As per Variety, Amazon Studios’ Lord of the Rings-oriented series moving their production from New Zealand to the UK, according to Variety. Amazon had recently posted that the first season has finished filming in New Zealand.
“The shift from New Zealand to the U.K. 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. home,” Amazon Studios said in a statement.
The move is a big loss for New Zealand’s film industry. According to government figures, Amazon is spending at least $465m on Season One – making it one of the most expensive productions in history. The project onboards over 1,200 people in New Zealand directly and a further 700 indirectly.
“As we look to relocate the production to the U.K., we do not intend to actively pursue the Season One MoU five percent financial uplift with the New Zealand government or preserve the terms around that agreement, however we respectfully defer to our partners and will remain in close consultation with them around next steps,” Albert Cheng, COO and co-head of TV, Amazon Studios said in the company press release.
The series is scheduled to premiere on Amazon Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on 2 September 2022.