The Lord of the Rings returns to New Zealand with the Amazon TV show

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New Zealand is poised for another economic boost from Central Earth after Amazon Studios has chosen the country as the location of its long-awaited television series The Lord of the Rings.

The show is widely touted as the most expensive ever made, at a cost of at least $ 1 billion (£ 801 million).

The Amazon unity wants to exploit the huge success of the film trilogy The Lord of the Rings, also shot in New Zealand.

The franchise has boosted tourism and employment in the country.

Amazon Studios, who bought the rights to the television series two years ago, said the new adaptation would explore new stories before J.R.R. Tolkien's classic, The Ring Community.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the company announced that pre-production had begun and that filming in Auckland would begin in the coming months.

"While we were looking for the place where we could give life to the primordial beauty of the second age of Middle-earth, we knew we had to find a majestic place, with pristine coastlines, forests and mountains," said the firm.

New Zealand's Minister of Economic Development, Phil Twyford, said the project would create a series of "benefits" that include significant jobs and foreign investment. "

Filmed in the early 2000s by Peter Jackson, director of the Kiwi, the trilogy of Lord of the Rings brought in nearly $ 3 billion at the box office and won many Oscars.

These films – along with The Hobbit trilogy – sparked a tourism boom in New Zealand.

They exposed the country's lush landscapes to the world and encouraged millions of visitors to visit the places they used.

Large-scale productions have also transformed the small film industry in New Zealand into a world leader, including in the field of digital special effects.

The country has also hosted the Middle Earth in its cultural identity and giant models of dragons and wizards decorate the Wellington Airport.