As the entire trilogy of The Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand, it would make sense to assume that the Prime Video series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, would also be produced using the same backdrop.
However, when Prime Video landed The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series as part of a blockbuster rights deal worth about $250 million, things changed.
Former NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke became the new head of Amazon Studios and discussed production of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power with Deadline in 2018.
“I think we might be in New Zealand. I don’t know, but we’re going to have to go somewhere interesting that could provide those locations in a really authentic way because we want it to look incredible. There’s no shortage of ambition for the project. We’ll go where we need to go to make it happen,” Salke said.
When did Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power begin production?
In 2019, Amazon confirmed that the filming for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 would be shot in New Zealand. However, Scotland had also been considered. Filming began in February 2020 in Auckland but was soon put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production resumed at the end of September 2020, and the first season wrapped filming by August 2021.
Shortly after season 1 wrapped, Amazon announced that the show’s second season would be produced in the UK. New Zealand’s strict border policies had become an issue, but Amazon had already built a UK studio for other productions and wanted to use it for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power as well.
Additionally, J.R.R. Tolkien’s estate wished for the series to be produced in the UK. Tolkien had reportedly been inspired by locations there when writing the novels.
The first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was mostly shot on New Zealand’s North Island, using Kumeu Film Studios and Auckland Film Studios in Auckland. About a third of the first season was shot on location, with about 38 spots ultimately used, including these:
Denize Bluffs in Mangaotaki Valley
The Harfoots’ community of hobbits in the first episode was filmed at Denize Bluffs in Mangaotaki Valley. It could also be seen in The Hobbit trilogy.
Fiordland National Park
With some help from CGI, the Ostirith watchtower overlooks Lake Quill in the Fiordland National Park.
Earnslaw Burn in Otago
The exterior of the underground dwarf realm, Khazad-dûm, was filmed at Earnslaw Burn in Otago on the South Island. This amazing wall of waterfalls can only be viewed by a helicopter or drone. The interior was filmed on a sound stage set.
Anawhata Beach
Galadriel’s slow-motion horse-riding scene was filmed on Anawhata Beach near Piha, which also served as the Numenorean coastline.
The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was primarily filmed at Bray Film Studios and Bovingdon Airfield in England. Filming was also done around the UK and in the Canary Islands, but Amazon has yet to confirm specifics. Eagle-eyed fans in the UK shared information as they saw it when stumbling upon filming crews in Frensham Little Pond, Surrey, and at the Stone-Age camp, High Rocks, in Kent.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power can be watched on Amazon Prime.
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