Amazon has announced that the second season of its forthcoming The Lord of the Rings series will film in the United Kingdom, as opposed to the first season's production location of New Zealand. Peter Jackson and his band of hobbits, elves, and orcs called the Kiwi country home, as all films in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies filmed there. The move comes as Amazon currently works toward expanding their reach in the U.K., with series such as John Krasinski's Jack Ryan also filming throughout Europe.

Season One on The Lord of the Rings recently wrapped filming, and is set to premiere on September 2, 2022 in more than 240 countries. The series is easily one of the most anticipated television projects currently in the works, and is certainly a priority in the eyes of Amazon. The studio acquired the rights to the property for $250 million back in November 2017, with a commitment for a five-season production. J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay are set as creators, and a gorgeous production image was recently released, giving audiences a taste of what to expect.

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Image via New Line Cinema

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Vernon Sanders, V.P. and co-head of TV at Amazon Studios, had this to say about the change of location:

"We want to thank the people and the government of New Zealand for their hospitality and dedication and for providing The Lord of the Rings series with an incredible place to begin this epic journey. We are grateful to the New Zealand Film Commission, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Tourism New Zealand, Auckland Unlimited, and others for their tremendous collaboration that supported the New Zealand film sector and the local economy during the production of Season One."

The series holds a great deal of promise for Lord of the Rings fans, as it will tell the story of the Middle Earth's Second Age, which takes place thousands of years prior to the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's books. The Lord of the Rings will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on September 2, 2022.

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