Amazon moves its new Lord of The Rings show from New Zealand to the UK

Virgin Radio

13 Aug 2021, 11:09

Lord of the Rings and New Zealand’s stunning landscapes go hand in hand, don’t they? Indeed, it’s reported that tourism in the country rose by 40 percent when Peter Jackson’s movies came out at the start of this century. So it’s slightly surprising that Amazon have decided to film the second season of their upcoming Lord of the Rings series not in New Zealand, but over here in the UK.

Filming has just wrapped on the first season of the fantasy epic in New Zealand which, following post-production, is set to be shown on Amazon Prime in September 2022. However, production will shift to the UK for the second season. There are expected to be five seasons in total.

Not much is known about the as-yet-untitled series, other than that it is obviously based on JRR Tolkien’s books, and that it will be set during the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It is reportedly due to be the most expensive TV project ever made, with a $465 million (£336m) budget having been spent on the first season, so we can expect it to be pretty spectacular. 

UK culture secretary Oliver Dowden said, “Delighted to hear that Amazon will be making their blockbuster second series of Lord Of The Rings right here in the UK.”

He added that, “Thousands of high quality jobs all across the UK will be created.”

With New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, announcing that the country’s borders would not be reopening until after their vaccine rollout is completed at the end of the year, Amazon has said that the move to the UK “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.”

Vernon Sanders, VP and co-head of TV at Amazon Studios, said, "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.”

Actors announced as being part of the ensemble cast include Sir Lenny Henry, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Sophia Nomvete and Lloyd Owen.

Lord Of The Rings will premiere on September 2nd, 2022 on Amazon Prime Video.