Covid gold as NZ eyed by Hollywood
Segments of Hollywood are looking to move to New Zealand’s near Covid-free shores as the country’s film industry stands to win big in coming months.
New Zealand Film Commission chief executive Annabelle Sheehan’s optimism is matched by BusinessNZ and Equity NZ.
Sheehan said 47 local productions with a spend of around
$200 million were stalled or unable to start when lockdown hit. That was on top of seven or eight international projects in production or about to start, employing about
3300 people and spending just under $400m.
All signs were positive they could soon start again. International productions tended to hire about 90 per cent locally and there were already positive talks with the Government to allow the extra 10 per cent in, with proper safety procedures.
On top of that were a ‘‘large number’’ of productions now looking to come to New Zealand in the coming six months to a year, lured by New Zealand’s low number of
Covid-19 cases. ‘‘We are in discussions with a lot of different international studios,’’ Sheehan said.
She could not reveal specific projects but said United States film and streaming services were interested.
BusinessNZ chief executive Kirk Hope said New Zealand’s largely successful battle against
Covid-19 made us ‘‘an ideal location for a number of new international productions’’.
‘‘Through the BusinessNZ network we have been tracking a number of screen-related ‘shovelready’ infrastructure projects, including proposed studio developments in Auckland, Rotorua, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.’’
BusinessNZ was asking the Government to make it possible – for example allowing border entry to studio executives, cast and crew, after proper quarantine procedures.
Equity New Zealand president Jennifer Ward-Lealand said the film industry was better positioned than live theatre to recover quickly due to its greater ability to deal with social distancing.
The Screen Sector Covid-19 action group did a lot of work to prepare the screen industry for production under level 2, she said.
New Zealand was one of the first places in the world going back into local production with Shortland Street and the preparation included ‘‘really solid standards for health and safety’’.
The return of international productions was welcomed and quarantine restrictions may mean more opportunities for New Zealand actors, she said.