It's always nice to get ahead of things when possible. Some people like to plan out their week in advance, sorting out their meals in the fridge and budgeting everything perfectly so there's no overspending. Others, meanwhile, might decide to film their unimaginably expensive Lord of the Rings TV series in a completely different continent for the 2nd season. It's always nice to make these little adjustments so everything can go nice and smoothly.
Amazon Prime's upcoming Lord of the Rings series has been a busy little production lately. As things gear up to release the 1st season late next year, it seems they've already decided to make some big changes going forward. Rather than filming in New Zealand as one might expect from a Lord of the Rings project, the whole thing is moving to the U.K. for the following season. But not only have they decided to traverse a good chunk of the globe, but they've also already decided on specific filming locations.
Variety reports that going forward, Amazon's The Lord of the Rings will shoot at Bray Film Studios and Bovingdon Airfield. Both studios are located to the west of London, and they've been home to some rather high-profile productions over the years. Based in Maidenhead, Bray Film Studios has notably been used in the production of films like Mamma Mia and Rocketman. Meanwhile, Bovingdon Airfield in Hertfordshire has been home to heavy-hitters like Justice League and Fast and Furious 6.
Perhaps the most significant aspect of this big move is the fact that Amazon Prime's series will be the first production in the Lord of the Rings franchise to film outside of New Zealand. Ever since Peter Jackson's original Lord of the Rings trilogy, every film from 2001's The Fellowship of the Ring to 2014's The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies has done the bulk of shooting in that lovely island country. Presumably, the move was made because of convenience for the actors and crew involved, a good chunk of whom hail from the U.K.
It makes sense that they would make such a change, particularly given the much different style of production between movies and TV. It would be tough to have so many people continually shuttling between their homes and New Zealand for a project whose ultimate time frame is still technically up in the air. So moving closer to home for many of them is probably the smartest decision in the long run.
Still, that's got to sting for the country that's based a substantial part of its entire identity on The Lord of the Rings. Granted, that's understandable with such an addictive Howard Shore soundtrack. But it almost feels like seeing a couple break up after years together, even when everybody thought they were destined to be together forever. Granted, the ultimate result will probably be just as entertaining too, if substantially less morbidly so.
Amazon's The Lord of the Rings is currently set to premiere its 1st season in September of 2022, with episodes releasing weekly.
Source: Variety