NZ | Movie + TV News

[SYDNEY]

Truckers on roll with film boom

New Zealand's booming film industry is giving a boost to an expanding truck rental firm in Auckland. Jason McKinney and Peter Smith, owners of North Harbour Rentals, are featured in a Film New Zealand ad campaign highlighting how New Zealanders in other industries helped in the production of The Hobbit films. Their business kits out trucks for use on film sets, as mobile wardrobe and makeup studios. Two years ago, North Harbour Rentals acquired Cinema Services, one of two Auckland companies providing film crews with the specialist trucks. McKinney had previous experience in fitting out trucks for film and TV and North Harbour Rentals started acquiring trucks and fitting them out from scratch. Film trucks make up about 25 per cent of the firm's workload. McKinney, rentals film services manager, said their work for the film industry had allowed the company to invest in new vehicles and enabled them to increase the size and quality of their fleet, which now included 15 makeup and nine wardrobe trucks. The business employed nine staff. It costs at least $150,000, plus the cost of the vehicle, to create a makeup truck. The film crews then pay a monthly rent. McKinney said it would usually take at least a couple of months to fit out a truck with hand basins, power points, mirrors and lights ... MORE

[SYDNEY]

Short films vie for Oscars

It just got a whole lot easier for Kiwi filmmakers to win an Oscar. Local short film festival Show Me Shorts has been named the first New Zealand film festival to receive Academy Award accreditation. Local filmmakers will no longer have to win an award at an international festival to gain entry to the Oscars, with the winner of the best film award at the Kiwi festival now qualifying for consideration in one of the Oscars short film categories. The first film to qualify for entry is Night Shift, which won the 2012 Show Me Shorts' top prize last month. However due to timing, the film will be entered into the 2014 Oscar race. Night Shift writer and director Zia Mandviwalla said the opportunity was exciting news for all local filmmakers. "While this opens a whole host of opportunities for Night Shift it also raises the profile of Show Me Shorts in local and international arenas, which is so well deserved given what a great festival this is! New Zealand short films are made to such an exceptionally high standard and it feels so fitting for us to now have a local short film festival that gives our pool of talented filmmakers a shot at the Academy Awards." Festival director Gina Dellabarca said the confirmation amid strict guidelines and criteria from the academy marks a milestone for the festival. "This is a wonderful acknowledgement of the high standard of films in our programme, and professionalism of Show Me Shorts ... MORE

[SYDNEY]

Quickflix gets Freeview channel in NZ distribution deal

ASX-listed streaming and on-demand video supplier Quickflix has cut a deal with Freeview to secure a channel on the free-to-air set-top-box. Quickflix, which has lost three board members and its chief executive in recent weeks, will launch a service on Freeview next year, offering 'all you can view' subscription offering as well as pay-per-view for new release titles, it said in a statement. The deal comes a day after local pay-TV supremo Sky Network Television's joint venture with state-owned Television New Zealand, Igloo, went live. "This is a significant development for Quickflix because half a million kiwis will have immediate access to our subscription and pay-per-view movie and TV streaming service," executive chairman Stephen Langsford said. "We're encouraged by the take-up of Quickflix streaming services in New Zealand, and this deal is a significant boost to our audience reach in the region." The Sydney-based company has had a rough ride in the past month, suspending trading in its shares for three weeks as it worked through its funding options. The shares plunged 63 percent yesterday when they resumed trading, and were unchanged at 2.1 Australian cents today. Quickflix, which counts US pay-TV company Home Box Office as a cornerstone investor, launched its service into New Zealand this year. The company has been critical of local content arrangements between pay-TV operator Sky TV and internet service providers, which prevent it from offering HBO. Freeview brings together the country's free-to-air broadcasters to provide a set-top-box that gave viewers digital services as the government looks to turn off the ageing analogue network to sell that radio spectrum. TVNZ reaffirmed its commitment to the service, even after it signed up to the budget pay-TV venture with Sky TV.

[SYDNEY]

Cross-post from Auckland News Thread ...

Spartacus props up for auction

More than 5000 props from Spartacus, including a fake dead body and a collection of swords, are up for auction this weekend, marking the end of the production's time in New Zealand. Four seasons of the American show were filmed in Auckland, with the final instalment War of the Damned set to screen early next year. Earlier this year it was announced this would be the last series. The series stars Liam McIntyre as the Thracian-slave-turned-revolutionary who's out to topple the Roman Empire. McIntyre took over the role from Andy Whitfield, who starred in the first season, then withdrew due to illness. He died of cancer in September 2011. The show has also featured well-known local faces including Lucy Lawless, Manu Bennett and Craig Parker as well as a number of Auckland locations. James Hogan from Webb's auction house said the collection is unlike anything he has ever seen. "We've got a few heads that aren't joined to bodies, we've got a little baby, a horse head - those sort of things that are a bit macabre and you get a bit of a fright when you come across. But everything else is actually really well made," he said. "The team have put a lot of effort into how the props and the sets should look. And all the wooden furniture is really well made - I'd have it at home." Not only can fans pick up both stuffed and severed animals, but the East Auckland warehouse where the items are being stored is also full of furniture, blankets and trinkets - a lot of it covered in fake blood. Hogan said there is already some interest coming from buyers in the States, Canada and Australia, but he has no idea what type of person will snap up the bargains on Sunday ... MORE

[SYDNEY]

Watch how New Zealand becomes Middle Earth in this video of the making of the The Hobbit.

[SYDNEY]

The Hobbit set for big opening at the box office

The Hobbit is set for a successful release, with US projections putting it on track to match the final Lord of the Rings film in opening weekend box-office takings. The film opened at midnight in New Zealand cinemas and will roll out in the US on Friday. Projections from advance ticket sales have it headed for an $83 million opening in US takings alone, trade paper The Hollywood Reporter says. That puts it on pace to match Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, which made $72.6 million in North America on its opening weekend. It would eclipse both Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, which took $65 million and $55 million respectively. Marvel's recent blockbuster The Avengers holds the record for the biggest ever opening weekend after making nearly $250 million. Movies released in December generally having slower releases in the US. The Hobbit could exceed expectations because it has the advantage of being released in 3D, The Hollywood Reporter said. It also is the first film to feature the intriguing, if controversial, technique of filming at 48 frames per second - twice the normal Hollywood rate.

[SYDNEY]

The Hobbit sets opening day record - report

The Hobbit has reportedly set an opening day New Zealand box-office earnings record. The film made $762,000 in the 24 hours after being released at midnight on Wednesday, The Hollywood Reporter said. That is the highest opening day takings for a non-holiday release in New Zealand history, it said. A spokeswoman for Roadshow Film Distributors did not confirm those figures. She said The Hobbit's official New Zealand box-office takings would be released later this afternoon. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is set to roll out in 4045 cinemas across the US on Friday. Projections from advance ticket sales have it headed for an $83 million opening weekend in the US alone, The Hollywood Reporter said. That puts it on pace to match Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, which made $72.6 million in North America on its opening weekend. It would eclipse both Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, which took $65 million and $55 million respectively. The film will also open in 55 other markets over the weekend - though its Australian release is delayed until December 26. Marvel's recent blockbuster The Avengers holds the record for the biggest ever opening weekend after making nearly $250 million.

[twentyfivetacos]

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_...ected_journey/

Seems most of the early reviews are pretty negative with some even going so far as to compare the film to the Star Wars prequels. New Zealanders need to remember to not take these criticisms against “The Hobbit” personally. Just because someone hates "The Hobbit" doesn't mean they hate New Zealand. "The Lord of the Rings" books were written by some racist white South African and don't have anything to do with New Zealand anyway.

[SYDNEY]

Originally Posted by twentyfivetacos

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_...ected_journey/

Seems most of the early reviews are pretty negative with some even going so far as to compare the film to the Star Wars prequels. New Zealanders need to remember to not take these criticisms against “The Hobbit” personally. Just because someone hates "The Hobbit" doesn't mean they hate New Zealand. "The Lord of the Rings" books were written by some racist white South African and don't have anything to do with New Zealand anyway.

We don't take it to heart mate, for every one negative there are at least four positive reviews ... that's life, you can't please everybody Thanks for the link and have an amazing weekend

[SYDNEY]

North Americans flock to The Hobbit

The Hobbit has set a December movie record for North American box office sales of US$84.77 million (NZ$100.30m) as legions of fans turned out for the long-awaited big-screen return to Middle Earth. The 3D movie directed by Oscar-winning Rings filmmaker Peter Jackson is the first of three films based on a 1937 classic novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Warner Bros. is aiming to build on the success of the Rings series, one of Hollywood's biggest franchises with US$2.9 billion (NZ$3.43b) in global ticket sales. The Lord of the Rings movies debuted in theaters from 2001 to 2003. After that, production on The Hobbit ran into delays, leaving fans waiting a decade for another look at the fantasy story of dwarves, wizards and elves. The opening weekend Hobbit sales proved interest remained high. North American (US and Canadian) receipts toppled the old record for December set by Will Smith sci-fi flick I Am Legend, which pulled in US$77.2 million (NZ$91.3m) when it debuted in 2007. "The best we were hoping for was to reach or exceed the US$77 million set by that movie and we did it by quite a lot. It was all good and we're very happy about it," said Dan Fellman, president of theatrical distribution for Warner Bros. "You have to assume that by the time this first week is over we are going to have around US$110 million (NZ$130.16m) in the bank before the holiday even starts," he added ... MORE

[SYDNEY]

Jackson reveals Hobbit cameo

Peter Jackson has revelaed the cameo scene he gave himself in the Hobbit trilogy, playing a dwarf fleeing the dragon Smaug. Jackson told empireonline.com he had shot a cameo scene in the final days of filming on The Hobbit: Unexpected Journey. "I’m trying to be disguised so no-one will know," Jackson says. He had to put on a full dwarf costume and was "horrified" with how uncomfortable it was. Jackson has a long history of appearing in his own films. He appeared in all three Lord of the Rings movies – most famously in The Fellowship of the Ring as a drunken, carrot-eating inhabitant of Bree. In The Lovely Bones he tests a Super 8 camera in a Pennsylvania mall store. In King Kong he shaved his trademark beard to make an uncredited cameo as a biplane gunner in the climactic scene on top of the Empire State Building. He is also understood to have had cameos in The Frighteners, Heavenly Creatures, and his early splatter movies. Jackson also talked about his upcoming production Dam Busters There had been a plan for him to shoot the WW2 tale while Guillermo del Toro shot The Hobbit but Dam Busters was put on hold after del Toro quit The Hobbit. "It’s ready to go as soon as we possibly can," Jackson said. Ten Lancaster bomber planes were already built and in storage for the movie, he said.

[SYDNEY]

Joan of Arc to be re-born in New Zealand

A television drama series for international audiences on the life of Joan of Arc is to be made in New Zealand. Filming dates and who will star have yet to be announced but the production is a joint effort the Sir Richard Taylor-founded Pukeko Pictures, FremantleMedia and Australian feature writer Craig Pearce, whose credits include Romeo & Juliet, Moulin Rouge, and The Great Gatsby. Based on a New York Times bestseller The Maid, the as yet untitled series is the first project from the Pukeko Productions/FremantleMedia partnership announced earlier this year. Sir Richard says the project is the perfect fit for everything New Zealand has to offer. "From our spectacular landscapes to the award-winning team at Weta Workshop - an epic drama that can showcase everything from conceptual design through to manufacturing; utilising all the skills we have honed on our feature work.” In addition to teaming up with Craig Pearce and Pukeko Pictures, FremantleMedia recently announced a partnership with award-winner Marshall Herskovitz to develop a TV drama series inspired by the popular non-fiction book Hitlerland, by Andrew Nagorski.

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

[Solopop]

Pretty mediocre response to The Hobbit...

[SYDNEY]

We went to Hobbiton just before Christmas and it was amazing - tours every 15 minutes with bus load after bus load arriving with people from all over the planet .... make sure you get to visit, it is worth the two hour drive from Auckland ...

Hobbit already boosting NZ tourism

image hosted on flickr

nz_hobbiton_IMG_8639_40_41_tonemapped by Stas Kulesh, on Flickr

The Hobbit trilogy is already being credited with a big boost to New Zealand tourism with flight bookings jumping significantly as fans flock here for a taste of Middle-earth. A farm near Matamata in Waikato and parts of the Wellington region have become Hobbit tourist attractions, and fans from around the world and coming in their droves to see the backdrop to the films. Flight bookings to New Zealand through online travel site Expedia have increased 84 per cent, up 50 per cent compared to the same month last year, the Daily Mail reported. Another search engine, Skyscanner, revealed similar interest, with bookings on flights to Wellington up 117 per cent compared to December last year. Air New Zealand was benefiting from the film, even before its release. The airline paid for the rights to be the "official airline of Middle-earth". Bookings for the airline from the United States almost doubled the day before last month's Wellington premiere of the first film in the trilogy and were up by a third in Japan following a Hobbit promotion. Tourism New Zealand is spending $10 million promoting The Hobbit trilogy. Stars of the film including Australian actress Cate Blanchett attended the London premiere on Wednesday.

[SYDNEY]

Could he also be planning to film here and buy a couple of farms to join Cameron

From Pi to pies: film man's NZ break


As he sat on a wharf bollard to have his photo taken, Ang Lee eyed the Waitemata below with a slight grin. Maybe it was because the Oscar-winning director, who was in Auckland yesterday, has spent a good deal of the past few years at sea - or in a giant wave tank replicating it - as he filmed Life of Pi. The movie is a spectacular 3D adaptation of the supposedly unfilmable Yann Martell bestseller which tells of the adventures of a teenage Indian castaway sharing a lifeboat with a tiger named Richard Parker. The acclaim for it could well give the Taiwan-born American-based film-maker an addition to a trophy cabinet which includes a Best Director Academy Award for Brokeback Mountain and Best Foreign Language Film for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Life of Pi further proves that when it comes to adapting novels, Lee, whose first non-Chinese film was the 1995 version of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, is a master. Quite aside from Pi's technical hurdles, Lee said, telling its mystical story on screen had its own challenges. "This is a book about ideas, It's not about emotion. It's not particularly film friendly, and people project different ideas into it. It's a beloved book for millions of different reasons ... MORE

[SYDNEY]

Daniel Bedingfield to judge X-Factor NZ

Daniel Bedingfield is set to join the judging panel on The X-Factor NZ. The New Zealand-born pop star shot to international fame after releasing his 2002 album Gotta Get Thru This, which sold more than four million copies worldwide and went five times platinum in the UK. Its title single topped the UK charts and went to the top 10 in the United States. Second single If You're Not The One also shot to number one in the UK. His career changed course after a horrific car crash near Whangarei in 2004 which permanently altered his voice and left him with a serious neck injury. Bedingfield said he is looking forward to his part on the New Zealand talent show set to be screened on TV3. "Sweet, I get to spend three months in New Zealand with a bunch of random geniuses, coaching them, and perhaps helping them live their wildest dreams... "I've been voice coaching around the world for a little while and I find it particularly exciting to assist in the development of raw talent. There's something particularly refreshing about engaging with wide-eyed innocence." ... MORE

[SYDNEY]

Hobbit leapfrogs Bond in box office stakes

In just three weeks, Sir Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has overtaken the latest James Bond thriller and threatens last year’s box office champion, The Avengers. Latest figures from the Motion Picture Distributors Association to January 2 show The Hobbit (Warner Bros) has taken $8.3 million from 203 screens. This compares with $8.8 million for The Avengers (20th Century Fox) and Skyfall (Sony) with $6.9 million in six weeks of release. Skyfall took just over $500,000 in its latest week from 109 screens. The family-oriented animated feature Wreck-It Ralph was the best of the rest with a total of $1.3 million after opening on Box Day. Other holiday releases to open strongly are Life of Pi (20th Century Fox), which garnered $586,000 in just two days, and Quartet, $790,000, which also opened on Boxing Day. Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II dropped sharply and is on only 32 screens after seven weeks for total takings of just over $5 million. It was 2012’s eighth largest grossing film.

[SYDNEY]

The Hobbit: should we have paid?

A majority of New Zealanders polled by the Herald back the $67 million in tax breaks given to the producers of The Hobbit by the Government - but only if the films return more than that to the local economy. Only one in five people surveyed in a Herald-DigiPoll poll completely opposed the subsidies given to Hollywood studio Warner Brothers for the making of The Hobbit films. The poll showed New Zealanders were not highly concerned about the principle of giving tax incentives to an overseas company, but they would be concerned if the costs of this subsidy were not recovered. Asked which statement best fitted their view on the taxpayer subsidies for The Hobbit, 65 per cent of respondents chose "It was worth it only if the New Zealand economy gets more than that amount back". Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce said the poll showed that New Zealanders understood the value of the films to the economy. "We have been confident all the way through that these movies would be good for New Zealand and ... certainly the box office internationally over the last few weeks has underlined that." ... MORE

[twentyfivetacos]

"The Hobbit" completely snubbed in this years Oscars nominations