‘Rings of Power’ Showrunners Ink Overall Deal With Amazon MGM Studios, Begin Early Work on Season 3 of ‘LOTR’ Series
Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, the showrunners behind “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” have signed an overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios.
The three-year deal will give the streamer the exclusive TV rights to the duo’s projects. This deal will also launch the creative partners’ production company, 10:40 PM Productions. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We began this remarkable journey with J.D. and Patrick more than five and a half years ago and have never looked back,” Vernon Sanders, head of television for Amazon MGM Studios, said in a statement. “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 J.D. and Patrick are continuing to build throughout Season 2 and beyond,” Sanders continued. “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.”
Season 2 of the massive Amazon series is expected to premiere later this year. As for Season 3, though a writers’ room has yet to be opened, the showrunners have started to break the initial story outline for the upcoming installment. Moving forward, “The Rings of Power” will move from Bray Studios to a nearby production facility at Shepperton Studios in the U.K.
Prior to heading the flagship Amazon fantasy drama, Payne and McKay were uncredited on projects such as “Star Trek Beyond,” “Godzilla vs. Kong” and “Jungle Cruise.”
Payne and McKay wrote and executive produced Season 1 of Prime Video’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” which debuted in the fall of 2022 as the most-watched Amazon original in every region. It also debuted as No. 1 on the Nielsen streaming chart and stayed in the Top 4 rankings throughout its run.
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