‘Avatar’ and ‘Lord Of The Rings’ should resume filming soon

New Zealand’s impressive handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen it record only 1,139 cases and 21 deaths, means that film production is already back underway in the country.

That’s very good news for fans of Avatar and Lord Of The Rings, as filming on James Cameron’s sequels and Amazon’s TV adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s novels are now inline to start again.

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The New Zealand Film Commission recently confirmed to Deadline that some film and TV shoots “are already safely underway,” with the publication then adding that production on Avatar and Lord Of The Rings are likely to resume in the coming months.

Annabelle Sheehan, the CEO for the New Zealand Film Commission, went on to add, “The NZFC’s focus and commitment since the industry hiatus, has been the health and safety of all those who work in the New Zealand film industry and the ongoing sustainability of the wider screen sector.”

“We are heartened and grateful for the hard work and partnership of the guilds who have worked to get this document completed so quickly.”

Read More: 'The Lord of the Rings' TV series confirms main cast: Meet the fellowship

Both Cameron and producer Jon Landau were shooting the live-action elements of Avatar in New Zealand when the Coronavirus pandemic brought the world to a halt. Luckily for them, though, they were able to continue work on the films in California, as they collaborated with Weta Digital on the Avatar films’ visual effects.

Things were a little bit more complicated for Lord Of The Rings, though, as hundreds of its cast and crew were reportedly sent back home in the middle of March.