Amazon announced last week that it will film its upcoming television series The Lord of the Rings in New Zealand, marking a return of the orcs, elves and hobbits to the country they became synonymous with over the course of six movies directed by Peter Jackson. "As we searched for the location in which we could bring to life the primordial beauty of the Second Age of Middle-earth, we knew we needed to find somewhere majestic, with pristine coasts, forests, and mountains," showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay wrote in a statement. The series will be based on the fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien. Amazon said it would explore new story lines that precede The Fellowship of the Ring.