The Amazon series is leaving New Zealand, and the second season will be filmed in the UK
The highly anticipated TV series based on JRR Tolkien’s novel will be available to stream from September 2 next year.
In recent days, the first season of a new TV series has been filmed Prime video Based on the popular fantasy novel by J.R.R. Tolkien the Lord of the Rings, and we would have been jumping for joy had it not been for the complex post-production phase that forced the video-streaming service to set a debut date for September 2, 2022. On the other hand, we already know there will also be a second season, which the latest news says won’t be filmed in Oceania as The previous season but in Europe, more specifically in the UK.
The Lord of the Rings moves to the UK: reasons for this choice
Although Tolkien is English and was inspired by the landscapes, climate, flora and fauna of rural England for his work, when one thinks of Middle-earth, one thinks of New Zealand. Films for the phenomenal trilogy of New Zealander Peter Jackson were filmed here, as well as the prequel trilogy the hobbit. So it’s only fair to be surprised by the decision to move everything to the UK, where pre-production for the second series of episodes will begin early next year. The reasons for this choice seem quite simple in fact and, as often happens in these situations, are related to money; He appears to be a much more powerful deity than the dark god of Mordor, Sauron.
The first season of the series had a budget of 465 million dollars, but from previous news we know that the New Zealand government committed to granting a tax exemption to the production of about 116 million dollars, which is equivalent to 25% of the total investment. Usually, local authorities reimburse only 20% of film and television production costs that decide to invest in the country, but Amazon was able to get an additional 5% based on a carefully agreed upon agreement, which included among other things “the giant’s commitment to invest in various areas However, production’s decision to leave the country no longer allows it to meet all the criteria for additional tax relief, and obviously still falls short of the overall benefits of moving to the UK, where Amazon already has several products in progress.
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“As we move production to the UK, we do not intend to pursue the 5% financial increase for season one with the New Zealand government or maintain the terms of this agreement, however we respectfully refer to our partners and will remain close to our customers,” said Albert Cheng, chief operating officer of Amazon Studios. “Contact them. regarding next steps.” Vice President Vernon Sanders added, “We want to thank the people and government of New Zealand for their hospitality and dedication and for making the series depend on the Lord of the Rings A great place to start this epic journey.”
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