Alien landscape
Milford Sound’s movie debut
After years of watching other New Zealand locations being showcased, ‘‘moody’’ Milford Sound finally has its moment in the Hollywood spotlight.
Fiordland’s World Heritage Site makes its big screen bow, standing in for a remote, previously hidden planet in Sir Ridley Scott’s latest sci-fi epic – Alien: Covenant .It provides the backdrop for plenty of ‘‘xenomorph’’ action, as a group of colonists set down in hope of establishing a new civilisation, only to discover that something has already beaten them there.
Filming took place at Milford for two weeks at the start of the movie’s 74-day shoot in April 2016. While most of the production was based at Fox Studios Australia, the Fiordland shoot was only possible because of the determination of Scott’s production crew to film in the location and their willingness to co-operate with requirements from groups like Environment Southland and the Department of Conservation (DOC).
Scott, who had previously shot a commercial at Castle Point in the 1990s, recently told Britain’s Empire magazine that he was struck by the area’s beauty and wonder. ‘‘When it rains, hundreds of waterfalls appear.’’
Cinematographer Dariuz Wolski was also taken by the area’s ‘‘cloudy, soft light’’.
‘‘Sometimes the sun comes through, but basically, it’s dramatic clouds, mountains that appear and disappear in the clouds.’’
For New Zealand Film Commission’s (NZFC) head of international attractions Philippa Mossman, the shoot represented a significant payoff from a trip Scott made to the country in May 2014. She hosted Scott, as well as one of his producers and production designers, on a tour of various New Zealand locations. ‘‘At that stage, it was a general scout, but I think he also had The Martian in mind.’’
Jordan might have proved to boast more Mars-like scenery, but Mossman says she got the sense the 79-year-old was looking at New Zealand as part of his ‘‘big picture’’.
‘‘He’s a charismatic guy and he said to me ‘I’ve got 10 more movies in me at least’. You could tell he was taking a general look around. He’s known for his atmospheric visual style and he certainly didn’t seem to be drawn to pretty locations – personality and atmosphere were definitely his thing.’’
So Mossman wasn’t completely surprised when she got a phone call in late 2015 from an Australian-based location scout asking if Scott could return for another look at Fiordland.
‘‘However, it’s one thing for a very special location to appeal to a top-shelf director. It definitely takes the local community and key organisations to embrace the idea of the filming for it to happen.’’
Freelance locations scout Simon Riley was initially dispatched to the area for a twoweek scout and Film Otago Southland executive Kevin ‘‘KJ’’ Jennings informed on a Friday that ‘‘Sir Ridley’’ and producer Mark Huffam were coming for breakfast the next morning.
‘‘When Ridley calls, you come,’’ Jennings laughs. Within hours, he’d organised a helicopter to Milford and ground transport and a local expert guide.
The film’s producer Huffam says Jennings and his team were instrumental in helping them make their decision to shoot there. ‘‘They provided detailed information and on-the-ground support and also helped us with advice and introductions to the local authorities and residents, which enabled us to successfully film in a Unesco World Heritage Area.’’
Department of Conservation Otago & Southland community relations ranger Sinead Mulhern says that while Fiordland is always ‘‘open’’ to business of this kind and it is lovely to see ‘‘our’’ scenery and landscape on the big screen, Milford’s existing infrastructure was a factor in the decision to greenlight this project.
‘‘If somebody was to come in with a similar proposal for a more remote area, the result might have been different.’’
Environment Southland consents officer Matt Hoffman says their role was to make sure none of the area’s unique flora and fauna and high-quality environment was affected in a permanent way by the production.
He says the tight timeframe meant his team had to work quite closely with the crew and potentially affected parties to get it ‘‘over the line’’.
‘‘We had a lot more contact with them than we normally would, but the producer was confident they could meet our requirements and they demonstrated that to us.’’
In all, more than 450 crew were accommodated at Milford Lodge, with the production office at Te Anau’s Top Ten Holiday Park and production base at Matai Lodge. Around 300 locals were recruited to work as everything from drivers to labourers and production assistants.
None of those spoken to have seen the film yet, however all are excited about the prospect, whether fans of the long-running Alien series or not.
‘‘It’s just another feather in the cap for the New Zealand industry,’’ says Film Otago Southland’s Jennings. ‘‘I’ve seen the trailer and can’t wait to see more.’’
That’s a sentiment echoed by NZFC’s Mossman, who expects Scott’s ‘‘trademark visual splendour will become a postcard for the moodier side of New Zealand’’.
Alien: Covenant (R16) is now screening in cinemas nationwide.