June 3, 2024

New Zealand’s TV and film industry: is there a boom?

Filmmakers and talents from New Zealand are gaining global acclaim, but more can be done to support them and encourage international productions back home. By Ching Wai.

New Zealand - With beautiful landscapes and film talents with top-notch skills in New Zealand, it is a wonder why international film companies have only recently been more aware of them and using the country more as a shooting location or somewhere to finish production of their feature films. Works like director Sir Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, director James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water, and director Taika Waititi’s What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople all showcase New Zealand’s charming landscapes and diverse storytelling.

With Sir Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003) that gained success worldwide, New Zealand was able to promote its beautiful landscapes as well as filmmaking skills, as the stunning physical and visual effects created by Weta Workshops in The Lord of the Rings trilogy was showcased to the world. 

More recently, James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water was able to replicate Sir Peter Jackson’s success, gaining global acclaim and showcasing New Zealand’s landscapes and skills to the world. Grossing 2.32 billion worldwide, the second Avatar film is the third highest grossing film of all time. Live-action filming for the second Avatar film was done in New Zealand, and Weta FX, the New Zealand-based digital visual effects and animation company, worked on the visual effects of this film as well, using nearly 3.3 billion thread powers. As a result, the country was once again promoted to be an ideal site for productions.

Now, filmmakers from New Zealand have been recognised locally as well as internationally. Taika Waititi’s feature films Boy (2010) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) are both top-grossing New Zealand films. Waititi’s works have also gotten international acclaim, with Two Cars, One Night (2003), What We Do in the Shadows (2014 and 2019), Jojo Rabbit (2019) and more having been nominated for or won international awards. His superhero films Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), with production budgets of 180 million USD and 250 million USD, grossed 855 million USD and 760.9 million USD respectively. Artists like Waititi are proof of New Zealand’s existing pool of talented filmmakers.

There are currently no regulations for international streamers in New Zealand, who pay no tax and use broadband infrastructure partially funded by the New Zealand government. Due to this, local broadcasting viewership and advertising revenue have taken a hit. Some local directors and actors have also been ignored in New Zealand, therefore choosing to work overseas in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, where they found success. Contributing over NZ$3.5 billion per year and providing more than 16 000 employment opportunities, New Zealand’s screen sector has also contributed to the local economy in terms of tourism, hospitality, and construction.

As New Zealand continues to present itself as a formidable film market for production and consumption alike, implementing regulations and revising support measures such as funding for local and international filmmakers will do well for the country’s film industry moving forward.

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