Peter Jackson's decision to shoot The Lord of the Rings movies in New Zealand created a unique look for Middle-earth that can't be replicated with a green screen or special effects.
J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay are overseeing Prime Video's upcoming TV series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and based on what we've seen so far, they've also found that same cinematic feel for the show. It helps, of course, that the show has also been shot in New Zealand, though fans were shocked to learn that production on season 2 will take place in the UK.
While that country certainly has its fair share of beautiful landscapes, it's not exactly New Zealand.
Now, McKay has opened up on the controversial decision (which has even seen Elijah Wood weigh in), suggesting that there's actually a good storytelling reason for the change.
"I think if we answered in too much detail, we’d spoil where the journey is going in future episodes. Suffice to say in the story, in Tolkien’s world, journeys to other lands are a major recurring theme," he teases. "And so I think that’s a thing to think about. The other thing I would say is Tolkien was writing about the British Isles."
"He was writing about his own backyard and his description of the nature and the air here and the light here and the grass here is a huge part of those books," McKay continues. "And I think the opportunity to kind of bring the property home feels like one that’s pregnant with possibilities."
It's a valid point and the producer certainly seems confident that this is the right thing for the story they're telling in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Presumably, this means we're going to head to a part of Middle-earth we've not necessarily seen on screen before, but what that means for these characters remains to be seen.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres on Prime Video on September 2.