Lord of the Rings: Amazon moves show to UK from New Zealand

Technology giant Amazon's TV and film business is moving production of its multi-million dollar Lord of the Rings series to the UK from New Zealand.

The as-yet-untitled fantasy epic is set thousands of years before the events in JRR Tolkien's books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

The company said the move was part of a plan to expand its production space and consolidate its footprint in the UK.

Amazon Studios spent $465m (£336.5m) on the first season of the show.

With four more seasons expected to be made, that would make it one of the most expensive series in television history.

New Zealand's dramatic landscapes were also home to Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movie trilogies.