New Zealand

A s 2025 ended, New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) ushered in changes to the country’s international Screen Production Rebate, designed to ensure its growth as a destination for global production.

“International productions are an essential part of New Zealand’s screen ecosystem,” says the commission’s CEO, Annie Murray. “They generate export income and boost economic growth with flow-on benefits not just to creative industries but to tourism, hospitality, construction and technology. They also create a sustainable pipeline for our local screen workforce and businesses.”

The sector supports 5,200 screen businesses, providing work for around 24,000 people, generating $2bn (nz$3.5bn) annually, according to NZFC.

One advantage of the revised Screen Production Rebate  is that it is a straightforward cash incentive (simple to claim and not tied to tax), with the New Zealand dollar offering excellent value for international productions.

From January 1, 2026, the minimum spend for feature films to qualify for the rebate was reduced from $8.8m (nz$15m) to $2.4m (nz$4m). This aligned it with the existing minimum spend for TV and streaming, while removing the cap for above-the-line roles. The threshold for productions to access the extra 5% uplift was reduced from $17.6m (nz$30m) to $11.7m (nz$20m), looking to attract a broader range of productions.

The cap on how much international productions can claim for above-the-line roles, such as director, producer, principal cast or screenwriter, was also removed. 

High-profile projects that shot in New Zealand before the changes include the James Ashcroft-directed horror When Darkness Loves Us starring Emilia Clarke, which filmed in Wellington. The feature was financed by NZFC and Images & Sound, as well as the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate, which was cashflowed by Hinterland and Natixis Coficiné.

Evil Dead Wrath, written and directed by Francis Galluppi, the seventh feature-length film in the longrunning horror franchise, began shooting in Auckland in February. It followed back-to-back filming with Sébastien Vanicek’s Evil Dead Burn, scheduled for a 2026 release.

A live-action adaptation of video­game franchise The Legend Of Zelda, directed by Wes Ball (Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes) and backed and produced by Nintendo and Sony Pictures Entertainment, began a 19-week shoot at Kumeu Film Studios in November 2025.

Malaysian feature film Terbang landed on the South Island for the final seven days of production in October 2025, after a 45-day shoot in Malaysia. Meanwhile Andy Serkis’s The Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum is in pre-production in Wellington, eyeing a May start.

Overseas filmmakers and producers are always asked to consider the protocols in place for connecting with Maori cultural values. Such considerations are inherent with filming in New Zealand and span traditional welcomes through to project and location blessings. Location managers are on hand to connect the productions with the iwi/hāpu, tribes with guardianship in the region.

New Zealand’s production infrastructure continues to expand. Studio capacity has increased with Auckland Film Studios open, and new facilities at Studio West, Kumeū Film Studios and X3. All facilities in Wellington, including the Wētā group of companies and Park Road Post, are located centrally. There are also the well‑established Stone Street Studios and Lane Street Studios.

New Zealand is a direct overnight flight from Los Angeles, and is equivalent in size to the state of California. Its main production bases are Auckland and Wellington, with a smaller hub in Queenstown and growing infrastructure in Christchurch. The country is made up of two main islands offering a large variety of locations within short distances.

Contact : Philippa Mossman, head of international attraction and marketing, New Zealand Film Commission  philippa.mossman@nzfilm.co.nz

South Island is a filming favourite with its pristine and prehistoric environs, Auckland continues to attract a variety of productions and its thriving creative sector employs the largest pool of talent in the screen industry. 

Wellington makes for an easy filmmaking experience, the compact capital city having played host to large, international studio-based productions including the Avatar films. It is known as New Zealand’s creative capital and is recognised by Unesco as a City of Film for its rich and diverse screen activity.

First contact: Philippa Mossman, head of international attraction and marketing, New Zealand Film Commission philippa.mossman@nzfilm.co.nz