New Zealand has long been linked with the Lord of the Rings series. But for hundreds of workers, the country is more like Mordor than the Shire. It was after the filming of a major new television series halted abruptly. Amazon Studios announced on Friday that it would film the second season of its original series in Britain, in a severe blow to the country’s small but thriving film sector.
“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 decision shocked many in New Zealand. According to official estimates, Amazon spent at least $465 million on the first season, which just wrapped filming in New Zealand, making it one of the most costly in history.
According to the figures, the series employed 1,200 people in New Zealand directly and another 700 indirectly.
“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.”
Untitled Rings Series: Release date
People are unhappy with Amazon, according to Roche, who added that the sector is resilient. The untitled series, according to Amazon, is taking place in Middle-earth during the Second Age. Thousands of years before the events described in Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” books and the subsequent films directed by Peter Jackson.
Filming started last year. But it was postponed owing to the coronavirus outbreak. The first season’s post-production will continue in New Zealand until June, with the show premiering on Prime Video in September of next year.
The shift to the United Kingdom comes just four months after Amazon reached an agreement with the New Zealand government to get an additional 5% refund on top of the 20% — or $92 million — it previously received from New Zealand taxpayers under a screen production grant.
We are disappointed: New Zealand’s Economic Development Minister
Many locations compete for productions around the world by giving similar, hefty refunds. New Zealand’s Economic Development Minister Stuart Nash said at the time of the arrangement that the Rings series will benefit the country’s economy and tourism for years to come, as well as leave “an enduring legacy for our screen industry.”
Nash said on Friday that the government only learned out about Amazon’s departure a day before. Therefore, he was sad about the decision. He stated that the administration was withdrawing the extra 5% offer. Amazon announced that it would no longer pursue the additional funds. However, it will receive at least $92 million from New Zealand taxpayers.
“The international film sector is incredibly competitive and highly mobile. We have no regrets about giving this production our best shot with government support,” Nash said. “However, we are disappointed for the local screen industry.”
After Jackson directed six films in New Zealand, the country became linked with Tolkien’s universe of orcs, elves, and hobbits. The “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and “The Hobbit” trilogy had a total box office gross of approximately $6 billion.
When Amazon Studios first announced that it will film in New Zealand, it suggested that the country’s pristine coasts, woods, and mountains would be ideal for bringing the primeval splendor of early Middle-earth to life. Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Sophia Nomvete, and Lloyd Owen are among the huge group of cast members.