Where was The Rings of Power filmed? Guide to all the Filming Locations
Posted by Ra Moon
The Rings of Power was filmed primarily in New Zealand, Lord of the Landscapes, and for the second season in the United Kingdom and Spain.
The highly-anticipated Tolkien spin-off series takes place in the Second Age, thousands of years before the events that occurred in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
The highly-anticipated Tolkien spin-off series takes place in the Second Age, thousands of years before the events that occurred in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Only about a third of the show was shot on location, across 38 spots in both North and South Islands. The rest was recorded in the studios in Auckland, using plenty of CGI.
This is the most expensive show ever made, with a budget of nearly one billion dollars for the first eight-episode season.
Welcome to Middle-earth and the most detailed and complete guide to the filming locations of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. We will be updating and expanding this spoiler-free report every week as new locations are revealed!
The Rings of Power Locations
In the first episode, "A Shadow of the Past", we are introduced to the Harfoots community, a group of hobbits.
These scenes were filmed at Denize Bluffs in Mangaotaki valley near Piopio on the North Island.
This private land of bizarre rock formations, caves, and nooks, also doubled as the Trollshaw Forest in The Hobbit trilogy.
(You can open all the locations on Google Maps by clicking on the links below in the captions ↴)
Image courtesy of Amazon Prime - Map
Image courtesy of Amazon Prime - Map
The Ostirith watchtower overlooking the villages of Tirharad and Hordern, where Arondir has spent the last 79 years, was CGI'd onto Lake Quill.
Located in the Fiordland National Park, this spectacular lake basin is overflowing into the Sutherland Falls, with a drop of almost 2,000 feet.
This spot in the South Island was also featured in Mission: Impossible Fallout and Alien Covenant.
Image courtesy of Amazon - Map
The exterior of Khazad-dûm, the underground dwarf realm, was filmed at Earnslaw Burn in Otago, north of Queenstown.
This jaw-dropping valley beneath an immense wall of waterfalls spilling down the slopes was also featured in The Hobbit. Earnslaw Burn can be visited with the helicopter flight company based in Queenstown Heliworks.
The interior of Moria, situated under the Misty Mountains in the books, was a set built on a sound stage.
Image courtesy of Amazon - Map
The island kingdom of Numenor, a sort of Middle-Earth Venice or Atlantis ruled by Men, was also filmed at the studios.
According to production designer Ramsay Avery, the set is inspired by Egypt, the Middle East, and North African architectures with a Mediterranean touch.
The scenes with Galadriel and Halbrand in the open sea were filmed in a massive water tank. The series was recorded at Auckland Film Studios, Kumeu Film Studios, and Kelly Park Film Studios.
The scene in the third episode, "Adar", where Galadriel and Elendil are riding on a horse in slow-motion was filmed on Anawhata Beach, located north of Piha.
This gorgeous beach is located just one hour away from downtown Auckland, but is relatively quiet because it can only be reached by foot.
Image courtesy of Amazon - Map
Producer Callum Greene commented in an interview that the show was shot in several extreme filming spots including the very top of Mount Kidd, reached by helicopter, and rugged coastlines only accessible by drones.
The series, which employed more than 1,200 New Zealanders, moved production for the second season to the United Kingdom and Spain, basically for economic and logistical reasons.
Some more confirmed locations in New Zealand include the Coromandel Peninsula and the Kahurangi National Park in the South Island as Rhovanion.
The Rings of Power season 2 locations
Some of the forest scenes for season two were filmed at Windsor Great Park in England, showrunner Patrick McKay told Variety.
This historic royal landscape in England, featuring vast ancient woodlands, is home to diverse wildlife and a rich variety of tree species, some of which date back centuries.
Most of season 2 was shot in and around London, between Bray Film Studios and Bovingdon Airfield.
Image courtesy of Amazon - Map
These scenes in the first episode, "Elven Kings Under the Sky," look like Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.
This magical and labyrinthine forest of twisted trees, moss-covered rocks, and mysterious paths is the inspiration for fantasy stories and has been used as a filming location hundreds of times.
Image courtesy of Amazon - Map
The scenes in which The Stranger and the Harfoot get lost on their way to the Land of Rhûn were filmed in the Teide National Park in Tenerife, Canary Islands.
This dramatic volcanic landscape is dominated by Mount Teide, Spain's highest peak.
With unique rock formations reminiscent of the lunar or Martian surface, the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Image courtesy of Amazon - Map
The scenes in the woods with the orcs were filmed at Bourne Woods in Farnham, Surrey.
Located near Pinewood Studios, this woodland is perfect for filming forest scenes and has served as the backdrop for hundreds of films, TV series and music videos.
Image courtesy of Amazon - Map
The rock pool scene with Miriel in the sixth episode is a real location on the coast of San Juan de la Rambla, on the island of Tenerife.
Known as El Charco de La Laja, this natural pool formed by volcanic rock is a popular swimming spot with stunning ocean views.
Image courtesy of Amazon - Map
Stay tuned for updates on this page as more juicy details are unearthed!
Can you help to improve this article about the filming locations of The Rings of Power? To complete and correct this report, any feedback, info, or images that you may have are more than welcome, thank you!
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Can you help to improve this article about the filming locations of The Rings of Power? To complete and correct this report, any feedback, info, or images that you may have are more than welcome, thank you!
NOTICE: If you’re using this information on your website, please credit and link to this page as a source.
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1 comment:
1- JonWilliams88 - Mar 14, 2023, 2:11 PM
I'm trying to figure out which location is featured in episode five at the start of the Wandering Day song. The landscape with the large jagged rocks rising from the grass reminds me of Poolburn, Central Otago.
1- JonWilliams88 - Mar 14, 2023, 2:11 PM
I'm trying to figure out which location is featured in episode five at the start of the Wandering Day song. The landscape with the large jagged rocks rising from the grass reminds me of Poolburn, Central Otago.
Ra Moon
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