New Zealand will no longer be Middle-earth: production has moved to the UK

The news represents Scopola Tourism New Zealand. Amazon: “Thank you for the hospitality.”

The broadcasting giant has extracted millions of dollars in facilities from the local government: “We will not effectively claim them unless our partners want to.” However, Wellington has already pulled the show.

WELLINGTON/LONDON – One of the New Zealand Ministry of Tourism’s worst nightmares has come true: The makers of the “Lord of the Rings”-inspired Amazon series have decided to move production from the Pacific archipelago to the UK. Scopola is for a country that for years invested in its image as a natural setting for Tolkien’s great epic for years.

The announcement came until Thursday press release. “The move from New Zealand to the UK is in line with the studios’ strategy to expand their production footprint and invest in filming space across the UK,” Amazon said in a statement. “We want to thank the people and government of New Zealand for their hospitality and enthusiasm and for providing the Lord of the Rings series with a great place to begin this epic journey,” the writing continues.

New Zealand tourism officials saw a cold shower coming. If another ‘closer to home’ destination (eg the UK) guarantees an offer of equal value, New Zealand should expect the legacy [del “Signore degli Anelli”] fading quickly, especially in the current climate of global travel slowdown and economic uncertainty,” warns a report obtained by the New Zealand Herald on the basis of a law that guarantees the press access to official documents, including confidential documents. In short, thanks to the pandemic, if it stops “The Lord of the Rings” and Middle-earth on the association with New Zealand, the saga will quickly lose its role as a tourist magnet for the country and the number of visitors and profits for them. Links will decline rapidly.

but this is not all. New Zealand has invested and plans to invest millions of dollars to commit to the project. Amazon was able to negotiate an agreement with the government that would guarantee it a roughly 5% cut on every dollar spent in the country: A NZ$33 million bill to taxpayers for season one alone, notes the estimate of Economic Development Minister Stuart Nash, on newsroom.co .nz (about 21.3 million francs).

Recognizing how sensitive the issue is at a political level, Amazon has not failed to reassure New Zealanders, at least in part. He said in a statement Thursday that he “has no intention” to “actively” claim tax benefits to which he is entitled under the agreement with Wellington. However, the streaming giant will respectfully “refer” the matter to its trading partners and “remain in close consultation with them on the next steps” to be taken. Given that the Wellington government has already withdrawn its bid, the possibility of a dispute opens.

Amazon has already filmed in New Zealand the first season of the series “Lord of the Rings”, which does not have a final title yet. And the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) said that production of 465 million dollars (about 428 million francs) will be completed in the Pacific country. It is scheduled to be released on September 2, 2022. However, production of the second season will begin simultaneously in the UK.

The series takes place thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. After the premiere, four more seasons are expected.