Amazon's Lord of the Rings ditches New Zealand

Amazon chief Jeff Bezos (Image: Getty)

Fri, 13 Aug 2021

Amazon’s big-budget TV production of Lord of the Rings has ditched New Zealand for the UK, delivering a major blow to the domestic film industry. The tech giant has confirmed plans to film the second series of its JRR Tolkien-inspired show in Britain, citing mounting costs and NZ’s strict covid-19 protocols as key reasons for the shift.Amazon believes it will be more economical to film in the UK. The series has been billed as the most expensive of all time. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that NZ’s strict co...

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