The Lord of the Rings is moving to the UK

“This move is in line with our plan to expand our production and invest in studios in the UK,” Amazon said. “Many of our businesses are already registered there.” Amazon is already active there with the “Good Omens” chain.

The shooting of the first season will continue in New Zealand. In April, the state already granted financial benefits to Amazon Studios. A 20 percent discount on photography costs was approved, and the government added another 5 percent. Amazon says it will not actively pursue this additional 5 percent.

But the UK is also ready to provide benefits to the film industry, and New Zealand’s strict Corona measures are said to be part of the decision. New Zealand’s borders will not open again as soon as next year, it was announced Thursday, and a strict border policy is making registrations more difficult.

The New Zealand government says it is “disappointed” with the decision. “Post-production for the first season will take place in New Zealand until June 2022,” Economy Minister Stuart Nash said in a statement.

The Lord of the Rings TV series will be an expensive production, with the first season alone costing around $465 million (€400 million). Approximately 2,000 people are working on the production and a total of five seasons are planned. If all goes through, it will be one of the most expensive TV series ever.

The story takes place thousands of years before the events of Junior Tolkien’s books. The first season will begin in September 2022 and will be shown in 240 countries. A new episode will then be released every week.