Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' Series Set to Move from New Zealand to the U.K. for Season 2

Middle Earth is moving from New Zealand to the United Kingdom.

THR reports that Amazon Studios is changing the location of production for the Lord of the Rings series from New Zealand to the United Kingdom.

The decision is significant considering that New Zealand inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s series and was where director Peter Jackson filmed the franchise.

Click inside to find out why the show is moving…

The outlet notes that the move is also a major shift as Amazon has invested in the sets and facilities in New Zealand for the first season, which wrapped at an estimated cost of $465 million.

The series’ expensive production costs factored heavily into the decision, with sources telling THR that moving the show to the U.K. is a more economical choice as Amazon has already invested in studio space and is shooting shows like Good Omens, Anansi Boys, Citadel, The Power and The Rig there.

New Zealand also has very strict guidelines for the pandemic, which has helped keep production safe but has also caused logistical challenges, like forcing any cast or crew member to quarantine for 14 days when they returned to the country and limiting the amount of people who could leave production at a given time.

Postproduction for season one will continue in New Zealand through 2022, with preproduction on season two beginning in the U.K. after the first of the year.

The studio will receive a 20 percent tax credit from the country for its first season (totaling $114 million) but will forego an additional 5 percent it would have received if they had stayed there.

“We want to thank the people and the government of New Zealand for their hospitality and dedication and for providing The Lord of the Rings series with an incredible place to begin this epic journey,” Vernon Sanders, VP and co-head of TV, Amazon Studios said in a statement. “We are grateful to the New Zealand Film Commission, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Tourism New Zealand, Auckland Unlimited, and others for their tremendous collaboration that supported the New Zealand film sector and the local economy during the production of season one.”

Lord of the Rings will debut on Friday, September 2, 2022 on Prime Video and you can check out the official synopsis for the show here!

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