By Ron Howells • Published: 13 Aug 2021 • 9:04
New Butterfly species named after Lord of the Rings villain. image credit: Twitter
Amazon is moving production of the Lord of the Rings TV series from New Zealand to the UK in a boost to the film industry.
Amazon has announced a decision to produce the upcoming Lord of the Rings TV series in the UK from the second season on. Although the first season was filmed in New Zealand, as with Peter Jackson’s movies, Amazon now says pre-production on season two will begin early next year in the UK.
Oscar-winning director Sir Peter Jackson used New Zealand’s rolling mountains, meadows and forests as a backdrop for his famed Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies.
The streaming giant said that season one post-production will still continue in New Zealand.
Amazon has not revealed the location of where the series will be shot and is at the moment shipping the complex sets it built for the first season over to the UK and is also currently booking stages for them, according to Deadline.
The company films several Prime Video series in the UK already, including Neil Gaiman adaptations Good Omens and Anansi Boys.
Amazon said the switch “aligns with the studio’s strategy of expanding its production footprint and investing in studio space across the UK, with many of Amazon Studios’ tentpole series and films already calling the UK home”
“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.
“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,” said Vernon Sanders, VP and co-head of TV at Amazon Studios.
When asked about the move, New Zealand’s government said it was disappointed at the decision.
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Ron actually started his working career as an Ophthalmic Technician- things changed when, during a band rehearsal, his amplifier blew up and he couldn’t get it fixed so he took a course at Birmingham University and ended up doing a degree course. He built up a chain of electronics stores and sold them as a franchise over 35 years ago. After five years touring the world Ron decided to move to Spain with his wife and son, a place they had visited over the years, and only bought the villa they live in because it has a guitar-shaped swimming pool!. Playing the guitar since the age of 7, he can often be seen, (and heard!) at beach bars and clubs along the length of the coast. He has always been interested in the news and constantly thrives to present his articles in an interesting and engaging way.
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