New Zealand May Save Lord of the Rings and Cowboy Bebop
Streaming platforms try to bypass the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic and move the sets of their productions to New Zealand.
From the beginning, it was known to most people that the Lord of the Rings show from Amazon Prime Video will be recorded in New Zealand, among other places. Unfortunately, the creators' plans have been thwarted by the global quarantine for some time, but there is already permission to return to shooting in the country.
The example of Amazon is followed by Netflix. Not so long ago we learned the details of their new original series, called Cowboy Bebop. At this point we know that due to production restrictions in the USA, the pictures will be shot in New Zealand.
These decisions are not only dictated by the characteristic landform of the country. The prevailing factor for the creators was first of all the current post-pandemic situation of the country, as it has already dealt with the coronavirus. This allows not only for normal functioning, but also trouble-free film work.
New Zealand's Minister of Development Phil Twyford talked about the potential benefits of dealing with the epidemic so efficiently:
“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. [...] 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. This is an opportunity friends that we must grab. Despite the turmoil that the world is facing, this is an exciting time for New Zealand’s screen sector.”
The Lord of the Rings will soon resume filming together with 93 members of the film crew. Currently, the show is in the pre-production phase. The situation is similar in the case of Cowboy Bepop, although it should be noted that before the pandemic the filmmakers did not manage to start the filming.
