by Pierre Lorenz on August 17, 2021

The "Lord of the Rings" film series owes its success not only to an exciting story and brilliant actors, but also and above all to New Zealand. The island state in the southern Pacific Ocean served as the main location for the impressive movie scenery of "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogies. It was therefore only natural that Amazon opted to shoot its ambitious "Lord of the Rings" series there as well. Now, just a few days ago, it was announced that the project would be relocated to the United Kingdom in the future. Although the first season will still be produced in New Zealand, the project will be relocated to Europe for all further episodes. The New Zealand government is not quite as thrilled about this, as it has generously granted funding to the major project and recently even approved a five-percent subsidy. On the other hand, Great Britain's Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden is of course delighted as he can now take credit for the thousands of jobs that such a large project brings along to his own country. The first season is scheduled to be released on Amazon Prime on September 2, 2022.

So what do you guys think of Amazon's decision? Would a local change of scenery do the franchise any good, or do you think New Zealand's rich landscape cannot be replicated in the UK? Feel free to let us know your opinion in the comments!