds himself, he’s cautious with whom he makes such promises. Note that in Season 2, when Galadriel asks, he immediately refuses to swear any promise “whose asking is born of that ring.”11
But seconds later, he swears exactly what she wishes, only this time to her. He will not suffer himself to be bound to or by her ring, but holds no qualms for his friend. And despite his fears that she is bound to Sauron through that ring, he demands no similar oath from her lips.
At his core, Elrond believes oaths are about people. He cares much more about binding himself to others than binding them to him. He cares deeply about them. When he stumbled into Durin’s Mithril mine in Season 1, he wasn’t looking for mithril itself like Durin suspected. He was looking for his friend. He worried about Durin’s secrets and went there to maintain trust between them.
After swearing an oath to Durin, he’s given a nugget of mithril, which he immediately offers to return. His king sought that ore, but to Elrond, this was always about his friend. Incidentally, this outlook works to his favor. Durin never would have given him the mithril if it were why he came lurking.
Bound in Darkness
If Elrond is the give, Sauron is the take. Elrond builds strength, Sauron builds power. To the dark lord, the purpose of oaths is to ensure those beneath him remain subservient. We see this in the very terminology he uses. He almost always eschews the word “oaths” in favor of “binding.” He doesn’t want to forge webs like Elrond; he wants to forge chains.
Sauron is cautious about oaths he swears. When faced with no alternative, he tries to manipulate them in his favor. “I swear to serve the lord of Mordor”12 is the juicy example that springs to mind. He’s there to bind others to him, not the other way around. Oaths don’t show loyalty or closeness, they keep others in line.
In the finale of Season 1, he asks Galadriel to bind herself to him. What he wants from Galadriel is a promise—an oath—so he can make her a queen, fair as the sea and the sun, stronger than the foundations of the earth. But notice again his subtlety. He offers her effectively nothing. “You bind me to light, and I bind you to power.”13
In exchange for her legitimizing his “healing” of Middle-earth, he binds her to power. But in Sauron’s estimation, he is that power. He binds her to him, and in exchange, she validates his rule. But as Gandalf famously warned Saruman, “he does not share power.”14
He’s promised her only chains.
Since he cannot elicit true loyalty, Sauron must demand it. He can deceive and win hearts, but he cannot keep them. It is this inability to earn true loyalty that—in part—drives Sauron’s need for the rings. Elrond cares for people while Sauron seeks only what he can use from them.
Each ring of power is a literal manifestation of that search for utility. If the people of Middle-earth will not swear to him, he will find some other way to bind them to him.
Frodo observed that “the Shadow . . . can only mock, it cannot make: not real new things of its own.”15
Unable to make bonds and elicit oaths, Sauron mocks, imitating the power of an oath’s bond with his rings. That involuntary bond shreds trust, but he doesn’t need trust when he has control. Dominate some creatures, bind others, make empty promises, and—when your army is threatening enough—maybe some people will swear with less coercion and deception.
And so, nine walkers set out from Rivendell, each a hero, while nine riders set out from Mordor, each a thrall. Sauron told us his plan from a prison cell in Númenor: “identify what it is that [a person] most fears . . . [and] give them a means of mastering it so you can master them.”16
Elrond’s line of thinking would likely be more along the lines of “identify what it is that a person most fears, and swear to protect them from it.”
With that contrast laid out, it’s clear in which fellowship you’d find better company.
About the author:Narrative Epicure is an aspiring loremaster and practicing attorney longing to read or write things that aren’t legal. When he’s not buried in Tolkien’s Legendarium, he enjoys books, board games, and other activities with his Fellowship, which includes his wife and three daughters.
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