Lord of the Rings Series Moves Season Two to the U.K.

Amazon Studios’ untitled The Lord of the Rings original series is shifting production from New Zealand to the U.K. for season two.

Amazon Studios representatives said the move “aligns with the studio’s strategy of expanding its production footprint and investing in studio space across the U.K.,” as many of its tentpole series and films already call the U.K. home.

The series recently wrapped principal photography on season one in New Zealand and is scheduled to premiere on Prime Video in more than 240 countries around the world on September 2, 2022. Season one postproduction will continue in New Zealand through June 2022, and preproduction on season two will begin concurrently in the U.K. after the first of the year.

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

“As we look to relocate the production to the U.K., we do not intend to actively pursue the season one MoU 5 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,” said Albert Cheng, COO and co-head of TV at Amazon Studios.