Elijah Wood gives a hilarious reaction to Amazon moving production of its Lord of the Rings series from New Zealand for season 2. Wood played Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s beloved adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings—which spawned The Hobbit adaptation (s) and, now, Amazon Prime’s television series. While Jackson’s original movies take place in the Third Age of Middle-earth, following the defeat of Sauron at the end of the Second Age (shown in the opening minutes of The Fellowship of the Ring), the upcoming prequel series will be set during the Second Age.
It’s worth noting that the Second Age lasted 3,441 years and a lot happened besides the One Ring’s conception and Sauron’s defeat. That said, plot details for the Amazon series have been kept under wraps. Many have taken to calling it The Lord of the Rings despite it not being a retelling of that story and/or taking place during the Third Age. Following the end of season 1’s filming in West Auckland, New Zealand, it was announced that production for The Lord of the Rings season 2 will be in the U.K. Being that New Zealand has become synonymous Middle-earth throughout six films and over two decades, the news hasn’t sat well with fans.
Frodo himself, Elijah Wood, hilariously reacted to the news on Twitter in a way that mirrors the fandom. The actor simply retweeted the news accompanied by a facepalm emoji. Check it out below:
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Of all the cast members from Jackson’s original Lord of the Rings trilogy, Wood has arguably stayed more connected 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 experience 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 series will reportedly begin production (somewhere) 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 expensive shows of all time. It’s clearly the streamer’s attempt to capitalize on the Game of Thrones-sparked 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 uncertainty and ridicule. There’s nothing worse than seeing a beloved property turn into a mishandled cash grab. That’s not to say Amazon’s more adult take on Middle-earth won’t live up to expectations. It very well could offer compelling insights into Tolkien’s legendary work with season 2 exploring unexpected territory (literally). The series is currently slated for a September 2022 release.
Source: Elijah Wood/Twitter