‘The Rings Of Power’ Showrunners Extend Overall Deal With Amazon MGM Studios; Prepping Season 3

The Rings of Power showrunners, Patrick McKay and JD Payne, are staying in business with Amazon MGM Studios. The duo have signed a new exclusive overall deal with the studio, and have launched their own prodco, 10:40 PM Productions.

Under the new three-year deal, Amazon MGM Studios has exclusivity on TV rights. Financial terms were not disclosed.

McKay and Payne wrote and executive produced season one of the hit, Emmy-nominated Prime Video series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power which debuted in the fall of 2022. The series was the most-watch Amazon Original worldwide and debuted at No. 1 on the Nielsen streaming chart, remaining in the Top 4 throughout its initial run.

“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.”

Payne and McKay were showrunners on season two of The Rings of Power which is expected to debut later this year and while a season three writers room has not yet opened, the showrunners have started to break the initial story outline. It is expected that when the time comes to go into production on Season 3, The Rings of Power will move from Bray Studios to a brand new production facility at nearby Shepperton Studios in the UK.

Payne and McKay are repped by CAA and attorney Barry Littman.