It’s too expensive and thousands of miles away from everywhere… but New Zealand always had ONE thing going for it – but now the Kiwis have lost Lord of the Rings to the UK… and they only have themselves to blame

New Zealand lawmakers who imposed strict restrictions on citizens during Covid are now being blamed for the loss of one of its biggest assets: the Lord of the Rings franchise.

The successful fantasy franchise has become synonymous with New Zealand since filmmaker Peter Jackson brought the first film to his native country.

Iconic locations in Middle-earth, from The Shire to Mount Doom, were brought to life in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit through a range of famous New Zealand destinations.

However, the country has lost its grip on the franchise after Prime Video’s prequel series The Rings of Power made the landmark decision to move filming for the second season to the UK for the first time in LOTR history.

The fantasy series, which premieres on August 29, returned to JRR Tolkien’s homeland and was filmed in scenic locations across the UK, including Surrey and Berkshire.

The huge move divided fans and left locals devastated, as New Zealand has long been known as the home of Middle-earth. Now, however, it has become clear how the country lost its grip on LOTR.

Sources claim the $1 billion project was pushed back in part due to New Zealand’s strict Covid protocols and Amazon’s investment in a costly new studio space in the UK.

The first season was slightly delayed due to New Zealand’s strict Covid protocols, with actors even worried at the time that filming for the series would not be completed.

The series was one of several global productions that halted filming in March 2020. Production resumed around September 2020 and concluded in August 2021.

But in a major loss for New Zealand, the second series was moved to the UK, marking a huge change, despite the New Zealand government already granting discounts.

The shocking news that New Zealand’s landscapes no longer resemble Middle-earth came as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that strict Covid-19 border controls would last until 2022.

Amazon invested heavily in sets and facilities in New Zealand to make the $465 million debut season a budget that, according to Amazon’s Jennifer Salke, was intended to “build the infrastructure that will sustain the entire series.”

The production had been given a generous tax rebate from New Zealand to remain in the country, but decided to move to the UK after receiving a more favourable offer.

The film reportedly received a 20 percent tax break from the New Zealand government, a much higher rate than most productions, but the film ultimately reneged on the deal.

Albert Cheng, co-head of TV at Amazon Studios, confirmed at the time that they would miss out on the additional five percent financial growth they could have received if production had remained in the country.

After Amazon rejected millions of dollars in incentives from New Zealand, sources claimed the UK was a more advantageous choice for Amazon after the company acquired the famous Bray Film Studios in Berkshire.

The show’s co-showrunners Patrick McKay and JD Payne admitted the decision was above their pay grade, citing Amazon’s desire to brings all its productions together under one roof in their new studio in the UK.

“Amazon was expanding their manufacturing footprint here in the UK and it’s one of their biggest shows,” Payne said. GQ earlier this year. ‘They wanted to bring everything under one roof.’

The two have since defended the divisive move, arguing that New Zealand was a step away from what JRR Tolkien originally envisioned.

‘[England] is what Tolkien wrote about. This is the environment that he reflected in the actual texts – so in a way we feel like we are bringing the Lord of the Rings home,’ McKay said news.com.au.

“We want every frame of the show and every world in the show to feel realistic and part of the environment.

“We want you to feel the air, the mist, the grass, the trees. We always wanted it to feel like Middle Earth.

‘So even though we shot season one in New Zealand and season two here in the UK, in an ideal world there would be a real continuity in the look and feel… and the extent to which it changes would also have to reflect the environments that the characters are going to and what’s happening emotionally in the story.’

“It’s a different landscape, a different weather pattern. And all of that contributes to a kind of Middle-earth that’s even closer to what readers might imagine in the books,” McKay previously told GQ.

The duo previously paid tribute to their recording period in New Zealand, expressing their dismay at having to leave the country, the former home of LOTR.

Producer Lindsey Weber said: ‘It’s definitely a tough departure. We’ve built some really close friendships, in addition to working relationships with people there, and I hope we stay in touch with all of them.’

“We love New Zealand and we’re so grateful to have been able to spend so much time there with our families and the crew who made this show,” McKay told the Sunday Star-Times.

Despite The Rings of Power leaving the country, the New Zealand Film Commission hopes other LOTR projects will return to the country.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Peter Jackson and Andy Serkis – who are not associated with the Amazon spinoff series – are working on a new LOTR film set for release in 2026, titled The Hunt for Gollum.

Amid this news, the NZFC welcomed the prospect of more Middle-earth adventures returning to New Zealand, after suffering the massive blow of The Rings of Power.

“The announcement that Middle-earth could be returning to New Zealand, in the safe hands of Sir Peter Jackson, Dame Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, is incredible news,” said NZFC CEO Annie Murray ALS at that time.

“The impact the original film series had on Aotearoa and the film industry is significant and lasting.”

The original LOTR trilogy involved thousands of actors and crew members during the five-year filming in New Zealand, from 1999 to 2004.

In 2012, Tourism New Zealand reported a massive 50 percent increase in tourism since the release of the hit fantasy trilogy.

More fans have flocked to the country since The Shire was immortalised on the Hobbiton set tour in Matamata on the North Island, after the set was rebuilt there for the filming of The Hobbit.

Andrew Waddel, chief executive of Tourism New Zealand, told Ny Breaking Australia about The Rings of Power’s departure: ‘Aotearoa New Zealand has long had a reputation as an international film destination – from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit to Avatar and even the upcoming live-action Minecraft.

‘We still have a strong connection with Middle-earth. Many international visitors still cite the films The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit as reasons for choosing New Zealand as a holiday destination.

‘Once in New Zealand, 34 percent of visitors visited a film location, or took part in a tour or experience, such as the only living Hobbiton film set on the North Island.

‘The first season of Amazon’s Rings of Power continues New Zealand’s association as the home of Middle-earth and we look forward to more visitors exploring the dramatic landscapes and locations featured in the various films and TV series filmed in New Zealand.’