New Zealand lawmakers who subjected citizens to brutal restrictions during Covid are now being blamed for the country losing one of its greatest assets: the Lord of the Rings franchise.
The hit fantasy franchise has become synonymous with New Zealand since filmmaker Peter Jackson brought the first film to his home country.
Iconic Middle-earth locations from The Shire to Mount Doom were brought to life on screen in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit thanks to a series of famous New Zealand destinations.
However, the country lost control of the franchise after Prime Video’s prequel series The Rings of Power made the big decision to move filming to the UK for its second series for the first time in LOTR history.
The multi-million dollar fantasy series, which was set to debut on August 29, returned to JRR Tolkien’s homeland and was filmed in picturesque UK locations including Surrey and Berkshire.
The huge move divided fans and left locals devastated, as New Zealand has long been known as the home of Middle-earth, but now light has been shed on exactly how the country lost its grip on LOTR.
Sources said the $1 billion project was relocated in part due to New Zealand’s strict Covid protocols, as well as Amazon’s investment in expensive new studio space in the UK.
The first series was hit by slight delays amid New Zealand’s strict Covid protocols, with the actors even sharing at the time their concerns that the show wouldn’t finish filming.
The Lord of the Rings franchise has become synonymous with New Zealand, but The Rings of Power has moved to the UK for the first time (pictured: lead star Morfydd Clark)
The series was among many global productions that halted filming in March 2020, with production resuming around September 2020 and ending in August 2021.
But in a huge loss for New Zealand, the second series was moved to the UK in a radical change, despite having already received refunds from the New Zealand government.
The shock news that New Zealand landscapes would no longer feature in Middle Earth came as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said strict Covid border controls would continue into 2022.
Amazon had invested heavily in sets and facilities in New Zealand to help realize its $465 million debut season, a budget that Amazon’s Jennifer Salke said was because they were “building out the infrastructure that will support the entire series.”
The production had been offered a generous New Zealand tax rebate to remain in the country, but decided to move to the UK after being offered a more favourable deal.
It reportedly received a 20 percent tax break from the New Zealand government, a much higher rate than most productions, but backed out of the deal.
At the time, Albert Cheng, co-head of television at Amazon Studios, confirmed that they would forgo the additional five percent financial increase they could have received if production had remained in the country.
After rejecting millions of dollars in incentives from New Zealand, sources said the UK was a cheaper option for Amazon in the future after the company acquired the famous Bray Film Studios in Berkshire.
Sources claimed the $1 billion project was relocated in part due to New Zealand’s strict Covid protocols, as well as Amazon’s investment in expensive new studio space in the UK (pictured: Scene from The Rings Of Power)
The show’s co-showrunners, Patrick McKay and JD Payne, admitted the decision was above their pay grades, citing Amazon’s desire to will bring all its productions together under one roof in its new studio in the UK.
“Amazon was building its production apparatus here in the UK and it’s one of its biggest programs,” Payne said. GQ Earlier this year, “they wanted to put everything under one roof.”
The pair have since defended the divisive relocation, arguing that New Zealand was a step beyond what JRR Tolkien would have first imagined.
“(England) is the place Tolkien wrote about. This is the environment he reflected in the actual texts, so in a way we feel like we’re bringing The Lord of the Rings home,” McKay said. news.com.au.
‘We always want every frame and every world in the show to feel real and rooted in an environment.
‘We want you to feel the air, the fog, the grass and the trees, and we always wanted it to feel like Middle Earth.
‘So even though we shot the first season in New Zealand and we shot the second here in the UK, in a perfect world, there’s a real continuity of look and feel… and the degree to which it changes should also reflect the environments the characters are heading into and what’s happening emotionally in the story.’
“It’s a different landscape, a different climate. And all of that contributes to a Middle Earth that feels even more like the one readers can imagine in the books,” McKay previously told GQ.
The pair previously paid tribute to their time filming in New Zealand and shared their dismay at leaving the country and former home of LOTR.
The showrunners have defended the divisive relocation, arguing that New Zealand was a step beyond what JRR Tolkien would have first imagined (pictured: scene from LOTR)
Iconic Middle-earth locations including Mount Doom (pictured: Tongariro) were brought to life on screen in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit thanks to famous New Zealand destinations.
Producer Lindsey Weber said: “It’s a very tough parting. We made some very close friendships and working relationships with people there and I hope we stay in touch with all of them.”
“We love New Zealand and are incredibly grateful to have been able to spend so much time there with our families and the team who make this show,” McKay told the Sunday Star-Times.
Despite The Rings of Power leaving the country, the New Zealand Film Commission has shared its hopes for other LOTR projects to return to the country.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Peter Jackson and Andy Serkis, who are not attached to the Amazon spinoff series, are working on a new LOTR movie set for release in 2026, titled The Hunt for Gollum.
Amid the news, the NZFC welcomed the prospect of more Middle-earth adventures returning to New Zealand, following the major blow dealt by The Rings of Power.
“The announcement that Middle-earth could be returning to New Zealand, in the safe hands of Sir Peter Jackson, Dame Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, is incredible news,” said NZFC chief executive Annie Murray. YEAH At the moment.
‘The impact the original film series had on Aotearoa and the film industry is significant and lasting.’
The original LOTR trilogy employed thousands of cast and crew during its five-year filming in New Zealand from 1999 to 2004.
In 2012, Tourism New Zealand reported a massive 50 percent increase in tourism since the release of the hit fantasy trilogy.
The LOTR trilogy employed thousands of people during its five-year shoot in New Zealand from 1999 to 2004, while The Shire has been immortalised on the Hobbiton set tour in Matamata.
More and more fans have flocked to the country since The Shire was immortalised on the Hobbiton set tour in Matamata on the North Island, after the set was rebuilt there to film The Hobbit.
Tourism New Zealand general manager Andrew Waddel told Daily Mail Australia of The Rings of Power’s departure: ‘Aotearoa New Zealand has a long-standing reputation as an international destination for film production, from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, to Avatar and even the upcoming live-action Minecraft movie.
‘We still have a strong connection to Middle Earth, and many international visitors still cite The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films as reasons for choosing New Zealand as a holiday destination.
‘Once in New Zealand, 34 percent of visitors went to a movie location or took part in a tour or experience, for example, the only living Hobbiton movie set on the North Island.
‘The first season of Amazon’s Rings of Power series continues New Zealand’s association as the home of Middle-earth, and we look forward to seeing more visitors come to explore the spectacular landscapes and locations featured in the variety of films and television shows filmed in New Zealand.’