New Zealand loses its precious ‘Rings’ series
Amazon Studios announced it would film the second season of its original series, inspired by Tolkien, in Britain.
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND >> New Zealand has long been associated with “The Lord of the Rings,” but with the filming of a major new television series suddenly snatched away, the nation has become more like Mordor than the Shire for hundreds of workers.
In a major blow to the nation’s small but vibrant screen industry, Amazon Studios announced it would film the second season of its original series, inspired by the books of J.R.R. Tolkien, in Britain.
“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,” the company said in a statement.
The move came as a blow to many in New Zealand. The production is one of the most expensive in history, with Amazon spending at least $465 million on the first season, which just finished filming in New Zealand, according to government figures.
The series employed 1,200 people in New Zealand directly and another 700 indirectly, according to the figures.
“This is a shock to everyone,” said Denise Roche, the director of Equity NZ, a union representing performers. “I really feel for all the small businesses, the tech people who invested in this for the future. Nobody had any inkling.”