The Lord of the Rings television series set to begin filming in New Zealand

The Lord Of The Rings television series set to begin filming in New Zealand as cast is granted permission to enter the country

The highly-anticipated Lord Of The Rings television series is set to begin filming in New Zealand.

According to Stuff, 206 cast and crew members have been been granted permission to enter the country over six months to film the new series.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment has allowed seven projects to enter New Zealand amid the coronavirus pandemic.

It’s official! The Lord Of The Rings television series  is set to begin filming in New Zealand after the cast were granted permission to enter the country. Pictured Ian McKellen in the 2003 film

Netflix’s adaptation of popular Japanese animated series Cowboy Bepop, the highly-anticipated Avatar sequel and Jane Campion’s film The Power of the Dog are also set to begin production.

The Lord of the Rings had started filming at a studio in Auckland earlier this year, but the country was forced into lockdown.

It is believed most of the crew remained in New Zealand, however others have been given border exemptions to reenter.

Exciting: There are reportedly 206 cast and crew members and 35 of their family members allowed to enter the country over six months to film the new series. Pictured Elijah Wood

Exciting: There are reportedly 206 cast and crew members and 35 of their family members allowed to enter the country over six months to film the new series. Pictured Elijah Wood

Last month, casting agents for the new tv series were desperately looking for people with ‘funky looking’ features to cast in the mammoth project. 

According to The Guardia, a booker for New Zealand talent agency, BGT, put out a request on Facebook ahead of production resuming.

The list also noted they were seeking extras with other attributes, including missing bones, and even a bulbous nose.

The Guardian said the booker was unable to confirm he was working on the small-screen production of the J. R. R. Tolkien classic. But a prior ad had it listed.

Think you could play an orc? Last month, casting agents for the new tv series were desperately looking for people with 'funky looking' features to cast in the mammoth project. Pictured Elijah Wood and Sean Astin star in LOTR: The Two Towers

Think you could play an orc? Last month, casting agents for the new tv series were desperately looking for people with ‘funky looking’ features to cast in the mammoth project. Pictured Elijah Wood and Sean Astin star in LOTR: The Two Towers

The TV series will be in the same fictional universe created by legendary author J.R.R. Tolkien, who published the series at intervals between 1954 and 1955.

Similarly to the books, and the Peter Jackson adaptations in the early 2000s, the landscapes will be populated with horrific humanoid monsters, dwarfish citizens of mythical villages, and slender celestial elves.

Amazon has dropped £190 million just on the rights for the upcoming series, and the details, including cast and plot, are a stone-guarded secret.

The Lord of the Rings movie franchise, produced between 2001 and 2003, cost over £225 million and required more than 20,000 extras to populate the epic scenes.

Following: The TV series will be in the same fictional universe created by legendary author J.R.R. Tolkien, who published the series at intervals between 1954 and 1955. Pictured: Elijah Wood in LOTR: The Two Towers (2002)

Following: The TV series will be in the same fictional universe created by legendary author J.R.R. Tolkien, who published the series at intervals between 1954 and 1955. Pictured: Elijah Wood in LOTR: The Two Towers (2002)