The move is a blow to New Zealand’s film industry. The announcement marks the first time a production based on the epic-fantasy books will not be filmed in New Zealand, where Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson shot his The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film trilogies. home,” Amazon Studios said in a statement.
aligns with the studio’s strategy of expanding its production footprint and investing in studio space across the U.K., with many of Amazon Studios’ tentpole series and films already calling the U.K. On Friday, Amazon Studios announced that it will film Season Two of its Rings series in the United Kingdom rather than New Zealand, where shooting on Season One recently wrapped. It is a different story for those whose paycheques are tied to bringing JRR Tolkien’s books to life on the big screen. Fans of Middle-earth may not be too miffed about where Amazon Studios shoots its yet-to-be-titled The Lord of the Rings television series.