Elijah Wood Has Hilarious Reaction to LOTR Season 2 Leaving New Zealand
Elijah Wood gives a happy reaction to Amazon moving production of its Lord of the Rings sequel from New Zealand for season 2. Wood played Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s favourite adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings—which generated The Hobbit adaptation (s) and, now, Amazon Prime’s TV series. While Jackson’s new movies take place in the Third Age of Middle-earth, attending the defeat of Sauron at the end of the Second Age the impending prequel series will be set during the Second Age.
It’s worth noting that the Second Age lingered 3,441 years and a lot transpired besides the One Ring’s conception and Sauron’s defeat. That said, plot details for the Amazon series have kept undercoats. Many have ceased to call it The Lord of the Rings despite it not being a summary of that story and/or taking a spot during the Third Age. Following the end of season 1’s filming in West Auckland, New Zealand, it was announced that output for The Lord of the Rings season 2 will be in the U.K. Being that New Zealand has become compatible with Middle-earth throughout six movies and over two decades, the news hasn’t sat adequately with fans.
Frodo himself, Elijah Wood, hilariously responded to the news on Twitter in a way that mirrors the fandom. The actor barely retweeted the announcement accompanied by a facepalm emoji.
Of all the cast partners from Jackson’s original Lord of the Rings trilogy, Wood has arguably waited more related to the genre/fandom than anyone. In the past, he’s even called out how people are calling Amazon’s series “The Lord of the Rings.” Given his knowledge of filming in New Zealand, and how the country’s scenery is directly responsible for bringing Middle-earth to life, it makes sense he wouldn’t be a fan of the move. Season 2 of the sequel will reportedly begin production in the UK in January and is due to the streaming service’s desire to expand its footprint in the country.
Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series is shaping up to be one of the most costly shows of all time. The banner effort to capitalize on the Game of Thrones sparked the fantasy craze by doubling down on the IP that arguably started it all. The news of production moving away from the franchise’s roots has understandably been met with anxiety and scorn. There’s nothing worse than seeing a favourite estate turn into a mishandled cash grab. That’s not to say Amazon’s more adult take on Middle-earth won’t live up to odds. It very well could give binding insights into Tolkien’s legendary work with season 2 exploring unexpected territory (literally). The series is now slated for a September 2022 release.