AUCKLAND: Amazon’s lavish ‘The Lord of the Rings’ TV series has been permitted to begin production in New Zealand.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment announced that five more international film and TV productions have been granted exemptions from the country’s COVID-19 travel ban, allowing crew members from outside the country to work after virus testing and a quarantine period.
The series will be based on the fictional world created by JRR Tolkien for his works like ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’. The series is being made on a budget of $1 billion, making it the most expensive TV production ever.
JD Payne and Patrick McKay will be the showrunners of the series. ‘Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom’ director JA Bayona will helm the first two episodes of the series. The series will not be a direct adaptation of the novel like the Peter Jackson directed trilogy.
New Zealand has already granted exemptions to James Cameron’s ongoing production of the ‘Avatar’ sequels and Jane Campion’s drama ‘Power of the Dog’ starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst.
The five productions will bring 206 crew members and 35 family members to the country over the next six months. In addition, 10 more crew members for ‘Avatar 2’ will join the 31 crew that have already arrived for filming.
New Zealand was able to nearly eradicate COVID-19 by the end of May but many businesses have been able to reopen and the country continues to keep its borders closed to prevent another outbreak.
By approving the exemptions, the ministry said that the film productions will add an estimated 3,000 jobs and $400 million to the local economy.
“Our success at managing COVID-19 gives our country an opportunity to become one of the few countries still able to safely produce screen content,” Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford said in Parliament.
“And the inquiries and interest we are getting from international production houses tells me that the international film community sees New Zealand as something of a global safe haven,'” he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
