Its been an open secret in the NZ film industry for the past few months that Amazon have been in town for its lord of the rings show. The long standing rumor was finally confirmed today by Amazon. The LOTR show will film in and around Auckland in the coming months. 

 

Amazon Studios will begin filming its Lord of the Rings television show in Auckland. 

 

The announcement was made on Wednesday by Amazon Studios after months of discussions with Government and Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) and the New Zealand Film Commission. 

 

Filming will begin in the coming months at a range of sites around the Auckland region, but ATEED said the exact sites were still under discussion.

 

The series is expected to premiere in 2021.

 

Amazon Studios said pre-production had started, and production on the series would begin later. 

 

Showrunners and executive producers J.D Payne and Patrick McKay said "as we searched for the location in which we could bring to life the primordial beauty of the Second Age of Middle Earth, we knew we needed to find somewhere majestic, with pristine coasts, forests, and mountains, that also is a home to world-class sets, studios, and highly skilled and experienced craftspeople and other staff". 

 

"And we're happy that we are now able to officially confirm New Zealand as our home for our series based on stories from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings."

 

"We are grateful to the people and the government of New Zealand and especially Auckland for supporting us during this pre-production phase.

 

"The abundant measure of Kiwi hospitality with which they have welcomed us has already made us feel right at home, and we are looking forward to deepening our partnership in the years to come."

 

Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford said New Zealand's selection as the base of the show's production ahead of other countries showed how far the country had come as a player in the highly competitive global screen industry.

 

"This is a sought after production and fantastic news for New Zealand's screen sector and our economy," Twyford said.

 

"The new Lord of the Rings series, along with other significant screen projects underway or in development, provides New Zealand with a global stage to demonstrate our skills, innovation and outstanding natural beauty. 

 

"We can be proud of New Zealand's talent in the screen sector and what this industry delivers to our economy."

 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/115878784/amazons-lord-of-the-rings-tv-series-to-start-filming-in-auckland?