WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - Amazon has announced 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.

Amazon Studios on Wednesday said it had found a majestic location with world-class sets. It said production would begin in the city of Auckland over the coming months.

But Amazon wouldn't reveal the extent of its plans for the series. It declined to say how much it plans to spend, how many seasons the show will run, or when it will debut.

Some have speculated Amazon could spend more than $1 billion on the series as it looks to take on other streaming services like Netflix.